Eleanor's Biscuit Recipe

    I have been overwhelmed by the support The Thin House has received on it's release week. It's beyond exciting to finally share this book with others. When you've had a story pounding around your brain for years, it's a special kind of catharsis to share that world with others. Unfortunately, in the case of many of you who ordered print versions of the book, it will probably be a couple of days before you can actually start down the rabbit hole. To make things better while you wait, I thought I'd write this special post that comes with something very valuable: The greatest biscuit recipe of all time. 
    As I've said before I grew up immersed in Southern culture. This means that I also grew up around amazing food. Cooking and sharing meals together has always been a big part of my family's world, and I've been blessed to witness the works of some true masters of the craft. I would put my parents, and extended family's food up against anyone, any day. When it comes to dishes like Jambalaya, Gumbo, and Red Beans and Rice, I am spoiled forever. I wanted to capture this in my first book. I wanted a character who was not only an artist with food, but who also used cooking to communicate love. 
     That is where the character of Eleanor Blacklock started. Many of you who have begun the story are becoming acquainted with Eleanor, and I hope you can feel her warmth. In the Thin House one of staples at Eleanor's table is her homemade biscuits. These become a favorite dish for some very important characters. I want you to experience them. So for those of you brave enough to try, I give you Eleanor's Biscuit Recipe: 

Ingredients

• ¾ stick of butter
• 2 ½ Cups of self-rising flour
• 1 Cup buttermilk

Cooks 6 Biscuits
Instructions
Freeze butter until solid. Using a cheese grater, shred the butter into the 2 ½ cups of self-rising flour, and gently mix. Chill flour and butter for 10 minutes. Once chilled make a hole in the center of the bowl of flour and butter and pour in the cup of buttermilk. Taking care not to over mix, stir the ingredients 15 times or until evenly mixed. Spread some flour on the counter or a non-stick surface and turn out the mixture. Using a rolling pin roll the dough until about 1 ½ inch thick then fold it over on itself. Repeat this process four times this will make your layers. On the fifth time once the dough is folded use a drinking glass with flour dabbed around the top to cut out your biscuits, but make sure to press the glass down straight as opposed to twisting. Repeat the roll and fold method as needed until as many biscuits as possible have been cut from the dough. Place biscuits on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Place biscuits in rows so that they are as close as possible.
 
Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. While biscuits are still warm on the baking sheet, lightly brush butter across the tops. Allow to cool for five minutes before removing from the baking sheet. Best served with Honey. 

I made some today to celebrate the release! Though if i'm being honest I look for almost any opportunity to make these. I'll let you in on a secret, Eleanor's recipe is very similar to a version of my grandfather's recipe which has been tweaked and honed and experimented with over the past eight years. For those of you who choose to emulate Finn's grandmother and try her recipe, please share a picture of the end result. Just an FYI I'm currently working on the second and third book in this loosely connected series and I plan on sharing at least one recipe with each book I write. So come for the vampire librarians, werewolf fistfights, and Jackalopes but stay for biscuits. I hope these tide you over until your book arrives. Talk soon!