OK, this is it! No more searching the internet for the perfect whole grain baking powder biscuit that is low in sugar and tastes fantastic. Because I have now found the holy grail of fairly healthy biscuits. Not only are these biscuits delicious; they are a snap to prepare. And because of this, I am so excited to share this recipe with you.  

And to whom do I have to thank for this recipe? foodnetwork.com. (I would throw immoderate plaudits towards the person or persons who came up with this recipe, but his, her, or their names weren’t referenced.)

Of course, I did make a couple of simple changes from the original recipe. I reduced the amount of salt from 1 teaspoon to ¾ teaspoon. And the next time I make these amazing biscuits, I will not brush the tops with buttermilk before baking them. (I found it a waste of good buttermilk for no apparent reason. The biscuit tops didn’t brown, so why bother! Next time I make these, which I assure you will be darn soon, I am going to try mixing an egg yolk with a bit of whole milk. If that works to help make a beautiful brown top, I will edit this recipe to include that step.)

Anyway, for now, these biscuits taste wonderful, but don’t expect the tops to be gloriously brown. Ain’t going to happen unless you bake them long enough to burn the bottoms. Which is not what I would suggest! What I would recommend however, would be to serve these biscuits warm, spread with room temperature butter and either local honey or a very nice jam or jelly. Because these babies deserve only the best. As do each and every one of you! Of course!

Well, there’s not much more to report today from Lake Wobegon. (And yes, I do miss Garrison Keillor’s The Prairie Home Companion.) It was such a fun radio show. And I especially loved the description of the town. “Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Especially the line about women. Women have always been strong, but it was nice to hear it said. (And I am taking strong to mean competent, capable, proficient, accomplished, knowledgeable, talented etc. etc., rather than merely muscular!)

So, to all you “strong” women out there who make life better for everyone you meet, I salute you. Keep up the good work. Because life is not getting easier. For anyone. And staying positive in these tumultuous times is sometimes rather difficult to maintain. I only know that because I feel it too. I would love some morning to read in the newspaper that the Ukraine was now free of Russian invasion. Or the war on poverty was winning. Or that Covid was finally obliterated. Or that everyone finally acknowledged that climate change is real. (As just a few examples.) But that is only wishful thinking. And just thinking never accomplished anything. What helps is action.

So, if you have yet to cast your ballot, please do so ASAP. And for those who have already voted – good on you!

Peace and love to all.

1½ c. whole-wheat pastry flour

1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. granulated sugar

¾ tsp. kosher salt 

freshly ground black pepper (not a lot)

6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces

1 c. buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the flour, oats, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until the oats are finely ground.

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Pour into a large bowl and form a well in the center. Gently stir in the buttermilk until the dough just comes together. (I use a table knife to do my stirring.)

Dust a work surface with flour.

Turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Flatten the dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter. Flatten and repeat from the other direction. Then roll or pat out to a generous ¾-inch thickness. Cut out rounds using a 2½ to 3-inch biscuit cutter, rerolling and patting together to cut more biscuits until all the dough is used.

Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2-inches between each biscuit.   

Bake the biscuits until risen and light golden, 17 to 19-minutes. Serve warm.