Yesterday I was invited to join some other PEO members for lunch and to go to see a wonderful antiques collection nearby. Sue has been collecting antiques, particularly gadgets, for over 30 years. Her kitchen gadgets were stunning. Walls were lined with graters, grinders, pudding molds, colanders and cast iron corn stick pans. On hooks were dozens of egg beaters, lots of gadgets to hold canning jars, soap savers, whisks, and so much more.
She had a cute metal measuring cup that was a coffee measurer. A thin piece of metal for the bottom slid in and out of slots to move the bottom up or down depending on how strong you wanted your coffee.
She had bushel baskets full of cooking tools like spoons, forks, slotted spoons, potato mashers...and each basket had different colored handles. It was overwhelming. One item caught my eye and she agreed to let me photograph it for the one off event - That Crazy Kitchen Gadget hosted by Not Eating Out in New York. The photograph is above. Do you think you know what it is? Look below the next photo to see if you guessed right. Wish I had one of those myself.
It's a biscuit cutter. It rolls along and cuts a whole row of biscuits (or cookies, I guess) at a time. Did you guess correctly??
My Dad loved biscuits, so these quick and easy ones were baked often when I was growing up. Since I don't own the cutter, I'll be using a floured drinking glass. I'm also including a photo with jam and one with honey because I like eating them both ways. Mmmmmm.
Dad's Simple But Nutritionally Suspect Buttermilk Biscuits3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco was what we used)
1 cup buttermilk
Cut shortening into flour until consistency of coarse meal; add enough buttermilk to make a soft dough (you may need slightly more or less than 1 cup). Turn onto lightly floured surface; knead gently about ten strokes. Roll 1/2 of the thickness desired in finished biscuits. Fold over on itself and roll out again to same thickness. Cut with a floured biscuit cutter (or drinking glass OR crazy kitchen gadget if you have one). Place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F overn for 12-15 minutes. Makes about 14 - 2" biscuits.
Elle, this is my firt time seeing this kind of biscuit cutter. :D And your scones look great. I love freshly baked scone for breakfast. Yumm!
ReplyDeleteNow that is cool.
ReplyDeleteAnd shame on you for teasing me with the great looking biscuits all oozing with butter!!!!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteDid you know that you can also use it to cut dough for tortellini? You cut out the rounds, fill them and join them and roll them!
I haven't seen a biscuit cutter like that in years.
ReplyDeleteWay cool!
How neat! My grandmother had one of these... and Ivonne's right... she often used it to cut tortellini. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool gadget. I'd love one of those!
ReplyDeleteBiscuits with butter and honey... my favorite way to have a fresh from the oven biscuit!
What a cool cutter, I've never seen anyone like this before!
ReplyDeleteAnh, I'd never seen one like this either & warm bread for breakfast is yummy!
ReplyDeletePeabody, the oozing butter was the best part...wish I had some this morning...it's grey and coolish out.
Ivonne, Tortellini would be great with this cutter. I'll have to tell Sue.
Sandi, It is pretty old...and cool.
CC, Tortellini it is...have to give it a try if SUe will lend it to me.
Kristen, yeah, wish I owned it. Not everyone likes honey on their biscuits, but it's my favorite.
Damar, Neither had I. Sue's collection has a lot of gadgets I'd never seen. Maybe I'll see if she had another one I can post about.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'm sold on the biscuit cutter, but dang your biscuits look good! Makes me want to whip up a batch.
ReplyDeleteTea, with the weather in Seattle what it has been lately, hot biscuits would be a great idea :)
ReplyDeleteFabulous - for back in the days when even hand-tools were made by people who understood a bit of geometry, though. :) I had to really look at it & still doubt I'd be able to duplicate it, except through trial and error. Or, you know, breaking down and going to the library to look up elipses & things. If whomever owns it ever wants to be rid of it ... well, I'll pay the postage on it!
ReplyDeleteFound one of those cutters at a garage sale out in the country. Paid a whole 25 cents for it. I didn't know what it was, do now, I had guessed some kind of a dough cutter however. Have taken it to a couple of auctions and no one knew what it was although many offered to buy it.
ReplyDelete