Grandma’s Smoky Maple Lard Biscuits

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. Add the chilled lard to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, work the lard into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. The goal is to create small pockets of fat throughout the flour, which will give the biscuits that tender, flaky texture.
5. Sprinkle the cold butter cubes over the flour-lard mixture and work them in the same way.
6. Pour in the cold buttermilk and gently stir with a spoon or your hands until the dough just comes together. Don’t overwork the dough; the less you handle it, the fluffier the biscuits will be.
7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it down gently into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Fold the dough over itself once or twice to create layers, then cut out biscuits using a round cutter (or the rim of a glass).
8. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they’re close together to encourage rising.
9. Brush the tops of the biscuits with whole milk.
10. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have risen to their full, flaky potential.
11. Now, in a small saucepan, melt the 1/4 cup of lard over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the maple syrup, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of salt.
12. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon and have a syrupy consistency.
13. Once the biscuits are out of the oven and slightly cooled, drizzle the smoky apple-maple glaze over the tops.
14. Serve Warm.