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The Lightest Fluffiest Angel Wing Biscuits Ever to FLy Over Southern Skies

by 72 Comments

I have made it my personal mission in life to per-fect the biscuit. You can’t even graduate from high school in the South until you demonstrate proficiency at biscuit making—-so I’ve been making biscuits a long time. But I just took the recipe that was passed onto me and never questioned it. You’re not supposed to question a long line of Southern biscuit makers.

But…….

What if I want the lightest fluffiest angel wing biscuits ever to fly over southern skies? What then? Well, I scoured the internet—an a few cookbooks—and made a few dozen biscuits—-using various biscuits methods—and I think we have a winner folks. So, put on an apron, roll up the sleeves on your flannel shirt, put on some bluegrass music and let’s make biscuits.

First, you must start with 2 cups of self-rising white lily flour. There shall be no substitutes. It has a lower protein content and says on the front ‘a southern tradition since 1883’. Don’t mess with Texas. Then add 1/4 c. sugar, 1/2 t. salt, 1 1/2 t. baking powder (I know, you’re not supposed to need it with sr flour but these are the lightest fluffiest angel wing biscuits ever to fly over southern skies, so just add it).

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Now with a pastry blender, cut in 1/4 c. shortening. Or use a whisk if you tend to be hard on pastry blenders.

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Now, add 2/3 cups of heavy cream and 1 cup of buttermilk and stir. The mixture will be very wet.

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Add 1 cup of flour into a casserole dish or onto your working surface and then with a medium sized ice cream scoop–or whatever sized biscuits you like—scoop a few scoops onto the flour. Flour your hands and then lightly shape the biscuits—adding flour where there really wet—but shaking off any excess flour. They will be coated with flour on the outside, but the inside of each one will still be quite wet.

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Spray a round cake pan with cooking spray and then place the biscuits very snugly into the pan. This step is key. These are southern bisuits so they’re invading each other’s personal space and hugging and back-slapping like crazy. If you’re from the Midwest, where personal space is recognized and respected, this step might be hard for you. But trust me, I made my first batch with biscuit-boundaries—and they were flat and boring. Scooch ’em close together and they’ll sing the hallelujah chorus when they’re done.

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Then bake at 425 degrees for 18-23 minutes or until they’re golden brown on top. When you take them out of the oven, they look like this—-like they’re happily snuggled under an afghan watching an SEC football game. Then invert them onto a plate–and then turn them right side up onto another plate. Brush them with butter. And that’s when they start singing the hallelujah chorus. Take a knife and cut them apart and notice how some of them are kinda shaped like angel wings.

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Butter them generously and enjoy. And then of course, sneak a bite to the dog that has no doubt when lying at your feet while you make them.

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I used Darby’s cinnamon butter, which is most wonderfully delicious and easy. I mistakenly added one more stick of butter than she did but it turned out yummy just the same. I used 3 sticks of softened butter, 1 cup honey, 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 t. cinnamon and beat it well in my electric mixer. You can give it away as gifts—-and she has hers decorated up so cute—or if your 7 year old tastes it and begs to keep it all at home, you can do that too!

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Y’all enjoy! Get the pdf file for the recipe here.

Notes from my cookbook:
1. These are so light and fluffy that they may require a fork. These would not be the biscuits that would hold up to a sausage-biscuit sandwich. Unless you use a fork.
2. I will still use my other biscuit recipe when I need more substantial biscuits. These are like biting into a cloud.
3. I will most definitely make my traditional biscuits (that I roll out with a rolling pin) with white lily flour. Also, with any biscuit recipe, if you start out with a very wet dough and don’t over mix/beat/knead, they will be lighter and fluffier. They just won’t have angel wings like this one.
4. I used a recipe from the website Project Foodie and added baking powder to it—after my first batch didn’t rise quite as much as I would have liked. Thank you to their experts for these wonderful tips.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. My name is PJ. says

    Mega, Uber, Yowza YUM! I totally love biscuits. They're honestly one of my favorite baked goods and that's sayin' something!

    Reply

  2. Mandi Shandi says

    Holy cow! Being from the South I LOVE a good biscuit, and like to think I am a pretty good biscuit maker. I will definitely have to give this one a try Edie! Thanks for sharing, and for making me almost wet my pants laughing all in one post! You're good. REally good.

