Here’s a classic Southern cookie and gravy recipe you won’t forget. Make biscuits with real butter and creamy buttermilk, then simmer the gravy with pork sausage and lard. This is comfort food at its finest.
In this recipe
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Prepare sausage sauce
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biscuits and sauce tops
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Best Homemade Cookies
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alternate method
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Make your own buttermilk
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store leftovers
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Prepare sausage sauce
If there’s a true expression of Southern love on a plate, it’s homemade buttermilk biscuits and gravy! There are so many ways to make cookies and gravy, but this one is my favorite.
The cookies are easy to make and the gravy is loaded with sausage.
How to make sausage sauce
This version of sausage sauce is a popular Southern recipe – there are many variations. Sage and nutmeg are two of the more pronounced flavors in the sauce, giving it a slightly more elevated flavor than you would find in a plain milk sauce.
One of the differences you’ll notice when you talk to people about how to make sauce for cookies is whether they make a traditional roux (just drippings and flour) or add the flour directly to the sausage after it’s browned is.
I’ve done it both ways; the sauce will thicken quite nicely as you add the flour to the browned sausage mixture.
Tips for making biscuits and gravy
- I recommend preparing the cookies first (but not baking them yet), starting the sauce, and then baking the cookies while the sauce thickens. This allows you to stir the sauce frequently, which is difficult when your hands are covered in flour and batter.
- Test that the pan is hot by adding a few drops of water. If they evaporate on contact, the pan is done.
- If you don’t like the sage and nutmeg flavors in this sauce, omit the nutmeg and use a regular breakfast pork sausage in place of the sage-flavored variety.
As for the cookies, there are countless recipes that have been passed down Southern families over the years. Many swear that White Lily Self-Rising Flour is essential for making light, fluffy cookies.
However, in my experience, you can make perfectly respectable cookies even if you can’t get your hands on this Southern staple. You can also mix the ratio of butter and shortening or just use one or the other, or use lard if you prefer.
In the spirit of the Gracious South, please let us know your favorite way to make biscuits and gravy.
A different way to prepare cookies and gravy
After trying this recipe you will want more cookies and gravy. We encourage you to try this combination in a different form – cookies and gravy casserole. This casserole has all the savory goodness of regular cookies and gravy, but it can feed a crowd.
How to make your own buttermilk
If you don’t have buttermilk around the house, you can put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, then add milk until the two together measure 1 cup.
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How to save leftovers for this dish
refrigerator: Store leftover cookies and separately. Refrigerate the sausage sauce in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Refrigerate the cookies in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. Slowly heat the sauce on the stove until it simmers. In a preheated 350°F oven, heat the cookies on a baking sheet covered with foil or parchment paper for about 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through.
freezer: Freeze sausage sauce in a freezer-safe zip-lock bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and heat slowly on the stovetop until simmering. Freeze cookies in a freezer-safe bag or zip-lock container. Thaw in the refrigerator and heat in a preheated 350°F oven on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet for about 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through.
More classic southern recipes
- Prawns and Grits
- Smothered Turkey Wings
- Southern Cornbread
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Bouncing John
From the editors of Simply Recipes
biscuits and gravy
I recommend preparing (not baking) the cookies first, starting the sauce, and then baking the cookies while the sauce thickens. This allows you to stir the sauce frequently, which is difficult when your hands are covered in flour and batter.
If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can substitute it with a ratio of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoon salt for every cup of self-raising flour.
Instead of 4 tablespoons each of butter and shortening, you can use 8 tablespoons of shortening or butter, or any combination of up to 8 tablespoons.
ingredients
For the buttermilk biscuits:
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2 1/2 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for flouring your surface
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2 teaspoon Sugar, Optional
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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4 tablespoon vegetable shortening (see recipe note)
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4 tablespoon Butter, cut into cubes, chilled
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1 Cup chilled buttermilkplus 1 to 2 tablespoons more if needed
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1 tablespoon melted Butter, optional, to coat the cookies after baking
For the sausage sauce:
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1 lb sage flavor pork sausage
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1/4 Cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
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6 tablespoon all purpose flour
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4 cups whole milk
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1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
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1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1/4 teaspoon Salt
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1 to 2 dashes Worcester sauce
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1 to 2 dashes Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper or other hot sauce
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1 to 2 tablespoon butter or bacon fat (if required)
special equipment
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2 inch cookie cutter
method
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Prepare a floured surface for shaping the dough, and have an ungreased baking sheet ready (lined with Silpat sheets, if you have one).
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Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt:
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.
To measure the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and flatten it with the back of a knife. If you scoop the flour, it will pack into the measuring cup and result in too much flour.
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Score the fat and butter:
Using a fork or a pastry blender, cut in the fat and butter. Work fast, you don’t want to melt the fats – the key to fluffy cookies is minimal handling. The mixture should be crumbly.
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Add buttermilk and stir:
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir and mix with a spoon until the liquid is absorbed and the batter pulls away from the sides of the bowl – add 1 to 2 tablespoons more buttermilk if the batter is dry. Don’t mix too much; The dough will be sticky, neither wet nor dry.
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Fold and shape dough:
With lightly floured hands, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and carefully fold it over itself 2 or 3 times. Shape into a round 3/4 inch thick. If using a rolling pin, be sure to flour it first so the dough doesn’t stick to the pin.
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Cut out cookies:
Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut the cookies straight down (avoid the temptation to rotate the cutter, as rotating will keep the cookies from rising). Dip the cutter in flour between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to the cutter.
Place cookies on the baking sheet so they are just touching (leave space in between for crispy sides). Shape leftover dough and cut further. Remember to touch the dough as little as possible.
(At this point you can start making the sausage sauce below and pop the cookies in the oven before adding the milk in the final sauce step.)
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Baking cookies:
Bake at 450°F for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. Turn the baking sheet over halfway through the baking time.
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Spread with butter:
(Optional) Brush the tops of the cookies with melted butter.
To make the sausage sauce
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Fry the bratwurst, stir in the onions:
Preheat a 4 quart saucepan over medium-high heat (add a few drops of water to the pan – when they evaporate, you’ll know the pan is done). Crumble the sausage into the pan and let brown for a minute or two, then turn the heat down to medium.
Continue cooking, breaking the sausage into smaller pieces until no pink remains. Stir in the onions and cook until translucent.
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Adjust the fat and add the flour:
Remove the sausage with a slotted spatula or spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan. If less than 3 tablespoons of lard remains, add enough butter (or bacon fat) to equal about 3 tablespoons of lard.
Return the cooked sausage to the pan over medium-high heat and sprinkle the flour over the sausage.
Stir in the flour and simmer until the mixture starts to bubble and turns lightly golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
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Add the spices:
Stir in poultry seasoning, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and salt – cook 1 minute to deepen flavor.
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Add the milk and cook until thickened:
Slowly add the milk and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 15 minutes). Be patient, it will thicken!
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Serving cookies and gravy:
To serve, cut a biscuit in half and place in a bowl or on a plate. Pour a generous helping of sausage sauce over the biscuit half and top with the other biscuit half.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 371 | calories |
| 23g | Fat |
| 28g | carbohydrates |
| 13g | protein |
