Hillbilly Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits

posted January 16, 2008
by Josh Gunn, Bachelor Chow

Some years ago one of my best buddies invited me to join him for a family gathering in Fayetteville, Arkansas. His selling points were twofold: good lookin' ladies in short-shorts on Dixon street at night and . . . chocolate gravy and biscuits. "Chocolate gravy?" I says to Shaun, "that just sounds nasty."

I was reminded of a terrible kitchen experience the previous year that involved green olives, chocolate, eggplant, and a bargain bin Italian cookbook from one of those chains that have bargain bin cookbooks. I trusted the recipe because it sounded so absurd: dark chocolate, green olives, and eggplant mixed together sounded so awful that it had to be good. Story of my life: I was wrong. In fact, this choco-eggplant disaster was right up there with your least favorite offal treat (chitlins come to mind). So chocolate gravy and biscuits was initially a turn off; the promise of short-shorts was duly muted.

But, dosed and primed with bourbon, I agreed to go on that trip anyway. And the first morning I was there Shaun's mum, Donna, whipped up this curious choco-concoction. As she was making it she told me the story behind its invention: her husband Bob had chocolate gravy and biscuits as a kid growing up in the Ozark foothills. Bob was deprived of this Hillbilly breakfast delight for many years until Donna endeavored to recreate the recipe as a condition of their wedding vows.

Years of kitchen experimentation went by until, two decades or so ago, Bob declared that Donna had happened upon and perfected his childhood treat. I watched her make it for us that morning, served up with some crispy bacon prepared on one of those meat-press waffle-irons that a certain bald-headed boxer pimps on infomercials at 2:00 a.m.

Now, this "chocolate gravy" is really more of a pudding---no animal fat is involved, unless you consider milk an animal fat. I guess it is. Whatever. It's still vegetarian in my book.

And I can testify that this is some very good inner-child eats, the sort of eats that will revive your eight-year-old self and encourage a little happy dance, even without that first cup of coffee. It'll provoke the reaction of a pre-teen in the cereal aisle at the supermarket, you know, giddy for marshmallow clover and diamond goodness? It's not healthy, to be sure, and I don't recommend you whip this up every weekend. But it's different and guaranteed to bring a smile to whomever you serve it to. Fix this for the ladies, especially, 'cause I hears they likes the chocolate.

Donna Treat's Hillbilly Chocolate Gravy And Biscuits Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/

Serves/Makes: 10 biscuits
Ready in: < 30 minutes

* 1/2 cup flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon cocoa
* 1 dash salt
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/2 stick butter
* 1 can biscuits (or homemade)
* peanut butter

First, prepare your biscuits. For most bachelors, this will mean opening a can of biscuit dough with a fork on the seam and putting them, pre-cut, on a cookie sheet.

Now, while the biscuits are baking, bring the milk to a near boil in a pot and then add the flour, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and salt and stir continuously with a whisk until thick. Then add the butter and whip to make the gravy smooth and creamy. Depending on the heat of your oven, more milk may be needed. It should have the consistency of gravy—not too thick, like a brownie, nor too runny, like soup.

When the biscuits are done, open one in half, slather peanut butter on them, and dip the gravy over the biscuits.

The peanut butter may be a bit too rich for some folks; I like to do one half of a biscuit with peanut butter and leave the other plain. Anyhoo, it's darn good and quickly filling, and nothing like my experience with the bargain bin cookbook recipe. This is the kind of thing you make in the morning to make lasting impressions on people—and your tummy.

©2008 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction of this article may be made without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.

printer-friendly version

Visitor Comments

RE: delicious! comment by d at 2008-01-16 15:58:49
I wonder if it would be too rich if you use nutella instead of peanut butter?

RE: Sublime Chocolate breakfast decadence comment by Shaunessey at 2008-01-16 20:35:55
Thanks for making Mom famous, Joshie! Everyone is initially skeptical of this odd confection, but by first taste they inevitably become yet another fan of this rare treat! I hear its now one of your grandma's favorites, yes? I might add that this a perfect [*ahem*] "morning after" breakfast that is certain to delight the most discriminating palette as a truly memorable and unique culinary indulgence!! Best served with a tall glass of cold milk and (for the true connoisseur of romantic spoiling) with a side of strawberries or bananas. Dollops of peanut butter on the biscuits prior to covering with the chocolate gravy yield a tasty "Reese's Peanut Butter Cup" imitation... and frequent moans of delight!

RE: Chocolate Gravy comment by JohnD at 2008-01-17 07:45:46
I am so glad to get this reciple. Before my mom becamed disabled she would occassionally make this wonderful breakfast treat. We loved it so much. I live in Tennessee. I have a great suggestion for gravy. My mother also used to make tomato gravy. You mix it just like you are making white flour gravy but you add fresh canned tomatos and the juice to it. I don't know how she balanced it out with the liquids portions but she always did. I think she added more flour to keep it a gravy consistancy. Man these are good. Put this gravy on home made biscuits and you have a wonderful country meal. JohnD

RE: Thanks! comment by Me at 2008-01-18 14:59:09
I have been looking for a recipe for chocolate gravy. My daughter is always talking bout her grandma making this when they go camping, and she has been wanting me to make it. I thought it was a joke, but apparently not because here it is and i'm hearing more and more bout it.So thanks again!!!

RE: chocolate gravy and biscuits comment by char at 2008-01-21 12:42:00
my Grandmother used to make this on special occasions, when she passed away my Aunt took over the role. This was on my Father's side. My Mother has tried to make it but didn't have the original recipe-it is still good. I have never heard of using peanut butter but I do love those cup treats so I will have to try it sometime. Thanks for a walk down memory lane!

RE: One more thing . . . comment by Josh at 2008-01-21 13:26:12
I'm in the process of making this for breakfast . . . er, lunch. One thing I neglected to mention is that you should keep the milk handy. As you make the gravy the moisture evaporates and you sometimes need to keep adding milk. Today's batch required about a cup of milk, FYI.

RE: Thanks! comment by Ann at 2008-01-23 11:15:09
This is so weird. This morning before we all got down to work some coworkers and I were discussing gravy and I mentioned chocolate gravy, and now here is the recipe. I had never heard of it until I was living in Missouri many years ago. A coworker said that her mother made it and I've been searching ever since.

RE: can't beleive it comment by jan at 2008-01-26 07:59:23
My mom made this when we were little and we put it over panckes.My kids love it. Good on a cold winter morn in MN.

RE: cauliflower???? comment by Crazy Joe at 2008-01-26 18:10:35
...you can't pour this over cauliflower I hope? Else, sounds tasty...

RE: Choclate Gravy comment by Angel at 2008-01-27 13:05:00
Thanks for the recipe!A friend and I are always trying new recipes on each others families I think this one will be a winner and a keeper again thanks

RE: choco gravy comment by Jimmy James at 2008-02-27 09:36:31
My mother used to make this for us as youngins, only we put the peanut butter and chocolate gravy on pancakes......nothin better to start a day of wood cutting on a cold winter's day than this amazing breakfast!! It kept me going from 5 am until lunch came around at noon without any lack of energy or hunger pangs! Thanks for posting this....my lady friend didn't believe me when I told her about this wonder culinery delight, so now I can fix it for her and she too can know breckfast bliss....

Comment on this article:

author bio

Josh Gunn

Occupation: Author, University Professor
Specialty: Southern Cuisine, Bachelor Food
Education: George Washington University, University of Minnesota
Lives: Austin, Texas

Weekly Column: Bachelor Chow
::read full bio::