I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Potato Biscuits, and decided to give it a try. The biscuits were soft and tender. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.
Here’s the original recipe:
This recipe calls for using the Crisco brand of shortening. That’s because the recipe was published in a 1924 promotional cookbook for Crisco. When I updated the recipe, I changed it to just “shortening” since any brand would work. I used all-purpose flour rather than pastry flour when I made this recipe, and it worked fine.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Potato Biscuits
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed potatoes
1/4 cup shortening
approximately 1/3 cup milk, as needed
Preheat oven to 450° F. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together; stir in the mashed potatoes. Then cut (work) in the shortening and butter using fingers, pastry blender, or food processor. Gradually add the milk while mixing with a knife or spoon. Continue adding liquid until there is a soft dough. The amount of milk needed varies depending upon the type of flour. On a floured board, pat or roll the dough until 1/2 -inch thick. Cut with a round biscuit cutter. (I used a drinking glass as the cutter.) Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm.
A great way to use up mashed potatoes. Sounds good to me 🙂
I always enjoy recipes that turn left-overs into a totally new food.
These look quite tasty! Is there really such a thing as left-over mashed potatoes?
Somehow, I sometimes end up with left-over mashed potatoes. 🙂
I love your old fashioned recipes.
Do you think I could replace the shortening with butter?
Thank you
It’s nice to hear that you enjoy this blog. I think that butter could be substituted for the shortening.
My SIL makes potato rolls and the recipe is similar! I’ll have to give this a try and see if these compare…
Potato rolls sound good, too.
I agree with Dorothy’s question. Does anyone have leftover mashed potatoes?
I must get really carried away when I make mashed potatoes because I sometimes end up with left-overs – but I never mind since I can make potato cakes, potato biscuits, etc. 🙂
I like your enthusiasm. I adore good mashed potatoes, but they are a bit fiddly for me.
Thanks so much for this recipe. I’m always looking for ways to use the extra helping of mash potatoes. For some reason, we always have one left. Your biscuits look really good and tasty. 😊
In the instructions should “shortening and butter” be changed to “shortening or butter”? I do not see Butter in the list of ingredients in the 1924 or 2024 recipies.
I did make them and added 2 Tablespoons of melted butter. They were deliscious, especially with locally made Marmalade. Next time I think I will spread melted butter on top after they come out of the oven and see how that affects the taste.
Agree – “butter or shortening” would be a good way to adapt the recipe. It’s wonderful to hear how you adapted this recipe and that you enjoyed it.