Hello Bakers,
I hope you have what you need to keep baking in this difficult time. For me - flour and sugar have been a challenge - so as in previous posts I have turned to mixes to create content. When I found bread flour last week, I wanted to cry. Never will I take a stocked grocery store for granted again.
And yes, I have found another delightful Jiffy mix to tell you about - my - I hope, one day soon, to have full bins of flour, sugar and yeast but for today I found an inspired mix.
I know I have been something of a snob about ingredients - Coronavirus has taught me to be more democratic.
These days I walk three miles a day, masked and social distanced My neighborhood ‘99 cent store is on my route. They had Jiffy Mix buttermilk biscuit mix - I was so delighted to see that blue and white box - I bought 2 boxes
The biscuit mix was one of the first mixes to be produced in 1930. It’s tagline was “so easy a man can make them” Ouch! Sorry guys, it was different times. We know you can make biscuits.
This was the first baking mix made in the US. It was one of the first mixes I used as a child - the size was perfect as there were only three in our family.
Back to 1930 - so the stock market crashed on October 25, 1929. We all know what happened and we are all hoping that it is not happening again but it kind of is.
Prior to 1930, Jiffy mix was the Chelsea Milling Company, established 1901 in Chelsea, Michigan by Harmon Holmes. It was a flour mill.
Mabel, Harmon’s wife, came up with the idea for a mix. Was this an idea born out of worry about holding things together? I like to think so. And I like to think that many brilliant ideas will come out of our current crisis too.
Today, Jiffy mix is run by grandson Howdy Holmes, every aspect of production and packaging (which has not changed it’s design for decades) is done at the factory in Chelsea. The only thing they don’t do is grow their wheat. They do not advertise. The recipes on their website are impressive and I urge you to check it out. It’s also a small batch - you can make more then one box or bake a box every day.
https://site.jiffymix.com/recipes/
In this short tutorial I am going to whip up a batch of Jiffy biscuits - they turn out just great! And you can customize them however you like. Add cheese, add cooked bacon, herbs, parmesan cheese.
Jiffy! I am a grateful fan - you keep me baking in this difficult time.
Here is the recipe for you to refer to.
Using a 2 1/4” cutter this made 8 adorable biscuits
Equipment: 1/4 or 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment paper, medium bowl, bowl scraper, sifter or strainer, biscuit cutter - any size can be used, pastry brush
1 box ”Jiffy” buttermilk baking mix
1/2 cup room temperature water
2 ounces milk for brushing before baking
Add ins: Pick your favorites - grated cheese, drained cooked bacon, chopped herbs, minced onions
Oven 425 (the box says 450 but I got beautiful color at 425)
As you empty the package into the bowl - sift it
Add water and begin to mix - it goes together quickly while it is still shaggy add your add ins or leave them out.
Once the dough is a cohesive mass - dump it out onto your work surface roll out 1/2” thick and give the dough a three fold, give it a 1/4 turn, roll it out and fold it again. Then roll 5/8” thick and cut your biscuits with out twisting the cutter. You can dip it in some regular flour if you are worried about the cutter sticking.
Place on sheet pan and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes - this helps them keep their shape.
Brush with milk and bake for 15 minutes.
