*Ingredients
+Dry ingredients:
°2 cups all-purpose flour
°1 tablespoon baking powder
°½ teaspoon of soda
°¾ teaspoon of salt
+Wet Ingredients:
°½ c vegetable shortening or butter
°¾-1 c cold buttermilk
°melted butter or heavy cream for brushing the top
+For the sauce:
°1 lb hot country sausage
°½ cup flour
°1 teaspoon plain or seasoned salt [more or less to taste]
°1 teaspoon ground black pepper [more or less to taste]
4 ½ to 5 cups of milk
*Instructions
To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sifting dry ingredients in a mix bowl.
Cube the shortening or butter, then cut into the dry ingredients. You can do this by hand with a pastry blender or with your food processor, Pulse until it becomes crumbly and looks like peas.
Stir in the cold buttermilk, until the dough is well moistened. Sometimes I use ¾ cup and sometimes up to 1 cup buttermilk. The dough should not be too wet, but slightly sticky.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface about ¾ inch thick and cut into rounds. Brush off excess flour.
Brush tops with melted butter or heavy cream and bake at 450°F for 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed. Yield: 8 [3] inch cookies or 10 [2] inch cookies
To make the sauce: Place the sausage in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or cast iron skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up the sausage with a spoon while cooking.
Cook until browned.
Drain all but 3 tablespoons of pan juices from pan. Sprinkle all-purpose flour over the sausage. Stir until sausage is coated, continuing to cook until lightly browned. Season with salt and black pepper.
Over medium-high heat, begin to add the milk, stirring constantly. Add 4 cups, adding more as needed to thin to desired texture.
Once all the milk has been added, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve immediately over warm crackers sprinkled with black pepper.
Enjoy !
