Biscuits and Gravy

Usually February is the choice month for showing love but around here it's October.  October = birthday month so I find myself making W's favorites, no matter how unhealthy.  I think he first got hooked on biscuits and gravy at our college brunch and since then he's been a fan of any kind of Southern breakfast.

Please make sure you have plenty of friends around to help eat this!  We reheated the gravy a few days later and it was good (with a little milk to thin it out) but the biscuits don't do as well.  They're fantastic the day you make them.

Thanks to Kelly from Eat Make Read and Laura from The Cooking Photographer!

buttermilk biscuits  from Eat Make Read

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup (2 oz.) homemade butter (or store-bought), very cold and cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (or more) homemade buttermilk (or store-bought)
Special equipment: a 9-inch cake pan or cookie sheet
Makes 8-9 biscuits

1. Preheat the oven to 500°.
2. Lightly grease (or spray with cooking spray) a 9-inch cake pan.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and rosemary.
4. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two knives. The butter pieces should range in size from a large pea to a little lentil.
5. Add the buttermilk, gently stirring until the dough starts to come together. You will have a fairly wet dough.
6. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface, and knead gently for one to two turns. Roll or pat out to about 3/4-inch thickness.
7. Using a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out as many biscuits as you can, taking care not to twist the biscuit cutter into the dough. Re-roll the scraps as necessary.
8. Place the biscuits into the cake pan, letting the sides touch.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

 Sausage Gravy 
from the Cooking Photographer
1 package Jimmy Dean All Natural Regular Pork Sausage
4 tablespoons butter, diced
3 tablespoons extra light olive oil or vegetable oil

1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

4 cups milk

Break up sausage into a very large skillet or wide bottom pot. Cook over medium high breaking apart the sausage into small pieces. When no longer pink and well cooked remove the sausage from the pan leaving the grease behind and set the meat aside. Add butter and oil and stir occasionally until the butter is melted.

Next, add the flour and cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring frequently. Add the salt, pepper, and cayenne. Rub the thyme between the palms of your hands to crush it while adding to the pan. Slowly stir in the milk and bring it to a simmer stirring constantly until gravy is thickened to taste. Add the sausage back in and cook for a couple minutes to warm through.

Season with more salt and pepper if needed and serve hot over biscuits.