Cat Head Biscuits

 No Cats Were Harmed in the Baking of these Biscuits

Called cat head, the story goes, because these biscuits end up roughly the size of a cat's head -- and because sometimes a biscuit that's "eyeballed" instead of being rolled and cut in the formal tradition -- sometimes comes out looking like a cat's head (you can even try to do that on purpose to entertain the children, if you like!) -- these delicacies of the southern breakfast table were a staple at our grandparent's house when we were kids. Easy, because they take out the rolling and cutting steps, they are fluffy and delicious with some homemade raspberry preserves! From our house to yours, I give you:

Cat Head Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

• 3cups all purpose (or cake) flour
• 1/2teaspoon baking soda
• 1teaspoon salt
• 2teaspoons baking powder
• 2tablespoons lard or buttermilk*
• 
  1⁄8cup melted (a couple tablespoons) butter for tops of biscuits (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Mix dry ingredients and sift into mixing bowl, then cut in lard until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
• Stir in buttermilk until it is incorporated with the flour mixture. The dough will be kind of wet and very sticky. This is good. Too dry and you'll have dry, crumbly biscuits.
• Flour your hands and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough in the flour just enough to make it handleable - you don't want it to stick to your hands too much, but don't work in too much extra flour either or the biscuits will be heavy and taste of raw flour.
• For each biscuit, pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a large egg or a small lemon and pat out in the ungreased pan with your hands. You don't want it to be really flat, just pat it down a bit so it's relatively biscuit-shaped and about 1 inch high.
• Bake at 475 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Keep your eye on them while they're in the oven so they don't burn.
• Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter, if desired. Some folks like a little garlic salt sprinkled on top.                 
• ENJOY!

Makes 8 large biscuits.

* If you don't happen to have buttermilk on hand, no problem: it's easy to whip some up: for each cup of buttermilk, simply add 1 tablespoon white vinegar, plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes. Easy Peasy!