Small Recipes...Homemade Biscuit Mix Cinnamon Twists

Somebody absconded with a donut hole!  

Here’s a simple treat made with my homemade biscuit mix recipe from the Martha White Southern Sampler cookbook.   If you don’t put all the cinnamon-sugar on the plate for dipping, you can save any you don’t use for cinnamon toast, if you have any left, that is!    I use my doughnut cutter to make fancy twists…you can cut them out with a biscuit cutter and use bottle cap to cut the center, or just leave them round without twisting for that matter.   My doughnut cutter is 2 3/4" across with a 1 1/4" inch center cutter.                

I can make a very small amount with no waste and no leftovers…perfect.  You can even cut this in half and have just enough for 1 person!  I weigh my mix to ensure success every time.    

                             Cinnamon Twists

     1/4    cup  milk

  4           ounces  Homemade or purchased Biscuit Mix (a scant cup)

  1 1/2    tablespoons  butter -- melted

     1/2    cup  sugar

     1/2    teaspoon  cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450°.  Melt butter in shallow sauce dish in microwave.  Prepare cinnamon-sugar to taste in custard or glass measuring cup; spread some of it in a paper plate, adding more to the plate as needed (save any unused leftovers for cinnamon toast). Line with parchment or lightly grease a quarter-sheet pan (12 x 9") or a cookie sheet.

In small bowl, combine milk and biscuit mix with fork just until it pulls away from the side of the bowl; let set in bowl 4-5 minutes.  Knead dough lightly 8-10 times on a floured board.  Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness into a square that will make 4 biscuits with your doughnut cutter.  Cut into rounds with the floured doughnut cutter. 

Dip each biscuit into melted butter, then into mixture of sugar and cinnamon.  Twist once and place about 1 inch apart on baking sheet or line with parchment paper.  Dip the centers the same way.

Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes.

Remove to rack for a few minutes; serve warm.

Makes 4 small treats…about 2 servings.

Martha White Biscuit Mix

                        1 QUART MIX

  1           pound self-rising flour -- sift first (4 cups)

  4          ounces  lard or shortening -- 1/2 cup

Cut shortening into flour with pastry blender or food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature (If using shortening).  Refrigerate if using lard.

Mix will keep well up to 4 months on the shelf if using shortening or in the refrigerator if using lard. 

Recipe weighs 20 ounces; 1 cup recipe weighs 5 ounces.                                

                        TO PREPARE 5-6 BISCUITS:

  5       ounces  biscuit mix

  5-6 tablespoons  milk or buttermilk (3/8 cup)

TO PREPARE BISCUITS:

Preheat oven to 450°, toaster oven to 425°.  Lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment.

Add milk to mix.

Stir with a fork only until dough leaves sides of bowl.  Turn dough out onto lightly floured board; knead gently just until smooth, about 10-12 times.

Roll out to ½  inch thickness.  Cut into rounds with a floured 2 inch cutter.  Turn over when placing on baking sheet.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield:  "1 quart" of mix