Yes. I made pizza crust last night with refrigerated-only (never frozen) biscuits that expired in 2012. It's Mar 17 2015 today. Didn't get sick, but the biscuits definitely were weird-looking when I popped the can...just in chunks instead of biscuit form. No mold though. They rose somewhat, but like I said I smashed them into pizza crust, so I'm not sure how they would do as just biscuits. I'm eating pizza leftovers today for lunch - good to go!
Use a sharp biscuit cutter (not a drinking glass). If the dough isn't cut cleanly, the biscuits won't rise nearly as high.
You can cut in the fat with a pastry blender or your fingers. Fingers do a better job, allow much better control of the texture, are just as quick and get your hands dirty. Pastry blenders actually do "cut" but cutting isn't really what you want. The process is about coating some of the flour with fat and leaving small flakes of fat in the dough. The instructions should probably read "pinch and rub" but cut is the proper term anyway. About half of the fat should disappear.
Fat is the most important aspect of the entire operation. Start with cold fat. What type is your choice.
Half butter, half lard makes the best biscuits in my opinion. (Everything you think you know about lard is probably wrong, propaganda brought to you by the makers of Crisco. It's as healthful as butter -- more so if you believe saturated fat is a negative.)
My second choice is all butter. The biscuits won't have the same savory flavor and the texture will be different.
Half butter, half shortening will provide better texture but not the flavor. Be careful of any shortening labeled "Zero Trans Fats (per serving)". Check the ingredients for the words "partially hydrogenated". These products (Crisco) can contain 4% trans fat and remain legal (there is no safe level of trans fat).
Lots of detail here but the entire prep shouldn't take you longer than 15 minutes after you practice it once or twice.
Pillsbury says:
"For the best quality, make sure you use them before the "use-by" date on the package."
My guess is it's probably an issue with the baking powder underperforming.
However…
Refrigerated biscuits are one of the last places you'll find partially hydrogenated oils in the grocery store. Check the label for "trans fat". Normally when something is just past its "best by" or "use by" date, I tell people to toss it in my direction if they're nervous about it, but you couldn't pay me to eat those things. Seriously.
How would you feel about learning how to bake better biscuits from scratch?
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Voted the Best Reply!
It's fun! It's easy! It's quick! And they're gooood!
Watch these two short videos. Not as good as having your grandmother teach you, but they'll get you started.
Alton Video Part One:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3QuQSdjMVE
Alton Video Part Two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcz4JQUwY9Q
Alton's Southern Biscuit Recipe (Weight measurements)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/southern-biscuits-recipe3/index.html
Alton's Southern Biscuit Recipe (Volume measurements)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/southern-biscuits-recipe2/index.html
Use a sharp biscuit cutter (not a drinking glass). If the dough isn't cut cleanly, the biscuits won't rise nearly as high.
You can cut in the fat with a pastry blender or your fingers. Fingers do a better job, allow much better control of the texture, are just as quick and get your hands dirty. Pastry blenders actually do "cut" but cutting isn't really what you want. The process is about coating some of the flour with fat and leaving small flakes of fat in the dough. The instructions should probably read "pinch and rub" but cut is the proper term anyway. About half of the fat should disappear.
Fat is the most important aspect of the entire operation. Start with cold fat. What type is your choice.
Half butter, half lard makes the best biscuits in my opinion. (Everything you think you know about lard is probably wrong, propaganda brought to you by the makers of Crisco. It's as healthful as butter -- more so if you believe saturated fat is a negative.)
My second choice is all butter. The biscuits won't have the same savory flavor and the texture will be different.
Half butter, half shortening will provide better texture but not the flavor. Be careful of any shortening labeled "Zero Trans Fats (per serving)". Check the ingredients for the words "partially hydrogenated". These products (Crisco) can contain 4% trans fat and remain legal (there is no safe level of trans fat).
Lots of detail here but the entire prep shouldn't take you longer than 15 minutes after you practice it once or twice.
And I would love, too.
Pillsbury says:
"For the best quality, make sure you use them before the "use-by" date on the package."
My guess is it's probably an issue with the baking powder underperforming.
However…
Refrigerated biscuits are one of the last places you'll find partially hydrogenated oils in the grocery store. Check the label for "trans fat". Normally when something is just past its "best by" or "use by" date, I tell people to toss it in my direction if they're nervous about it, but you couldn't pay me to eat those things. Seriously.
How would you feel about learning how to bake better biscuits from scratch?
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18753
Does the package say "Expires" or "Best by"?