biscuits & crazy!

before i came to the midwest i had never heard of biscuits and gravy. for me, a staple breakfast typically included eggs and toast and, for a while, eggs benedict (sans canadian bacon). last night while shopping ryno pointed out an egg poacher when i realized how long it has been since i've actually had eggs... definitely not something i miss! my homemade biscuits and "crazy" (something ryno somehow came up with on a long bike ride last summer) has quickly become one of my favorite breakfast foods. i've tried a few different biscuit recipes and have probably tried a dozen different gravy recipes. some "non-fat" recipes requiring nothing more than mixing store bought gravy mix with milk and cornstarch to somewhat more engaged recipes. the following recipe is one that i'm definitely sticking with and feel like i've finally perfected. the biscuits could be made by subbing half whole wheat pastry flour for some extra healthiness but, i must warn, this is not a particularly healthy recipe. i've tried recipes with less fat which were typically lackluster (tough crumbly biscuits, too thin gravy).
biscuit ingredients:
2 cups flour (as mentioned, you can sub whole wheat pastry for half or all of the flour)
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t sugar (less if using sweetened soy milk)
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
3/4 cup plain soy milk (unsweetened preferably)
1/4 t apple cider vinegar

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. whisk together soy milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit to thicken.
2. sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt into a large bowl.
3. cut in shortening using a pastry cutter or your fingers until flour crumbs.
4. slowly add soy milk/vinegar mixture and mix to form a soft dough.
5. put dough on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough is no longer sticky.
6. flatten dough out on surface and cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter (i use a small wine glass!). this should make 10-12 biscuits.
7. cook for 10-12 minutes or until tops and bottoms are slightly golden brown.

after the biscuits are in the oven i like to throw together the gravy...

gravy ingredients:
2 T earth balance
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
generous pinch of rubbed sage
pinch of thyme
lots of black pepper
a dash of cayenne
sugar (optional)

1. on medium heat melt earth balance in a small saucepan.
2. slowly stir/whisk in flour to form a smooth roux.
3. slowly add soy milk to the roux, stirring constantly.
4. add sage, thyme, pepper, cayenne, and sugar to taste. this is mostly personal prefence.
5. cook another five minutes or so to allow flavors to incorporate and gravy to thicken. serve immediately over biscuits.

mmmm.. enjoy!