Campfire Cuisine - Homemade Biscuit Mix

I shouldn't read when I'm really tired.

We've all done it. Dad came to visit me when I lived down south. After I picked him up after his long flight in, we went past the mall with the big box mart type pet store and Dad points at the sign with an exclamation of "Pet Whorehouse! What kind of town do you live in !" (It was pet WAREhouse).

The other day I glanced at FOX's online website and saw Supermodels Predict Weather (the word was actually supercomputers) and visions of some six foot two size zero blonde being used as a human lightning rod came into my head. It didn't stop there. Riverwalker over at Stealth Survival ran a story about a savory cooking ingredient which, in my state of 3 hours of sleep, I read as "Wild Chile Penguin" (it was Pequin). How do you catch the wild Chile Penquin, and once you do, how do you prepare it for your stew?

He's had some fun with me since then, much to my great amusement. Then this morning, I'm opening up my own archives of recipes and read one as "Homemade Buick" (not Bisquick). Actually I HAVE made biscuits at camp that were as hard as a Buick, but not from this recipe.

I may need sleep or glasses. I definitely needed breakfast.

We've all used Bisquick (though Jiffy's product is just as good), but I've really noticed a price increase. So make your own. Homemade Baking Mix. It's pennies per serving and will store for months, longer with a freezer if you make in bulk.



One favorite use, is for Poor Man's Sourdough Biscuits. Perfect for camping. Just mix two cups of the mix, 1/4 cup sugar, a handful of raisins, a teaspoon of Penzey's Vietnamese Cinnamon and about 1/2 a can of beer.


Mix ingredients lightly, adding just enough beer to make a thick dough. Pat out on a floured surface and cut with a biscuit cutter (or a small glass dipped upside down in the baking mix).

One trick to tall biscuits. When you cut into the dough lift it straight out. Make sure not to twist the cutter as this releases air in the dough causing the biscuits to turn out flat.

Place biscuits in a greased 14 inch dutch oven, placing them about half an inch apart. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and let the biscuits raise for a few minutes, then bake over hot coals for 15 20 minutes (if you want to do this on the grill at home use 12-14 briquettes bottom and 18-20 briquettes top ( or 400° F.) for 15-20 minutes.



NOTE: For even browning make sure to turn the oven and lid 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 5-10 minutes.

You don't need to bring much with you to make these, just make sure you check your favorite supermodel for the weather before you load up your gear. You don't want to get caught in bad weather and encounter any wild Chile Penguins out there.