Thanksgiving, Brewer-Style: Hunting Camp and Sausage Biscuits

In just under 6 hours the Hubby, the Munchkin and I will be packing ourselves into the truck and heading off to the woods of West Virginia (wild and wonderful) as the festivities of Thanksgiving Week begin to unfold.

And since the woods does not have Internet access, my "Thanksgiving" post needs to be up before Thanksgiving. I'm sure you'll forgive me. There are several other luxuries we'll have to do without this week, like extra space (cramming 8-10 adults and 5 children into a small space is a trick!) or running water, so I made tons of food to bring with us (the women folk and the kids) to snack on while the men-folk hunt.

The last few years for Thanksgiving (minus LAST year, in which the Munchkin decided to make his first appearance and I spent the holiday in the hospital) I have made one of the special treats that my Mom makes for Christmas every year....

Sausage biscuits.

Since Thanksgiving is the "big" holiday in the Brewer family, I decided to bring my own little bit of tradition into it and make these a yearly treat. They are usually gone within a few minutes, so I guess everyone likes them. :) 

Even if people comment that they would be better with cheese, or even gravy. 

Let me set you straight, people -- these are NOT "sausage biscuits and gravy" sausage biscuits. These are just plain old "sausage biscuit" sausage biscuits. They stand very well on their own, thankyouverymuch. 

I have strayed from tradition insomuch as to use spicy or maple-flavored sausage, and they taste just as delicious.

(You are welcome to make them however you like, and use whatever you like to serve them with -- I just like to stay true to the original). 

This year I made a quadruple batch. I hope it's enough! :)

So, I give you the recipe and share this one small piece of tradition that makes this holiday special to me. What recipes make Thanksgiving special to you?

Sausage Biscuits

Makes: 36

1 lb. sausage

2 2/3 cup flour

2 T. sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 cup shortening or butter

1/4 cup warm water

1 T. dry yeast

1 cup buttermilk

1. Cook sausage into crumbles, drain well, and set aside. 
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. 
3. Cut in shortening (or butter) until mixture resembles small peas.
4. Combine warm water and yeast in a small bowl, stirring until yeast is dissolved. 
5. Add buttermilk and yeast mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. 
6. Stir in drained sausage and drop by teaspoon on to lightly greased baking sheet. 
7. Brush with melted butter (optional - they are great without it!)
8. Bake at 450F for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Note: You can freeze them before baking (after dropping the biscuits onto a baking sheet, pop them into the freezer to harden for 1 hour, and then place them in a large Ziploc bag). When ready to bake, just place them on a baking sheet again and add one or two extra minutes to the baking time.