# Cream of Tartar - a great prep for bisquits



## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Cream of tartan biscuits, sometimes called New England biscuits
I had this a ton growing up my Grandmother made them all the time and I make them a lot

*Yield:* 8 to 10 biscuits



*Ingredients*

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup cold milk
2 tablespoons melted salted butter for brushing
*Instructions*
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Set your oven rack to the middle position, but do not preheat it yet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Sprinkle the butter pieces over the dry ingredients and use your fingers to blend it them together (the best technique is to rub your thumb against the tips of your fingers, as if you're making the universal sign for "money.") Keep going until you have a shaggy mixture with pea-sized bits and little flakes of butter. Add the milk all at once and stir with a with fork until it's almost fully combined, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface.

Using your hands (never a rolling pin), gently press the dough out into a rough 1-inch-thick rectangle, then fold in half lengthwise, turn it 90 degrees, and gently press it out again. Repeat this process five more times, lightly sprinkling the dough with more flour as needed to keep it from sticking. On the final turn, press the dough out to a 1-inch-thick rectangle and use a pastry cutter or ruler to make the edges as straight as possible. Use a sharp knife to cut the biscuits into 8 or 10 equal pieces, depending on what size you want your biscuits to be. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, placing them close together but not quite touching, so that they support each other as they rise. Brush the tops with the melted butter, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill while you heat your oven to 450º.

When the oven is hot, transfer the biscuits to the oven and cook until golden brown and puffed, 9 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve warm or at room temperature.


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

I pride myself on my biscuits but haven't tried this recipe with Cream of Tartar.

Another great use for Cream of Tartar is to mix 1/2 tsp with 3/4 tsp of baking soda in 6 oz of water for an upset stomach.
It's like an Alka Seltzer on steroids.


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## nondakotagroer (Jan 11, 2022)

Cream of tartar is an ingredient I do not have. Now I have an excuse to buy some. I have been trying to learn to bake with fresh ground wheat berries so far with not very good results. Maybe this recipe will finally be the winner.

Thank you


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I do not cut mine like the directions say.. I use a biscuit cutter so they are round... I fold them over and over and over to get that flaky goodness

my kids LOVE when I make biscuits and cook up some sausage patties to make little sandwiches ..the real kind of sausage that is NOT pre made or cooked 2 weeks ago and frozen


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Haven't messed with cream of tartar much but heard it can keep mashed tates fluffy on steam table. Most recipes I use that call for baking soda usually requires the use of buttermilk or sour milk to make it rise. Does the cream of tartar trigger the soda some way? Know the best biscuits I ever made at home fairly consitently was Alton Browns recipe which used both baking soda and baking powder with buttermilk. My Mama made my Daddy some home made biscuits when they first go married..he nagged and claimed he liked canned biscuits better so thats all we got. She made some killer yeast rolls to offset her oath against scratch biscuits. lol.








Homemade Southern Biscuits Recipe | Alton Brown


A tribute to his grandmother's biscuits, Alton Brown's buttery Southern homemade biscuit recipe uses a blend of butter & shortening for a flaky bite.




altonbrown.com


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Not to change the subject quickly but I have been living on healthy hot cakes for breakfast. I make up a two cup or so batch ..eat a couple with Grandmas mollases and log cabin syrup mixed. I love Brer Rabbit mild mollases used alone but its not political correct enough name to find any place brave enough to sell it, and bag up then refrigeratge the remainder to reheat in the pop up toaster during the week, two or three at a time and do it again when they run out. Not sure why this recipe couldnt be adopted over to hotcakes. I am having trouble getting them as fluffy as my Mama made em and she used baking powder and regular milk. I will grab cream of tarter tomorrow. Still a bit confused about what it does to help but will find out in a few days. Thanks.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

bigwheel said:


> Not to change the subject quickly but I have been living on healthy hot cakes for breakfast. I make up a two cup or so batch ..eat a couple with Grandmas mollases and log cabin syrup mixed. I love Brer Rabbit mild mollases used alone but its not political correct enough name to find any place brave enough to sell it, and bag up then refrigeratge the remainder to reheat in the pop up toaster during the week, two or three at a time and do it again when they run out. Not sure why this recipe couldnt be adopted over to hotcakes. I am having trouble getting them as fluffy as my Mama made em and she used baking powder and regular milk. I will grab cream of tarter tomorrow. Still a bit confused about what it does to help but will find out in a few days. Thanks.


I love making ginger bread with


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Robie said:


> I pride myself on my biscuits but haven't tried this recipe with Cream of Tartar.
> 
> Another great use for Cream of Tartar is to mix 1/2 tsp with 3/4 tsp of baking soda in 6 oz of water for an upset stomach.
> It's like an Alka Seltzer on steroids.


Well I made a new batch of hotcakes and was determined to put some cream of tartar in em but couldnt find any at Wally World...so I did the 1 t. baking powder plus 1/2 baking soda and milk soured with lime juice and vinegar should work by cracky. measured a bit generously since this was a slighty bigger load since I increased the oatmeal and yellow corn meal to 1/2 cup and the blueberries too. They turned out outstoundingly good. lol. The fresh baking powder may have been the ticket.