    Reply

  3. Kelly says

    I can't make biscuits,(gasp!) much to the dismay of my husband, who was raised by a master biscuit maker, and enjoyed them every single morning for breakfast. Can't wait to try these and ask him, "Who's your mama, now?"

    Reply

  4. Kalleigh Hathaway says

    Thanks for the tutorial and download. I've never even eaten biscuits, let alone made them, but there's a move to the South in my future … and while my Love is a Northern transplant himself, many of his friends are natives, so this will be very good to know. It's amazing how much this country varies as you travel – and biscuit baking is one sign of that!

    Reply

  6. LouLou@thelifeofloulou.blogspot.com says

    Girl, I live down in the DEEP south….Fairhope, AL to be exact….Also known as land of biscuits and all fattening southern foods…. I love me some biscuits.

    Reply

  7. Darby says

    Oh Edie… Why must you do this to us!? My mouth is absolutely watering for one of your biscuits! So glad you made the Cinnamon Honey Butter… it's good stuff and won't last long!!!

    Reply

  8. Jessica says

    My mama is from Texas and will love these! Although, we now live in Colorado and may need to adjust for altitude. THANKS!!!

    Reply

  10. Wendy says

    I am from the north and so have to agree with the hole close comment you made. BUT I am so gonna try these. I am hoping that I can find this kind of flour!

    Reply

  11. Southern Gal says

    Thanks for sharing. I'm glad these aren't huge, puffy biscuits. To me those aren't Southern biscuits. They have to be thin. I like mine crispy on the edges, too. My grandma spoiled me like that. And I miss her fingerprints on the tops of each one that she would flatten out in the pan.

    Anyway, I'm going to try these and the butter.

    Reply

  13. Kristi says

    YUM!!! I am definately going to try these! You would probably not let me post here if you saw some of my homemade biscuits, LOL! Hey, I'm trying though!
    I have never seen that brand of flour before. I'm goign to have to look for it! My family loves biscuits. While mine are NOT pretty, I can usually get them tasting pretty good! Gonna try your recipe, maybe tonight!
    Oh and I found a recipe on your blog the other night, the shortbread chocolate chips. My boys and I are making them in our Christmas cookie line up!!! Thanks!
    Kristi

    Reply

  15. Rachel says

    I am also planning on making some cinnamon butter … looks delicious!

    btw … what type of camera do you use? The lighting in your pictures is great!

    stellabellaboutique.etsy.com

    vintage, handmade jewelery!

    Reply

  16. Rachel @ CrazyTown says

    Those look so yummy. I grew up in south Alabama and my dad was famous for his "cathead" biscuits. They were literally the size of a cat's head, ji-normous!! I do like the occasional super light, fluffy and falling apart biscuts so this is great to have this recipe. Thanks!!

    Reply

  17. Julie Harward says

    Oh, these look SO yummy…think I'll make a batch for dinner tonight…thanks for sharing! I love these because they go with everything! Come say hi 😀

    Reply

  18. Kelly says

    This northern girl just may have to try these! I don't make biscuits unless it involves Bisquick! Horrors I know!

    Reply

  19. Life with Cole says

    This post made me laugh out loud!! I am a true GRITS so I love me some homemade bizkits! I can't wait to try your recipe out on my country-bumpkin husband!!
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  21. Ruth says

    We love biscuits here and we're in the Northeast. Maybe we need to move South. LOL

    These look melt in your mouth yummy!! Thank you for sharing them. I don't know if we can find White Lily flour here.

    Ruth

    Reply

  22. Lana K. W. Austin says

    I'll take one biscuit and slap 'er on my right thigh and take another and slap 'er on my left thigh, because that's right where they'll go anyway if I eat them.
    From the looks of those biscuits, though, it might be worth the extra thighage.
    Love, L

    Reply

  23. GrammaG says

    Nothing would do, after I read your blog, but to run to the store to buy the cream and buttermilk. The lady who checked me out at the grocery store asked me about the recipe which I was holding in my hand. I told her about it and she asked if she could make a copy. I am making myself wait until breakfast tomorrow to try the angel biscuits. I also made Darby's cinnamon butter.
    Thanks for sharing your life with us. I look forward to reading your blog every day.

