by Joan Mccord

Created on: November 02, 2008   Last Updated: September 02, 2009

We wait for the basket of garlic and cheese biscuits at The Red Lobster even before dinner orders are taken. When the biscuits arrive, we are happily reassured there will be seconds and thirds.

The recipe for Red Lobster's biscuits has never been a secret, or if it were, it was an open secret and perennial favorite shared by good cooks around the country.

They are surprisingly delicious when served piping hot and steamy at home either as an appetizer or to accompany a meal.

For a deliciously different embellishment of your very best beef or chicken stew at a special meal, use your garlic and cheese biscuit recipe to make shortcakes. Rather than form balls, pat the biscuit dough into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle once and pat into desired thickness. Use a bit of extra flour for ease of handling if necessary but keep the dough as soft as possible. Cut with a medium-small biscuit cutter.

Serve the shortcakes in a soup plate (wide and fairly shallow). Break the biscuit in half (where you folded the dough before you cut the biscuits). Generously spoon stew over bottom half of biscuit, top with second half and a generous garnish of fresh herbs and parsley.

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour
3 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cups cold milk
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 stick butter
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450-degrees.

Mix self-rising flour and confectioner's sugar in large bowl.

Cut in shortening with 2 knives or pastry blender until mixture looks like small peas. Stir milk in with a fork just until dough cleans the sides of the bowl.

Stir in cheese.

Place butter and garlic in 9x13-inch pan and put pan into preheated oven until butter melts and garlic is fragrant.

Remove pan from oven and stir in parsley.

Form dough into balls about the size you would like for your biscuits, and drop balls into butter mixture. Turn to coat well.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until just golden.

Spoon any remaining butter over top and serve while biscuits are hot.

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