The recipe below is from Grandmother Bertha Ferguson's kitchen and was prepared for me, my brother and sister when we were small children visiting her on her cotton farm in Mississippi. Grandmother's farm was pretty self-sufficient and food that she prepared was grown and preserved on her land with the exception of the basics (flour, sugar, salt, soda, baking powder and vanilla flavoring). She raised her own meat (chicken, and hogs mostly), grew her own fruits and vegetables, and had a milk cow for her dairy products.
Perfecting the recipe below took many attempts and a combination of memories from all three of us before we got it right. There are two ingredients that are substitutes. Grandmother used whole fresh milk and lard. Our version replaced these with Half and Half and shortening.
Biscuit Dough
2 cups Martha White All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons Crisco Shortening
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cups Butter (softened)
3/4 cups sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; blend well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk, stir with fork until soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto floured surface, sprinkle lightly with flour. With floured hands, knead dough 5 to 10 times or until no longer sticky. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness in a 8x15" rectangle shape. Cut into 3 equal sections, (about 5" x 8")
Rub shortening over the bottom of a 6x9x3 pan.
Place one dough section in bottom of pan. Spread 4 Tablespoons softened butter over top and sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the butter. Repeat this procedure with the other 2 sections.
Sauce:
2 cups Half and Half
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat ingredients in saucepan on medium heat until boiling. Immediately pour over dough and place in hot oven for 30-40 minutes (top will be slightly brown).
