Join me on a culinary journey as I browse a rare 1914 “The Pillsbury Cookbook”! 📖 We’re talking over 300 vintage recipes, charming illustrations, and the incredible story of the Pillsbury Company, from its humble beginnings to the refrigerated dough we know and love. Could these pages hold the original secrets to Pillsbury’s famous biscuits and crescent rolls? 🤔 Stick around for some fascinating history, hidden facts, and a look at a piece of baking history! Biscuit & Crescent Roll recipes below.
In the video below, we thumb through these amazing pages and talk about the company that brought us this found treasure: Pillsbury. Most of us probably associate Pillsbury with those iconic refrigerated biscuits, crescent rolls, and cookie dough, right? But their story goes way, way back. Come find out more in the video.
Modern Day Foodie on Lard
Lard is used in biscuits for its superior ability to create a flaky, tender texture, while butter is often used for its rich flavor. Lard is 100% fat, which coats the gluten strands to prevent them from developing, resulting in a more tender biscuit. It also has a higher melting point than butter, creating more distinct, thin layers that separate easily. Try both ways and see what you enjoy most.
Today, we usually use shortening in place of lard. Shortening and lard are not the same thing because shortening is a plant-based product, while lard is an animal product. Shortening is made from hydrogenated vegetable oils, and lard is rendered pork fat. While they can sometimes be used interchangeably in recipes because both are 100% fat, they have different flavor profiles and are used in different ways. As a kid, we used to keep the bacon drippings in a can under the sink to use in baking. So, our biscuits used to taste like bacon. They were so good, but boy, so bad for you.
Modern Day Foodie on Eggs
In one of the recipes, eggs are added. Eggs provide structure, binding, moisture, richness, and a tender texture. They act as a binder, holding the ingredients together, while the fats and moisture from the egg contribute to a richer flavor and a more tender crumb. The proteins in the eggs also help create the baked biscuit’s firm structure and can add leavening, making the final product lighter and fluffier. If you are making these biscuits gluten-free, I would use the egg recipe because of the binding nature of eggs. Gluten-free baked products have issues staying together.
The biscuit recipe below calls for egg whites. Egg whites are used in biscuits to add protein for structure and to trap air for a lighter, fluffier texture. The proteins in egg whites coagulate and create a more rigid crumb, while the high-water content helps with leavening through steam and gluten development. Compared to whole eggs, which provide richness from the fat in the yolk, egg whites can lead to a less dense, more “cakey” or airy product.
Modern Day Foodie on Potato Water
Potato water is used in baked goods to increase moisture, softness, and shelf life due to its starch content. The starch acts as a thickening agent, stimulates yeast for a better rise, and creates a more tender, spongy texture. It can be used as a substitute for milk or plain water and adds a subtle complexity of flavor.
The recipes below are a direct copy of the recipes from the 1915 “The Pillsbury Cookbooks.”
Baking Powder Biscuits
Materials:
- 2 cups Pillsbury’s Best.
- 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
- 1 teaspoonful salt.
- 1 cup milk and water (half each).
- 1 tablespoonful butter.
- 1 tablespoonful lard.
Way of Preparing:
Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together twice. Cream butter and lard together, and add it to the dry ingredients, using the tips of your fingers. Then add the liquid, mixing with a knife, until you have a very soft dough. Place on your mixing board. Pat out lightly until three-fourths of an inch thick. Cut out and bake in a hot oven for fifteen minutes.
Quantity:
This will make two dozen biscuits.
Modern Day Foodie Note
Bake baking powder biscuits at 425-450°F (220-230°C) for about 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown. The exact temperature and time can vary slightly depending on the recipe and oven, so check them for doneness and adjust as needed.
Egg Biscuits
Materials:
- 2 cups Pillsbury’s Best.
- 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.
- 1 teaspoonful salt.
- 1½ cup milk.
- 1 tablespoonful butter.
- 1 tablespoonful lard.
- 1 tablespoonful sugar.
- Whites of 2 eggs.
Way of Preparing:
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together twice. Cream butter and lard together and add it to the dry ingredients, using the tips of your fingers. Then add the milk mixed with the whites of the eggs, mixing with a knife until you have a very soft dough. Place on your molding board. Pat out lightly until three-fourths of an inch thick. Cut out and bake in a hot oven fifteen minutes.
Quantity: This will make 24 biscuits.
Modern Day Foodie Note
Bake baking powder biscuits at 425-450°F (220-230°C) for about 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown. The exact temperature and time can vary slightly depending on the recipe and oven, so check them for doneness and adjust as needed.
Crescents
Materials:
- 1-quart warm water.
- 1 yeast cake.
- 1 tablespoonful salt.
- Way of Preparing:
- 2 tablespoonfuls sugar.
- Sifted flour
- Some butter and egg (see below)
Mix the sugar, salt, yeast and water. When thoroughly dissolved, add enough sifted flour to make a medium soft dough. Cover, keep in a warm place, and let rise until light, then turn it onto the kneading board. Knead thoroughly and roll out into a sheet one-half an inch thick. Now cut in 6-inch squares, then divide them diagonally, so you will have triangular pieces, brush these lightly with water and roll them up, beginning on the longest side of each. Place into a buttered pan, bringing the two ends around towards each other into crescent shape. Let rise until light, brush with egg and water, and bake in a moderately hot oven fifteen to twenty minutes.
Modern Day Foodie Note
Bake biscuits at 425-450°F (220-230°C) for about 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown. The exact temperature and time can vary slightly depending on the recipe and oven, so check them for doneness and adjust as needed.