Lesley Riley is the face and talent behind Mama's Biscuit, and is often known as "the biscuit darling." Since childhood, the former restaurateur and Pennsylvania native has loved the joy that baking and cooking brings. Like most culinarians of our day, her passion stems from watching her beloved grandmother in the kitchen, and now she's sharing that same joy with the world.

Through Mama's Biscuits, Riley offers what is said to be America's first gourmet biscuits. It's the only all-natural, clean-label, ready-to-eat biscuit made with real dairy and real butter—and it's sold nationally in retailers like Walmart, Target, and Kroger. 

"I have a long history and a love for food that dates back to my childhood," Riley shares. "Most people don't know I am a former restaurateur; in the early 2000s, I owned my own upscale restaurant in North Carolina."

Mama's Biscuits owner Lesley Riley. Image: Catherine Ray Photography.

Today, Riley and Mama's Biscuits is also helping to champion the next generation of culinary talent. Through her incubator program—in partnership with Hagerstown Community College—she's able to mentor upcoming food and beverage start-ups.

"Mama’s Biscuits Culinary Incubator offers hourly space use of a commercial kitchen, on-site mentorship, business development, financial investment and other support to entrepreneurs producing food and beverage packaged goods. Every entrepreneur is matched with 4 different industry experts that mentor and coach while in the program. The Culinary Incubator currently mentors 15 food and beverage product owners, leveraging the commercial kitchen and mentorship to develop sustainable products consumers will value, generationally," she shares.

What truly makes the biscuit brand unique, is Riley's creativity when it comes to the flavors offered. Most people typically think of biscuits in the traditional sense, but she's taken things next level.

"My favorites are the shrimp and grit, Maryland strong (crab and beer based), and cherry blossom. However, cherry blossom is my all-time favorite. It's made with dark maraschino cherries, a special cherry tea, cherry cordial, and topped with a goat cheese-cheese cream icing."

If your mouth is watering, the biscuit genius even took time to share her easy-to-follow S'mores biscuits recipe, which she says is also perfect for kids to make. Check out the recipe below.

Mama’s Easy S'more Biscuits

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Image: Courtesy of Mama Biscuits.

Mama’s Easy S'more Biscuits

  • 2 cups Self-Rising Flour
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons white sugar
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup Hershey’s milk chocolate chips
  • ½ cup mini marshmallows
  • ½ cup crushed graham crackers
  1. Heat oven to 400°F.
  2. Combine in a medium bowl, the Self-Rising Flour and unsalted butter.
  3. Use a fork or pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour mixture until it is crumbly.
  4. Stir in sugar, heresy’s milk chocolate chips, marshmallows, and crushed graham crackers. Use a fork to toss and ensure everything is well coated with the flour/butter mixture.
  5. Add buttermilk and lightly mix until everything is coated. Let dough sit for 5 minutes.
  6. Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently 8-10 times, pat out to ½ thickness. Cut dough with a biscuit cutter (if you do not have a biscuit cutter, you can make drop biscuits by scoping them out with a spoon and dropping them onto a baking sheet).
  7. Place cut biscuits on ungreased baking sheet barely touching.
  8. Bake18 minutes or until golden brown.
  9. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cooled add additional marshmallows on top of biscuits. Use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows. Add additional heresy’s chocolate chips or heresy’s milk chocolate squares to finish.

Honey Maid Graham Crackers

Price: $5

Hershey's Milk Chocolate Baking Chips

Price: $3

King Arthur Self-Rising Flour

Price: $7

Kraft Jet-Puffed Mini Marshmallows

Price: $3