Fundamentals and Fripperies: The World's Best From-Scratch Biscuits

They are even fluffy and delicious with half white and half wheat flour.

Prepare yourself for an extremely long-winded recipe intro. If you are already cringing at the idea, just skip down to the recipe and directions below.

I have been on a crusade to make fabulous biscuits for some time. It's not that I haven't made biscuits, but they've usually been somewhat lacking in one way or another. Somehow I soldiered on.

Several years ago, I was at my Mother-in-law's house eating dinner and had the best biscuits I'd ever had up to that point. She is a truly fantastic cook and gifted baker who cooks nearly everything from scratch. Having a Mother-in-law who is a great cook can lead to problems, as I've seen in the lives of some of my friends. There is the problem of the husband who always compares his wife's cooking to his mother's and finds his wife's therefore lacking. There is the problem of the mother-in-law who relishes her role as supreme cook and refuses to share recipes and tips with the daughter-in-law in a pathetic bid to retain her top spot, at least in terms of her son's stomach.

Thankfully, my husband, my mother-in-law and I are above all this nonsense. We just like great food. My mother-in-law and I are both the types who like to serve what tastes fabulous to us and evangelize about it to whoever will listen. She is always generous with her recipes and tips, although like many great masters, she often has a hard time explaining the how of some of her recipes, as she does things (even baking) mostly by feel and taste rather than by measuring things perfectly.

Anyway, back to the biscuits. I ate them, and immediately turned to my mother-in-law and asked her for the recipe. She said, "You aren't going to believe this..." and pulled a bag out of the freezer--Pillsbury Biscuit Grands?!? I was surprised--but mostly sad, because the truth is, that I'm something of a cooking-from-scratch snob. I was hoping I'd discovered the holy grail of from-scratch biscuit baking only to find out that it was actually a plastic cup. My heart felt heavy, not unlike the biscuits I was baking at the time.

Fast forward to about 6 months ago. I figured out how to make the best biscuits ever. Really.

Here is the secret: most biscuit recipes call for shortening, and that is where they fail. And granted, shortening can make some fabulous biscuits, but it is really, really not good for you. Plus, it coats your mouth with a weird film. And health and taste scruples aside, on this particular day I didn't have any shortening in the house. So I had a genius idea. I had a big tub of coconut oil from Costco, and decided to try using it with butter to make biscuits. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The World's Best From-Scratch Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut oil (room temperature, unless it is hot enough in your kitchen that it is liquid, in which case you should refrigerate it)
1/3 cup plain yoghurt
1/3 cup milk

Set you oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

I use my Kitchenaid with the flat paddle attachment, but you can do it by hand instead.

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in the mixer bowl. Mix the dry ingredients. Add the butter and coconut oil. Cut in in until the fat is in pea-sized chunks or smaller (either by using the flat paddle, or by using a pastry cutter or two knives or crumbling it with your fingers). Mix the yoghurt and milk together, and pour in all at once. Mix until dough is just starting to come together (with a Kitchenaid, this is about 5 or 6 rotations). Turn out onto a floured surface (I use a piece of parchment paper on my counter to make my life easier). Use your hands to smoosh everything you turned out into a mound of dough. Knead 5-6 times. Roll out until it is about 3/4-1 inch thick. Cut out your biscuits. Gently smoosh the leftover pieces together and cut out the rest of the biscuits. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (I usually use a Silpat or line it with parchment paper). Cook for 10-15 minutes. Take out of the oven. Behold, inhale and consume their awesomeness.

1. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in the mixer bowl. Mix the dry ingredients.

2. Add the butter and coconut oil.

3. Cut in the butter and coconut oil until the fat is in pea-sized chunks or smaller (either by using the flat paddle, or by using a pastry cutter or two knives or crumbling it with your fingers).