Coconut Lime Drop Biscuits
Because of its melting point of 76 degrees F, Coconut Oil makes a great substitution for shortening. This makes it solid at room temperature, but it melts in your mouth. It gotten a bad rap in recent times but as the single best source of Lauric Acid (which is antioxidant, antibiotic, and antiviral), its day will come.
Who cares how good for you it is, I love the way it tastes. I've been cooking with coconut oil for about two years now, and as a great sub for shortening, I thought it must make a damn-fine biscuit. Low and behold, it does.
Since it leaves a hint of coconut flavor, I thought it would be wise to embrace that note rather than cover it up. Its coconut flavor is mild; however, but by adding lime you enhance it as the sweet and sour play nicely between the two.
I adapted this from Alton Brown's Southern Biscuits recipe (#1 Google result), subbing out the shortening, skipping the baking soda, using lime juice and milk instead of buttermilk, adding more salt, and halving the recipe. It really isn't close, but I thought I'd give him credit anyway
Coconut Lime Biscuits (printable recipe)
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- the juice of 1/2 a lime
- the zest of 1/2 a lime
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl: the flour, baking powder, salt, and zest. Whisk briefly to combine. Work into the flour mixture the butter and coconut oil with a fork or your fingers until only small pieces of fat remain.
Add the lime juice to the milk and stir. Make a well in the flour/butter and add the milk. Mix just until combined but no more. The dough will be sticky and may not even pick up all the dry ingredients. That's OK, you want to work the dough as little as possible.
Using two spoons, scoop with one and pack with the other. Scrape the drops out onto a sheet pan and bake until GBnD (Golden Brown and Delicious) - about 15-20 minutes.
Makes about 15 biscuits