    Reply

  24. Jae says

    I am a northern transplant to Georgia… and I learned to biscuit make as fast as I could… I also acquired a southern drawl – contagious thing that it is… don't think I could ever trade magnolias and wisteria for mooonnntthhhss of winter ever again!!This recipe looks great and I look forward to tryin' it!!

    Reply

  27. Richella says

    The best cook I know–I mean, hands down, very BEST–is my older sister. And she swears by White Lily flour. Especially for biscuits. I'd say you have a winner on your hands here.

    Hope you and yours are enjoying a blessed Advent season. Please visit me sometime at Imparting Grace! I'd love to hear from you.

    Reply

  29. Darlene says

    Those look scrumptious! I'm going to make homemade tortillas instead. My 7 year old has a Family Heritage speech and she's going to sample the tortillas to her class during her speech next week. The tortillas come out in the shapes of the states vs. round, but they still taste good. Thanks to my Nana's recipe (Grandma) who made them every 5 days while she was alive.

    Reply

  31. Ami says

    Now, these are some biscuits!
    I don't recall having to make biscuits to get out of Heritage High school, but I did in fact participate in a corn muffin 4H baking event in my elementary days. It should be noted I much prefer a melt in your mouth biscuit to a corn muffin any old day!
    You forgot that when you pick up the bag of White Lily you have to sing outloud or at least hum to yourself the White Lily theme song- Whyyte Lilleee!
    To those who commented they have never had biscuits or use Bisquick, you may not be ready for these biscuits. You may want to find a Hardees first and work your way up the biscuit hierarchy.

    Reply

  32. chanteusevca says

    Oh dear! These look like something my grandmother used to make. Can you box them up and send them to me? I'm out of shortening and not sure I've ever seen White Lily flour in my neck of the woods. They look so warm and flaky and I want!!!

    Reply

  33. Courtney says

    Oh my goodness those look delicious! My mother and I like to pretend we are southern ladies…I think these will go a long way to making us seem authentic. Yum.

    Reply

  34. Darby says

    Edie, My carols are on, the kids are vegging out, I'm making dinner and the angel wing biscuits are on the menu… I don't have buttermilk but I think you can use milk with a touch of vinegar— I'm 'bout to Google it. I hope they turn out at beautiful as yours! Hope you and yours are well this chilly night! The front door is BEAUTIFUL! I love your wreath… glad to hear I'm not the only one who hasn't been decorating inside!

    Reply

  35. shellbell says

    Yummy! These were a hit with my midwest small group. I had to settle for another brand of self-rising flour because I couldn't find White Lily flour (after checking two grocery stores). Thanks for sharing this.

    Reply

  36. Me says

    I making these and they are very wet…like liquid. What did I do wrong? I didn't have buttermilk so I used whole milk. Could that be the difference? Thanks.

    Reply

  38. lisa says

    Our traditional Christmas day brunch has come and gone and I'm still hearing about how wonderful "The Lightest Fluffiest Angel Wing Biscuits Ever to Fly Over Southern Skies" were! Yes, I made them that morning after the stockings were pillaged, the presents plundered, as the casseroles baked, the ham and cheese grits warmed and the Mimosa's flowed. My family will never again accept the imposters, bearing the name of "angel biscuits", that I have served at our Christmas Brunch in years past. They were wonderful, amazing! Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas! Christ is Born!

    Reply

  39. Katie says

    I’ve made the biscuits twice and loved them twice! I’m making the butter tonight along with the biscuits again to take to work tomorrow!!! Thank you! I love having this recipe!

    Reply

  40. Gencoleman2010 says

    I’ve made southern biscuits most of my life…and my 86 year young Momma was the epitome of the southern biscuit maker in her day… but I have to tell you that I have never enjoyed READING about biscuit making quite as much as I did here.  You do southern proud every where… and your southern charm comes through in every word.   From one southern gal to another…ya did good.  – Gen, Kentucky.

    Reply

  41. kredyt bez bik says

    Heya i’m for the primary time here. I came across this board and I to find It truly helpful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to offer one thing again and aid others such as you aided me.

    Reply

  42. Patty says

    I found this recipe yesterday…kinda new to your blog but I am loving it!! Made them for lunch and they were wonderful my family loved them!!

    Reply

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