Tender, hot biscuits can be the crowning touch to a sumptuous breakfast, but they usually add regal amounts of fat.

In classic recipes, lard or butter gives the biscuits their moist and flaky texture. How can the fat be reduced without ruining the results?

It's easier than you might expect. Using low-fat buttermilk and substituting some of the all-purpose flour with cake flour is all it takes.

Years ago buttermilk was a liquid byproduct of the buttermaking process. Today, it is made by combining nonfat or low-fat pasteurized milk with lactic acid bacteria, the healthful bacteria you find in yogurt.

The slight acidity of buttermilk acts as a tenderizer to the flour in the biscuits and imparts a rich dairy flavor.

Cake flour is a specialty wheat flour often used for making cookies, cakes and other delicate baked items. It's milled to an extra-fine consistency and processed to have only about half the protein of all-purpose flour.

As a result, it absorbs fat, such as butter, very well, so you get moist and tender results with less fat.

This recipe for lower-fat buttermilk biscuits also substitutes canola oil for some of the butter to help reduce saturated fat even further.

Use leftover buttermilk to make low-fat and nonfat salad dressings.

Jim Romanoff, Associated Press

Lower-Fat Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes 10

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

1 tablespoon sugar

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

11/2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon low-fat milk, for brushing

* Heat the oven to 425 degrees

* Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

* In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and oil. * Set aside.

* In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

* Using 2 knives or your fingertips, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly.

* Make a well in the center and gradually pour in the buttermilk and oil mixture, stirring with a fork, until just combined.

* Transfer dough to a floured surface and sprinkle with flour.

* Lightly knead for 30 seconds, then pat or roll out to an even half- inch thickness.

* Use a 2-inch round cutter to cut the dough.

* Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet.

* Gather any scraps of dough, pat to half-inch thickness and cut more rounds.

* Brush the tops of the biscuits with the milk.

* Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

* Serve hot.

Nutritional information per serving: 130 cal., 3 g fat (1 g sat), 5 mg chol., 22 g carb., 3 g pro., 0 g fiber, 294 mg sodium

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