Southern Buttermilk Cat Head Biscuits

Wait, WHAT?!  Cat head biscuits?  Yep, you read that right.  Cat head biscuits.  If you're from the south you've probably heard of these.  If you're not, then I'll bring you up to speed.

Cat head biscuits are named as such because the biscuits are as big as a cat's head.  Why a cat head as the size comparison?  Well that I'm not sure of.  But the point is that these biscuits are BIG.  Big and fluffy.  They don't taste any different, per se, but rather it's simply the size of them that warrants the name.

My grandmother has always made wonderful biscuits, but it was always a bit hard for me to learn how to replicate them because she never measured anything.  "Just add milk until it looks right", she would always say.  Sigh.  You know someone is a good cook when they never whip out a measuring spoon or cup.

But luckily for me (and you), I found a trusty recipe which I have shared below.  The only thing I would do different next time is that I would use lard in place of the shortening.  You can buy lard in the same section as Crisco and it makes the biscuits much fluffier and provides a better taste in my opinion.

Oh, and I would also have made 5 biscuits instead of 6.  These were large and fluffy, but I would do them even bigger.  And maybe add some bacon, an egg and a slice of cheese :)  I'll remake them with these edits sometime soon and post a comparison.

Buttermilk Cat Head Biscuits
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 C cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 Tbsp shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/4 C buttermilk

Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and preheat to 425 degrees.  Grease 9 inch cake pan.

Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl.  Cut butter and shortening into mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.  Stir in buttermilk until combined.

Carefully form biscuits.  You should end up with six.  Make sure not to pat them too flat either so that they will fluff up.

Arrange 5 biscuits around perimeter of pan and place one in the middle.  The biscuits will be touching, but you want them this way so that they will cook up rather than out.

Look!  They love each other.

Bake until puffed and golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes.  *I also brushed some melted butter on mine when they had about 5 minutes to go.*  Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan before removing.

Fluffy, buttery deliciousness

Biscuits will keep for 2 days in air tight container.