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## Buttoni (Jun 2, 2020)

I'll have to try your biscuit recipe, @Maine-Marine. I do have cream of tartar in my pantry.


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

Made these last night. No cream of tartar though.
Pretty tasty if I do say so myself.


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## Buttoni (Jun 2, 2020)

OK, you sold me on trying these ASAP. @Robie. those look yummy!


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

Buttoni said:


> OK, you sold me on trying these ASAP. @Robie. those look yummy!


The easiest thing in the world.
The key is...once you turn them out onto a floured surface, only fold the dough into itself 3-4 times.
I always just do 3 before flattening with my hands.
Use the biscuit cutter and...voila.
Good eats.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Robie said:


> The easiest thing in the world.
> The key is...once you turn them out onto a floured surface, only fold the dough into itself 3-4 times.
> I always just do 3 before flattening with my hands.
> Use the biscuit cutter and...voila.
> Good eats.


no way, fold them 7 times.


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

Maine-Marine said:


> no way, fold them 7 times.



After my Mother died, who could make great biscuits in her sleep, I tried to replicate them.
After many failed attempts and some research for the perfect biscuit, what worked for me to get fluffy and soft ones was to limit the folding.
Maybe I'll give 7 a whirl next time just to make sure.


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## Buttoni (Jun 2, 2020)

Well, I finally got around to making these biscuits today. Both of us liked them A LOT! I think I folded my dough maybe 5 times? Can't remember. Lovely texture I haven't been able to achieve to date. My biscuits have typically come out dense and very crumbly. I found these a wee bit "sharp/acidic" on my tongue, which I think is most likely one of two things: 1) baking soda is typically not used with sweet milk. I was taught in home economics class: baking powder with sweet milk, baking soda with with buttermilk. Possible cause number 2) too much cream of tarter. I've never seen a recipe that called for more than 1 tsp. to be quite honest, and I've been baking for over 50 years. We liked these so much, I will try them again with baking powder in place of the soda and see how that goes. If that doesn't resolve the acidity on my tongue, I'll then try again with only 2 tsp. cream of tartar and see what that does. But this recipe is definitely worth tinkering around with to achieve biscuit nirvana.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Buttoni said:


> Well, I finally got around to making these biscuits today. Both of us liked them A LOT! I think I folded my dough maybe 5 times? Can't remember. Lovely texture I haven't been able to achieve to date. My biscuits have typically come out dense and very crumbly. I found these a wee bit "sharp/acidic" on my tongue, which I think is most likely one of two things: 1) baking soda is typically not used with sweet milk. I was taught in home economics class: baking powder with sweet milk, baking soda with with buttermilk. Possible cause number 2) too much cream of tarter. I've never seen a recipe that called for more than 1 tsp. to be quite honest, and I've been baking for over 50 years. We liked these so much, I will try them again with baking powder in place of the soda and see how that goes. If that doesn't resolve the acidity on my tongue, I'll then try again with only 2 tsp. cream of tartar and see what that does. But this recipe is definitely worth tinkering around with to achieve biscuit nirvana.


let me know how the tinkered with recipe works


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Buttoni said:


> Well, I finally got around to making these biscuits today. Both of us liked them A LOT! I think I folded my dough maybe 5 times? Can't remember. Lovely texture I haven't been able to achieve to date. My biscuits have typically come out dense and very crumbly. I found these a wee bit "sharp/acidic" on my tongue, which I think is most likely one of two things: 1) baking soda is typically not used with sweet milk. I was taught in home economics class: baking powder with sweet milk, baking soda with with buttermilk. Possible cause number 2) too much cream of tarter. I've never seen a recipe that called for more than 1 tsp. to be quite honest, and I've been baking for over 50 years. We liked these so much, I will try them again with baking powder in place of the soda and see how that goes. If that doesn't resolve the acidity on my tongue, I'll then try again with only 2 tsp. cream of tartar and see what that does. But this recipe is definitely worth tinkering around with to achieve biscuit nirvana.


Thanks for the report. Never got invited to home ec class but my older lady kin taught me the same about baking soda is used with sour or buttermilk baking powder with sweet milk. Alton Browns recipe is one of my favorites. He uses both soda and powder as does Justeen Wilson and his hush puppies..which is the only thing I ever tried of his that was fit to eat.lol. I been using both in my pancakes and cornbread so it it must be a good plan. Used up all the buttermilk but have plenty of sweet milk and vingegar and need to cook up a new batch for next week. My Mama never used baking soda for anything but tooth paste and never cooked with buttermilk. We dumped that over the cornbead in a tall glass as a snack. Funny how folks are different on that huh? For those interested in good tasting mollases and Brer Rabbit Mild is hard to find..have discovered mixing 3/4ths Grandmas Unsulfered with 1/4th Log Cabin Cancake syrup is just about right to give a nice mollases flavor without knocking off the knickers.








Homemade Southern Biscuits Recipe | Alton Brown


A tribute to his grandmother's biscuits, Alton Brown's buttery Southern homemade biscuit recipe uses a blend of butter & shortening for a flaky bite.




altonbrown.com


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