She is an old friend whom I've never met. I have her cookbooks, her address book, her birthday book, her stickers, her calendars. I love her work with real handwriting and her paintings and her quotes. She has brought such joy to my life.
The one on the right was actually published first, but chronologically it comes third. I began with The Fairy Tale Girl, then Martha's Vineyard Isle of Dreams, and am now reading A Fine Romance Falling in Love with the English Countryside.
If you are a fan you will adore these books! And if you don't know Susan Branch these books are a good introduction.
This morning I decided to make her biscuit recipe. I have others in my recipes folder, but I've never posted about hers. In fact, I'm quite sure I made them only once. They are in her first cookbook.
You may see a couple changes I made after the first time I made them. I thought they were too salty so I reduced both the baking powder and the salt. Today I also substituted buttermilk for heavy cream because I didn't have any cream, and I love buttermilk in baked goods. Another difference for me is that I used a 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. I've had such good luck using it before when I bake biscuits. I didn't butter both sides, just the top, but then we used the extra butter for the biscuits when they were cooked and we split them open. They cooked a little longer than hers, probably because of the different pan. I'd say 25 minutes or so.
They were excellent, perfect, delicious. Tom and I loved them, and then our beloved neighbors popped in and enjoyed them, too. Especially Hazel. She may have eaten four!
I'll put this up on the Weekend Cooking site.
I enjoy reading memoirs and have the Fine Romance book on my list to buy and read. Those biscuits look delicious.
ReplyDeleteHave you read the other two? I learned so much about her that I never knew! And those biscuits are gone now. ;<))
DeleteThose biscuits do look really delicious. Hazel may have eaten four - laughed at this! I bet you have had a nice time reading these books. I know how much you have enjoyed Susan Branch's work in other areas. :-)
ReplyDeleteThese look very much like our scones, Nan. And funnily enough we were watching Pioneer Woman the other night and Ree Drummond was making biscuits and gravy and I thought then how much they were like our scones. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteI must look into the series of books. I need something gentle at the moment as my brother died at the beginning of the week after quite a long period of ill health. A happy release to be honest, but still very sad.
I've read and enjoyed all Branch's books, then given them to my sister who enjoyed them, too. Currently, my sister and her husband are on vacation in Kennebunkport, one of their favorite places to celebrate auspicious occasions, key birthdays and wedding anniversaries.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to know that you highly recommend her books. I'm such a fan of her blog but have wondered about investing in the books. Now I will! Her blog posts never fail to inspire me.
ReplyDeleteI've always used buttermilk in my biscuits because my mother did but I think I'd like to try the heavy cream recipe when company is here just to taste the difference. Oh, Nan, I must ask you, have you as a New Englander ever heard biscuits, as plural, called biscuit? No s on the end. In the old Cape Cod books I just finished reading, every book used 'biscuit' as plural. Isn't that interesting?
I love Susan Branch! I got to meet her at BEA a number of years ago. I'm not the best biscuit maker, so I'll have to try these.
ReplyDeleteI have all three of her memoirs. In fact, I got the first one free in one of her giveaways! I love her work and read her blog. I was sorry to read about her breaking her wrist this summer while trying to get ready for her garage sale. But I've never made her biscuits. And probably won't try now that I'm supposed to be low carb. But if I did, I would slather on the butter because that slows down the effect of the carbs on blood glucose.
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with Susan Branch, but I will certainly look into her books based on your review and the comments. I've never made a biscuit. Yours look lovely!
ReplyDeleteI love a good biscuit, it's my weakness.
ReplyDeleteOh, yummmmmmm!
ReplyDeleteI learned about Susan Branch on your blog. I love her writing. I also love your header photo. Success!.
ReplyDeleteI love Susan Branch! I have all of her books and I love the recipes,stories and illustrations.
ReplyDeleteIn case you did not know Susan Branch has a blog. https://www.susanbranch.com/
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