Week 34, Recipe 4: Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

NOTES

• This was yummy. Only wish I would've doubled the biscuits and sauce so I did double it in the recipe below so if cooking for just one or two, you might want to halve the recipe (Note that I left the amount of sausage the same as in the original recipe. I did not think that needed doubled).
• These biscuits are my new favorite biscuit recipe and I will be making them by themselves!
• Recipe modified from Sunset (found on Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS

• For biscuits:
• 4 c. all purpose flour
• 6 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 c. cold butter, plus 2 tbsp melted
• 1 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 1 1/2 c. half-and-half or whipping cream
• 1 c. all purpose flour
• For gravy
• 3/4 lb pork sausage
• 2 c. half-and-half or whipping cream
• 4 c. milk (2% or whole is best)
• 1 tsp powdered garlic
• 1 tsp powdered onion
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 tsp fresh minced thyme leaves (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 c. flour

DIRECTIONS
1. To make biscuits: preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the 4 c. flour, powder, salt, and sugar. Cut cold butter into small cubes and using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until pieces are the size of peas. Stir in the buttermilk and half-and-half until just incorporated.
2. Put the 1 c. of all purpose flour in a shallow bowl. Using an ice cream scoop or your hands, scoop a small handful of dough and drop it into the flour, tossing lightly to coat and shaking off excess. Put dough balls into two 8-inch cakes pans. The dough balls will be touching each other. You'll have about 6-8 dough balls in each pan.
3. Bake biscuits until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and then brush with the melted butter.
4. For gravy: put sausage in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Transfer sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon, reserving any drippings.
5. Meanwhile in another medium saucepan over medium-low heat, warm half-and-half, milk, powdered garlic and onion, pepper, thyme, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp salt.
6. Add butter to to sausage dripping and let melt. Add 1/2 c. flour, and whisk until golden, 1-2 minutes. Gradually add warm milk mixture, whisking, until simmering. Stir in sausage and season to taste with salt.
7. Have biscuits and put on plates, topping with gravy.