Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Over the weekend as we were creating the menu for our Meatless Monday Meals to go, I came across  an old recipe that I had clipped out of a magazine for Buttermilk Dill Pepper biscuits.  They sounded like the perfect accompaniment for the Autumnal Butternut Bean Stew, and they would be easy enough to veganize. This was my first foray into making biscuits from scratch, evident by the yellowing corners of the recipe I found tucked away in the anals of forgotten recipes. The experience was incredibly gratifying and much easier than I had expected. Since this gem has been hidden in my pre-vegan recipe folder for a decade, I have no idea who to credit for the original. If it is yours and you are reading this blog…that is really strange. Thank you for the recipe.

Photo By: S. Duquet

Buttermilk Dill Pepper Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 C. unbleached all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 C vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum organic all vegetable non-hydrogenatated shortening)

a little less than 1 Tbsp lemon juice

3/4 C non dairy milk ( I used unsweetened coconut milk)

4 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

Make It Happen

~Preheat oven t0 450 degrees F

~Put measured shortening cut into small pieces into freezer to chill

~In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pepper and salt.

~In a cup combine lemon juice and non dairy milk. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes to create buttermilk.

~With a pastry blender or two knives used in a scissor fashion, cut vegetable shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs (it will look more floury than crumbly)

~Stir dill into buttermilk then combine buttermilk into flour mixture and gently combine until mixture forms a soft dough that easily leaves the sides of the bowl. Handle as little as possible.

~Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and knead 6-8 times until smooth. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/4 thick.

Photo By: S. Duquet

~With a floured biscuit cutter ( I used a star cookie cutter) cut out biscuits and transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 inch apart. Repeat until all your dough is used.

~Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy 5 0r 6 with generous pats of Earth Balance vegan butter. That is what I did and it they were amazing. These would be magnificent with homemade tomato soup or as a landing pad for a creamy chick’n pot pie filling. They would sex up any sandwich and make your breakfast biscuits unforgettable. They were as good the second day as the first. Their flavor is surpassed only by their ease in preparation. Biscuits for everyone.

Have a delicious day.

Tags: buttermilk dill pepper biscuits, compassionate eating, cooking with herbs, dairy free, going veg, plant based diet, vegan biscuits, vegan buttermilk biscuits, vegan experience, Vegan MoFo, vegan MoFo recipe, vegan wannabe, vegetarian recipe