Bisquick

Mind you, she also sent me American baking powder to use as well (fluffier pancakes)!

Is there a difference between British and American baking powder??!! I didn't know that! Please explain!

I've never bought or used Bisquick either in the US or UK -- I generally make pancakes from scratch which takes like 1 minute longer than using Bisquick, imo. And I don't make them often, and haven't made them since moving to the UK. But the baking powder thing could be key!

I dont know the whole story, but i've heard that American baking powder is 'double acting' and British baking powder is 'single acting'... whatever that means! 

i agree that UK bisquick is slightly different; in both taste and texture.  re baking powder, when using UK bp in a US recipe, double the amount and it will be perfect.

Wow, that's really good to know! Thanks!

I've made pancakes, cinnamon rolls, and biscuits, (not scones) using Bisquick, and they all turned out as I expected them to. I also have a wonderful bisquick chicken recipe, one my grandmother used to make, and it's been a family favorite ever since.

Sainsbury's sells busquick too. I had loads of pancakes on pancake day. YUM.

Clever thought about the baking powder...makes sense! Was really bumming me out that all my baking was coming out flat.

I'm making beef/lamb & veg stew for dinner tonight -- have a wee bit of Bisquick left in the cupboard that I previously found (the box of) at my local Sainsburys.  So having my *heart set* on making American-style biscuits to go with my stew, thought I'd pick up another box (there's not much left in what I have) on our Sainsburys shop today.  And it was nowhere to be found (this time) on the shelves!



(Will see if I can make this wee bit stretch. )

I make my own bisquick-like mix --

Mix:

Flour -- fill flour up to the 800 ml mark on a British 1-litre liquid measure
British baking powder -- 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons
Baking soda -- 2 teaspoons
Sugar -- 1 Tablespoon
Salt -- 1 teaspoon
Mixed spice -- 1/4 teaspoon (or a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg)
Shortening -- 6 Tablespoons (i.e., Trex, Pura or Crisp and Dry. Found in the butter aisle, shaped like a pound of butter.)

Mix, fork and/or squish mixture with hands until no pieces of shortening are big enough to be identifiable. Store in covered container.

To make scone/biscuits:

Use 1 heaping Tablespoon mix and 1 Tablespoon of milk for each biscuit desired. Blend and shape into approx. 2" x 3/4" rounds, place on baking sheet and bake at GM 6 for 12-15 minutes.

I've got about 8 boxes of bisquick in my cupboard because ASDA started selling it in their shops near Pancake day and I was afraid they would stop. 

If you have a big enough freezer, try to put as much in there as you can.  This will keep it from going stale and safe from those pesky little flour bugs that sometimes find their way into closed packages.

Simon had Bisquick pancakes when he was here and he loved them!  He didn't quite understand why not just make stuff from scratch, but I will show him the wonders of Bisquick once we are married and I'm sure he will want to take some with us when we move to England!

~Liza

I have another clone recipe for Bisquick

Ingredients:
9 cups Flour
1/3 cup Baking powder
1 cup Powdered milk
2 tablespoons Powdered milk
4 teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
 
Directions:

Sift all dry ingredients, cut oil into flour until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Store, well covered in cool dry place.

Use just like you would Bisquick, or pancake mix.