Callie’s Charleston Biscuits is the kind of success story we all love to hear about. In 2005 Carrie Morey convinced her long-time, successful catering mom Callie to turn her famous tender, buttery biscuits into a business. And, the rest as they say, it the stuff of legends. Today, Callie’s Biscuits can be found throughout the South and, indeed, in locations around the country. The best bet in Arkansas is Fresh Market.
Online orders for Callie’s Biscuits reached as high as 190,000 in December of last year. You might want to think about getting your orders in early, y’all.
Last week I joined with several other culinary enthusiasts on a trip to Charleston, SC organized by Amy Hannon of Euna Mae’s, a kitchen specialty store, in Springdale, Arkansas. One of our excursions while there was to Callie’s Biscuit House (headquarters/factory/office of Callie’s Charleston Biscuit)s where we got elbow deep, along with Carrie, in White Lily flour (Carrie says don’t bother using any other brand of flour.), butter and cream cheese (full fat, of course) in order to make the fluffiest, tastiest, butteriest (is that a word?) biscuits that truly did melt in our mouths.
Southerners swear by low-protein White Lily flour for their biscuits and HERE’S WHY.
Award-winning, hand-made Callie’s Biscuits have been featured in Food & Wine, Saveur, Real Simple, Southern Living,Garden and Gun, The New York Times and on Oprah, the Food Network, the Today Show and Martha Stewart just to name a few. Among her biggest fans is Reese Witherspoon who not only featured Carrie and her biscuits on her blog, Draper James, but also served those mouthfuls of deliciousness at her wedding.
Photo Source: Callie’s Little Biscuits
We each received a copy of Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions, Carrie’s cookbook and narrative on entrepreneurship and life in the low country. I also picked up a t-shirt and several of Callie’s biscuit cutters from the small shop on site. The headquarters is located in a house which was part of a former naval base long since abandoned for its original purpose. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit – grab-and-go biscuit restaurants in Charleston’s Upper King District, the Charleston City Market, and in Atlanta’s Virginia Highland neighborhood are among Carrie’s latest endeavors.
Can you believe Carrie actually went to Sonic before we got there and ordered each one of us a cup of Sonic ice! She’s just the sweetest, y’all.
Even if you don’t live near Callie’s Biscuits, you can still enjoy them by ordering them and their other products online. Part of our group made a Cheddar and Chive version which was sooooo very good. We also sampled her Cheese Crackers which I highly recommend. And you can’t go wrong with the Cinnamon and Sugar variety — incredibly delicious!
Carrie offers some hints for making the best biscuits:
- Measure out mix the dry ingredients into a very large bowl, one that will accommodate lots of dough mixing.
- Add room temperature (not cold) butter and work it between your fingers until it resembles coarse corn meal.
- Add in cream cheese, mixing with your fingers until only small chunks of cream cheese are left. The small chunks of cream cheese will help make lighter biscuits.
- Form a well in the center and add in buttermilk. Lift flour from the outside edges and fold toward the center, mixing until a very soft dough is formed. Do not overwork.
- Remove dough from bowl onto a well-floured board or counter. Using hands or a rolling pin, slightly roll dough to about 1-inch thick.
- Starting at outside edge, cut biscuits using a sharp biscuit cutter pressing down and lifting straight up. Do not twist the cutter or you will seal the edge of the biscuits preventing them from rising as they should. Make the most of your first roll out of the dough as the second roll will be slightly different in texture.
- Place biscuits as close together as you can on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter prior to baking. If space remains in the pan, make a snake of excess dough and press it next to the biscuits so they will not spread out in the pan.
Ingredients
- 4 cups White Lily Self-Rising Flour, plus more flour for dusting
- 8 Tablespoons butter cut in small cubes and at room temperature
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, approximately
- 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing tops of biscuits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with rack in the middle position.
- Place 4 cups flour in a very large mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle the butter cubes on top of the flour. Use your fingers, work in the butter until the mixture resembles cottage cheese.
- Add in room temperature cream cheese and work it into the flour by pressing it between finger tips, leaving chunks of cream cheese rather than completely incorporated.
- Make a well in the center. Pour in buttermilk.
- Use your hands or a rubber spatula to mix the buttermilk into the flour. Do not overwork the dough. This should result in a wet and dough. Do not be tempted to add in too much extra flour.
- Sprinkle work surface with flour. Dump the dough onto the floured work surface being sure to scrape all of the dough from the bowl. Do not knead the dough.
- Using your hands, gently press the dough to 3/4-1 inch thick. You may also use a rolling pin, gently rolling to desired thickness.
- Flour a 2-inch round biscuit cutter. Press the cutter straight down into the dough and straight back up. Do not twist. Repeat, cutting as many biscuits as you can.
- Gather remaining dough scraps and cut additional biscuits.
- Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the sides of the biscuits touching. If space remains in the pan, use excess dough to create a "snake" that can be pressed next to the edges of the outer biscuits.
- Brush the tops with melted butter. Place in oven and immediately reduce oven temp to 450 degrees. Bake 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan one time during baking.
We may have had a little too much fun in the kitchen!
Charleston seems to be the hub of biscuit making for me. You may recall my encounter with Shirley Corriher, writer, author, biochemist, teacher and lecturer who regularly appeared on The Food Network. I’m still starstruck, y’all. That lady knows a thing or two about biscuit making!
