Occasionally cookbooks do have errors. There are all sorts of reasons this may happen, but a cookbook has a ton of moving parts that all have to be assembled into a readable narrative with workable recipes sometimes under tight deadlines. But one missed stick of butter or spoonful of cinnamon somewhere can have messy consequences.
Our Amish Cook's Baking Book has been very well-received (20 5-star reviews on Amazon!), but one recipe does have a big mistake. The popular Buttermilk Biscuits recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter. Wowza. One problem: the recipe should call for NO butter. Double Wowza! I forget how that mistake was even made, I think it had something to do with the "search and replace" feature replacing the wrong ingredient. The mistake has been corrected in subsequent printings of the book, but it is a glaring error in the first printing. And when my then-wife decided to make homemade buttermilk biscuits from the book, I forgot to tell her about the mistake until too late. When they came out of the oven they looked like sopping wet flat, buttery rounds. The Amish biscuit recipe in the book really IS a good one and quite tasty. Once Rachel regrouped and made the recipe the right way (sans butter), here is how they looked:
Much better, right? It's a good, soft biscuit that goes great with gravy You can bake them a touch longer if you like to make them more golden. So, here is the correct recipe - with no butter - just buttermilk. Enjoy!
🥛 Why Make No-Butter Biscuits?
These biscuits are surprisingly tender and flavorful without any butter at all. The vegetable oil creates a soft, cake-like texture that's perfect for soaking up gravy or jam. They're also great for anyone avoiding dairy(although there is buttermilk in the recipe) or looking for a lighter biscuit option. The buttermilk provides all the tangy flavor you need, and the oil keeps them moist without the heaviness of butter.
🥯 No-Butter Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt (see notes below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, vegetable oil, baking powder, buttermilk, and baking soda.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth batter. Don't overmix.
- Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
📝 Recipe Notes & Tips
About the Salt: Several readers have noted that the original cookbook recipe includes ¼ teaspoon salt, which I recommend adding for better flavor. Salt enhances the taste and balances the tanginess of the buttermilk.
Batter Consistency: The batter should be thick but scoopable. If it seems too thick to drop easily, add buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the right consistency. If it's too thin, add a bit more flour.
Oil Options: Vegetable oil works best, but you can substitute with canola oil or melted coconut oil (cooled slightly). Avoid strongly flavored oils like olive oil.
Storage: Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 3-5 minutes to restore their soft texture.
🔧 Troubleshooting
Biscuits taste bitter: This usually means too much baking powder. Make sure to measure carefully - 3 teaspoons is exactly 1 tablespoon.
Biscuits are too bland: Add the salt mentioned above, and make sure your buttermilk is fresh and tangy.
Biscuits spread too much: The batter might be too thin. Add a bit more flour, or chill the batter for 15 minutes before baking.
Biscuits are too dense: Don't overmix the batter. Stir just until ingredients are combined.
🍯 Serving Suggestions
These light, fluffy biscuits are perfect for:
- Sopping up sausage gravy or chicken and dumplings
- Serving alongside soup or stew
- Making breakfast sandwiches
- Topping with honey, jam, or preserves
- Crumbling over casseroles instead of traditional biscuit toppings
The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity - no cutting in cold butter, no rolling or cutting dough. Just mix, drop, and bake for fresh biscuits in under 20 minutes!
No-Butter Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup vegetable oil .
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet at set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, vegetable oil, baking powder, milk, salt, and baking soda.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth batter.
- Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minute
Wendy
This is SO funny. I made these very biscuits tonight for supper - and they looked pretty much like your first picture! They actually tasted pretty good. (And they didn't need any butter.) We scooped them up with a pancake turner and put them on top of our stew. I will go out to the kitchen now and cross butter off the recipe.
Andrea
I haven't tried the recipe, but I do have the edition with the butter in it. I've made the correction, and thanks for letting us know!
Joyce
I hadn't made these yet so was able to correct the recipe. Thanks for the heads up.
Theresa
Kevin i just looked at my cookbook & there is also1/4 tsp salt. Now you do need salt in baking, does this reecipe call for no salt? Also since we're on this subject... Rhubarb squares pg 167 in the baking book says to bake at 350 for 40 min. I've made these & they are still raw after 50 min. Is there something that might be missing in the recipe itself? Thanks & keep up the good work.
Theresa
Melanie Smith
Funny, reading this and had my cookbook beside me and yes it called for 2 sticks of butter! Crossed it out, now can't wait to try to make them. Thanks for letting us know:)
Melanie
Dawn Kirk
Mine says 22 sticks.....Just kidding!
Kenneth Nagel
Recipe states 1/4 oil. I presume you mean cup?
Kevin
yes, good catch!
Betty
A couple (or more) of good proof readers (must be good cooks) would
help you avoid errors. Most experienced cooks would have caught the
butter error...
Kevin
Agreed...So, also, would have been more time...We had about 6 weeks to write the WHOLE book...that was crazy fast...
Ckay
Dear Kevin,
Thank you so much for correcting the recipe.
Did you find any further printing mistakes in the first issue?
Today I wanted to cook the pineapple cookies on page 112 and I did not find any fat (oil or shortening or butter) listed (which made me sooo happy!). But then I had a check in the web and all the pinapple cookie recipes I've found had butter in. So, now I'm quite unsure. "Light Amish Cookies"... quite strange.
Did you ever bake them?
Thank you so much and best regards from Switzerland
Ckay
PS: would be great if you'd have on your page a "printing error corner", where the mistakes of the book are listed.
I love this book - recipes, pictures and stories.
Kevin
I will check into this. I've not heard of any errors in that recipe and I probably would have heard by now, but i'll check. Thanks for the kind words!:)
Ckay
Many thanks for your reply, Kevin.
Jessica
I attempted to make these biscuits this morning, but it took am extra 3/4 cup of buttermilk to get the dough into a smooth batter. Where did I go wrong?
Jac
I found this because I wanted to make biscuits but had run out of butter. Followed the recipe exactly and the biscuits are very bitter while also being bland. If anyone makes these they should add salt, and use less baking powder. Or go to the store and get butter.
Kevin
Thank you for the post, hopefully better biscuits next time!
Dorothy Thoune
I made these yesterday, they are very light and good. Thank You
Kevin
Awesome, Dorothy, thank you for telling me, I am glad they turned out well!