These biscuits are great with breakfast, lunch or dinner or as a snack between meals! I have used numerous variations of this recipe and I have included some of them for you at the bottom of the instructions. But don’t let that limit you - you can add other items (like chopped ham or bacon for breakfast biscuits) to this recipe and create your very own and special treats!
Prize Winning Tea Biscuits:
2 cups of flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of shortening
1 cup of milk
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with 2 knives or a pastry blender, until mixture is the consistency of course cornmeal. Make a well in the centre of these ingredients; add liquid slowly. When all the liquid has been added, stir dough rather vigorously until it comes freely from the side of the bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured board and kneed lightly for a few minutes. Roll or pat out to desired thickness - about 1/2 inch. Cut dough with a knife or biscuit cutter, place on greased baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven (450F) for 12 - 15 minutes.
Variations of Tea Biscuits:
Cheese - Decrease shortening to 3 tablespoons and salt to 3/4 teaspoon. Cut in 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese with shortening.
Buttermilk - Decrease baking powder to 2 teaspoons; add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Substitute 1 cup of buttermilk for milk
Fruit or Nuts - Add 1/4 cups of granulated sugar and decrease milk to 3/4 cup. Add 3/4 cup of raisins, currants or nuts with milk.
Whole Wheat - use 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour
I made these, once without the salt and once with huney added to the original recipe. People loved them. Thanks!
Hi Sara! Did you try any other recipes? If you make changes and additions like the awesome ones you noted, please let me know - I would love to have you to continue sending in comments, any recipes or stories you may want to share! That is what this site is all about!
Hello, the biscuits turned out great! Thanks for your recipe. I used whole wheat flour. I substituted some of the flour with a 1/3 cup of flax seeds and 1/3 cup of wheat germ and it still worked out well.
Thank so much Natasha! I will definitely try your variation with flax seeds and wheat germ!
Do you know how to calculate these for a diabetic?
If you use coconut what would you change?
Hello Fanny! I would reduce the flour by a little bit so the biscuits wouldn’t be too dry. Add your coconut first with only 1/2 the flour recipe calls for and then add more flour to get the desired consistency. That would be when the dough doesn;t stick to your hands. Hope this works well for you and let me know how it turned out!
In any recipe it’s OK to substitute something like Equal or other sugar substitute for any sugar amount the recipe calls for. Here is a biscuit recipe approved by the Diabetic Association for you:
2 cups of flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup Margarine
1/2 cup Lowfat milk
Directions: Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in the margarine
with a fork or pastry blender. Add the milk. Stir to make a soft
dough.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into
biscuit shapes. (Or divide dough in 12 balls, roll in your hands and
pat lightly to flatten.)
Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425 F for 12 to 15
minutes or until lightly browned.
1 biscuit - 109 calories, 1 bread exchange, 1 fat exchange 15 grams
carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, 4 grams fat 152 mg sodium, 37 mg
potassium, 0 cholesterol
Hope this was helpful to you!
I haven’t tried these yet but looking forward too! I read on another site that someone substituted the following:
-flour to spelt
-shortening to coconut oil
-use less baking powder and a tinch of lime or lemon juice - if necessary add more flour (spelt).
-milk to almond milk
Maybe worth a try!
That does sound interesting - I think the coconut oil and almond milk combination would give it a nice flavour! Probably the only thing to watch for is getting the texture right so the biscuits don’t end up a bit on the dry side. If you are going to try it, please let me know how it turned out! Thanks!
I made this recipe, but then rolled it out flat, put on a little cooking oil and some cinnamon sugar, rolled it back up and then cut it into sections with floss and made great little cinnamon buns. They turned out wonderfully!
Hello, this is the first time for me and don’t know how to ask these questions, but here goes, when I was in Honduras the best time of day was when these ladies with large baskets on their heads pasted by in the streets selling “pan de coco” it was sweet bread made with coconut milk and coconut oil, I would like to know if anyone knows how to make it?
Everytime I try to make biscuits they come out like rocks….. Dry and hard.
I’ve just about given up.
Can anyone help me. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks,
B
I made these using soy milk instead of cows milk and they still worked out well.
Thanks for the recipe
That is a great idea Bronwyn! Thanks so much for letting me know!
these are great and are soo easy to make. they also work really well with butter instead of shortening.
thanks for the recipe
I made these tea bisuits but I used half sour cream & half milk (because I was short of milk). These bicuits are the best I’ve ever had. They really puffed up like puff pastry.
Thanks Sam! I love the recipe too - try adding things you like, like fruits, spices, etc. And they work really well with cheese - little cubes of cheddar are the best!