Posted by Suzanne McMinn on June 27, 2008 @ 5:05 am
Tags: biscuits, breakfast, mixes, muffins, pancakes, quick breads
Breads, The Farmhouse Table
Make Quick Mix! Have an endless array of biscuits, muffins, and pancakes at your fingertips, as fast and easy as with a storebought baking mix (like Bisquick, for example), only better because it’s homemade. You know how I love one recipe that can do a thousand things, like my Hot, Crusty French Bread or Grandmother Bread. Quick Mix is the quick bread solution.
Here’s how!
How to Make Quick Mix:
5 cups all-purpose flour (may subsitute 1-2 cups whole grain flour as part of the mix)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
Combine in a large bowl. (I use a large spoon and a whisk to blend the ingredients well.) I like to make this mix in 5 cup batches because that fits easily into my mixing bowls, but you can double, triple, and so on to make a large quantity at once. Three Quick Mix 5-cup batches will fit into one gallon-size baggie for storage. Use a large scoop to fill the baggie.
Store as you would flour, in an airtight container, on your pantry shelf. If you expect to be storing it for an extended period (months), you may want to put the baggie in the fridge or freezer. Otherwise don’t worry about it.
How to Make Basic Quick Mix Biscuits:
Per 1 cup of Quick Mix used, add-
1/4 cup shortening or butter
1/3 cup milk or buttermilk
Using a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening before adding the milk, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Just as you would when preparing pie crust-using a pastry cutter for biscuits is one of my secrets to perfect biscuits!) Add the milk and knead your biscuit dough. (Another secret to great biscuits-knead the dough lightly, a few times, adding a pinch of flour if needed to keep dough from sticking to your hands.) Roll out on a floured surface and cut into shapes-circles or triangles are my favorites). Bake at 450-degrees for 10-12 minutes. (Makes approximately 6 biscuits per recipe using 1 cup of mix-double, triple, as needed. I usually make at least a double recipe to feed my hungry horde.)
You can use either milk or buttermilk, and either shortening or butter (or even lard, yes, I said LARD, there’s some in my fridge RIGHT NOW and when I’m in an indulgent mood, I use it, it’s good, there’s a reason our grandmas made great biscuits). And that is just the beginning! Oh, the creations you can bake with this one recipe!
Based on the 1-cup mix recipe, bake garlic-cheese biscuits (add 3/4 cup grated cheese of your choice and one pressed garlic clove, or even two, or use a teaspoon of garlic powder).
Garden biscuits (add 3/4 cup finely chopped veggies of your choice).
Herb biscuits (add 1/4 cup fresh herbs or a tablespoon dried herbs).
Hot or mild pepper biscuits (add 3/4 cup chopped jalapenos or other peppers).
Bacon or sausage biscuits (add 3/4 cup cooked, crumbled bacon or sausage-make bacon or sausage cheese biscuits! cut the bacon/sausage to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup cheese).
As you use Quick Mix, adjust the quantities of the add-ins to suit yourself. Mix and match any and all of the ideas above and come up with new ones! The world is your biscuit! You can do anything with these biscuits, including add three tablespoons of sugar and 3/4 cup fruit or berries to make sweet biscuits.
Have a picky eater in the family? Make your Quick Mix in 1-cup batches and make biscuits to suit everyone. Or awe and amaze company with several different types of biscuits. They’ll wonder, “How can she make so many different kinds of biscuits? Did she slave all day?” They don’t have to know you have Quick Mix!
Could one biscuit mix possibly do more? Yes, yes, it can!
How to make Basic Quick Mix Muffins:
Per 1 cup of Quick Mix used, add-
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
Add sugar, egg, milk, and oil all at once. Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400-degrees approximately 15 minutes. Makes 8-10 muffins.
But wait, there’s more!
Per 1-cup batch, add 3/4 cup blueberries or other berries of your choice for berry muffins. (Fold gently into mixed batter just before filling muffin cups.)
Add 1/2 cup mashed banana and 1/4 cup chopped nuts for banana-nut muffins.
Add 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 cup chopped nuts for spicy pumpkin muffins.
Use only 3/4 cup mix and add 1/4 cup oatmeal for oatmeal muffins.
For cheese and sausage or bacon muffins, leave out the 3 tablespoons sugar and add 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 1/2 crumbled sausage or bacon.
Again, the varieties are endless, limited only by your imagination and your tastebuds. Get creative!
And there is still more!
How to make Basic Quick Mix Pancakes:
Per 1 cup of Quick Mix used, add-
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
3/4 to 1 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
Add sugar, egg, milk (adjust to make a good pouring batter), and oil. Stir just till moistened. Pour batter onto hot, lightly greased skillet or griddle, turning to cook second side after first side bubbles on the surface. The 1-cup recipe makes approximately 6 pancakes.
Add fruit, berries, nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg, and anything else you like for variations!
Is this fun or what? Man, I love food…..
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5:49
am
I’m just getting up and now I want breakfast. Is it too early to come to your house? Wow! Those are some beautiful pancakes Suzanne. I’d be proud to eat at your house anyday. Thanks for the recipe. xxoo
6:33
am
Yeah, I’m on my way to eat breakfast too…mmmm….
