our favorite Test Kitchens secrets

We'll guide you through your holiday cooking.

Here's our gift to you: three classic recipes with step-by-step information to make them foolproof. Want to make perfect biscuits? We'll show you how, along with great gravy and mashed potatoes. Just follow these tips for fantastic results every time.

Easy Homemade Biscuits

MAKES ABOUT 1½ DOZEN

PREP: 10 MIN., BAKE: 11 MIN.

1/3 cup butter, softened and cubed*

2¼ cups self-rising flour

1 cup buttermilk

3 Tbsp. melted butter

1. Cut softened butter into flour with a pastry blender or 2 forks just until butter cubes are coated with flour. Using your hands, gently combine until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in buttermilk with a fork just until blended. (Mixture will be wet.)

2. Turn dough out onto a generously floured surface, and pat to ½-inch thickness. Cut dough with a well-floured 2-inch round cutter, and place on lightly greased baking sheets.

3. Bake at 450° for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, and brush warm biscuits with melted butter. Serve immediately. *1/3 cup shortening may be substituted.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used White Lily Self Rising Flour.

Easy Cheddar Biscuits: Add 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese to butter and flour mixture just before adding buttermilk. Proceed as directed.

Tender, Flaky Goodness

BISCUITS STEP-BY-STEP

* Cut softened butter into flour with a pastry blender or two forks just until cubes are coated with flour.

* No spoon is required. Using your hands, gently combine the flour and butter mixture until it resembles small peas and the dough is crumbly. It is crucial to use your hands in this step, so you can feel the texture of the dough.

* Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Use floured hands to pat dough to a Vi-inch thickness. Don't use a rolling pin here; this will prevent the dough from being overworked.

MORE BISCUIT TRICKS

* When cutting out biscuits, don't twist the cutters. Simply press down, and pull straight up. Twisting compresses and seals the edges and prevents biscuits from rising.

* We prefer the texture of biscuits prepared with White Lily flour because it is a soft winter wheat flour and yields a more tender product.

Butter Tips

* Soften butter at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Test the softness of butter by gently pressing the top of the stick with your index finger. If an indentation remains but the stick of butter still holds its shape, it's perfectly softened.

* Butter that's too cold overworks the dough when cut in and yields a tough biscuit. Likewise, butter that's too soft coats the flour and prevents the pea-size pellets from forming, thus yielding a flat biscuit.

* Perfectly softened butter combines with flour to form small pea-size pellets that distribute evenly throughout the dough and release steam during cooking. These steam pockets cause the biscuit to puff for a fluffy, tender product with melt-in-your-mouth butter flavor.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN., BAKE: 1 HR., COOL: 10 MIN., COOK: 35 MIN., STAND: 1 MIN.

1 garlic bulb

2½ lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

½ cup whipping cream

1/3 cup sour cream

¼% cup butter, melted

1¼tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1. Cut off pointed end of garlic; place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Fold foil to seal.

2. Bake at 400° for 1 hour, and let cool 10 minutes. Squeeze pulp from garlic bulb; discard husk, and set pulp aside.

3. Bring potatoes and cold water to cover to a boil in a large Dutch oven; boil 25 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place back in Dutch oven, and heat 3 to 5 minutes over low heat until potatoes are dry. Set aside.

4. Heat whipping cream in a small saucepan over low heat 4 minutes or just until warm; remove from heat, and stir in sour cream.

5. Press potatoes through a ricer into Dutch oven. Let stand 1 minute. Stir in roasted garlic pulp, melted butter, salt, and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in warm whipping cream mixture, stirring just until blended. Serve immediately.

Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

PREP: 15 MIN., COOK: 55 MIN.

This recipe uses a homemade stock. If you prefer pan drippings, substitute the first 7 ingredients for 2 cups pan drippings.

2 turkey necks

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 celery rib, coarsely chopped

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 fresh thyme sprig

3 Tbsp. butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup white wine

¼ tsp. rubbed sage

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Brown turkey necks in hot oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Add onion and celery; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in broth, parsley, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer; discard solids.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture is golden. Gradually whisk in stock (or pan drippings), wine, and sage; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.