6:43
am
im the 3rd person to comment, yay
good looking pancakes by the way
6:45
am
What a good idea! This would be good to give to someone also with the recipes printed out. I am sure it is the same for waffles! Watch for my waffle post this Sunday for a “not the usual Betty Crocker” waffles.
http://lifeislikechampagne.blogspot.com/
6:49
am
Gonna try these baby’s tommorow morning - already had breakfast. Johnny cake with little cocktail wieners baked in. The BOYS go gaga over it!
6:53
am
Gotta make some of this! I love your Grandmother Bread and this will be so handy to have on hand!! Thanks!
7:22
am
Thanks for this recipe. I plan to make a batch and try it out. We make plenty of pancakes around here.
7:47
am
This makes me regret not having eaten breakfast this morning..looks like I’m off the the snack machines for something this morning!
7:59
am
YUMMY! What a woman you are! One day you are buying tractors, the next you are in the kitchen making every yummy thing under the sun! Do you ever rest?
:J
P.S. I know you mentioned 15 plays football, so as the wife of a football coach I have to ask, does 17 play? He should!
8:15
am
Yum. Yum. And, yum.
8:17
am
Rachel and Martha, move over! What a great cable show you could have!!!
8:34
am
Thanks, Cathy! Wish they’d call….
Jayne, no, 17 doesn’t play football, just 15. 17 used to play baseball and golf, but he doesn’t do that anymore, either. He prefers to use his spare time now to earn money (he’s picking up manual labor jobs for the summer) and to go out with his girlfriend. He likes money, girls, and food, and not necessarily in that order!
8:37
am
Darn you Suz, now I am so hungry I’ll have to fix breakfast.
I never eat in the morning. If I do, I’m hungry all day. I never knew you could do so much with a little bag of mix. WOW. I plan to make some mix, print article and give as gifts. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day and 
to all.
8:48
am
FYI, I just realized I had a mistake in the muffin recipe, which I just fixed, so be sure to make a note of that. (It’s correct now.) Sorry! Sometimes I have too much going on, LOL.
9:24
am
I love this mix! We’ve used this for years, and use it mostly for herbed biscuits for Sunday Morning Fry-ups. It really does well in the freezer, and we just measure out what we want, dump it in the bowl, and let it sit for a few minutes to warm up a little.
If you haven’t tried it, I urge you to do so. When all our children were at home, it was a huge timesaver during the week at breakfast. And now, when they come home with their families, we get ready by making enough to fit in the two gallon zip-locks!
9:37
am
You know for a woman that has lived in the big city, you sure do make a great farm gal. Your inventiveness reminds me of my mother. My dad used to say, give her a couple of vegetables from the garden, a little bit of flour and some lard, and you’d have a feast fit for a king.
I was thinking about your chickens this morning. If you plan to use the liter from their yard, be careful with it. it’s really strong.
10:19
am
I’m trying to low carb, you horrid woman!
10:52
am
I love having quick mix on hand. 13 has quite a range of things he makes with it, the most notable being pancackes, but he’s good at waffles, berry muffins and drop biscuits, too.
10:54
am
Thank you. I always make pancakes from scratch, but this recipe is more versatile.
I just copied your post and pasted it into Word so I can print it out and it it to my recipe box.
Have a lovely weekend.
Toodles~
11:03
am
Yummy! Thanks for the recipes.
11:18
am
12:31
pm
I gain weight when I read your blog!
12:33
pm
Suzanne, I now know the perfect job for you - a Home Ec teacher or college Professor. You would be excellent or to have cooking classes for a swank resteraunt/gourmet store. Those all look WONDERFUL and my new oven is installed, ready for baking! I just don’t know how you have the TIME..good grief, with all you do!!!! I don’t accomplish an eighth of what you do and I am tired. LOL
Coco is so precious - oh I just love that pup!
2:10
pm
thanks so much for the recipe; I must try it being we lost biscuits.
2:42
pm
2:48
pm
I stopped baking years ago but, girl, you are really making it hard to resist
3:27
pm
It’s official… I had to get another recipe box because of all your delicious recipes!
3:38
pm
Ijust used the last of my boxed mix last night. Talk about fortuitious timing! *G*
4:36
pm
5:02
pm
This mix sounds really handy to have around!
6:00
pm
Wow, this recipe looks so versatile. Have you tried making waffles with it? If so, did you use the pancake recipe or a different variation? Thanks in advance!
12:48
am
You really are a West by G. Virginian , as they are all exceptional cooks !
A W.V. ex-pat. who really enjoys your blog and your dog , and your chickens,
Kellynkaty
6:02
pm
THANK YOU…thank you…a million times…THANK YOU!!
Blessings from Ohio…
8:08
am
Just wanted you to know I just printed out your recipe for Quick Mix and additional ingredients for muffins. I have blueberries that the birds are eating and I am going to give it a try.
I’m a non-cook so I hope it turns out for me!
7:37
pm
I love your blog. I wanted you to know I was just on MaryJanes Farm website and I was going to purchase her Budget Mix now I don’y have to. I can make my own! Have you ever made tortillas with your quick mix?
Thank You,
Denise
7:49
pm
Hi, Denise! I haven’t ever made tortilla chips, but now I want to try it, LOL. When I do, I’ll post about it! Thanks for the idea!
12:37
am
[...] this year I slaved and planned and slaved a little more to make these delicious biscuits. I had to roll out of bed at 7AM in order to get my biscuits mixed up and baked in time for [...]