Joy the Baker » biscuits

Caramelized Mushrooms and Dumplings

joythebaker — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:50:52 +0000

It seems as though… if you put biscuits on it… someone will profess their love to you.

It’s a strange phenomenon. It’s totally true.

Put biscuits on it… people will fall in love with you on the quick.

We’re dealing in comfort food here.

It’s like a food hug.

Get into it!

Everything good starts with biscuits.

These biscuits are studded with black pepper and chopped chives.

Butter and buttermilk make these biscuits my go-to biscuit situation.

Nothing is more perfect.

Little bitty cremini mushrooms are the meaty element to this vegetarian dish. They get caramelized with olive oil and butter and turn out robust and flavorful. Simple food is good food.

Sliced carrots, diced sweet potatoes, and frozen peas.

We’re going to add dried thyme too.

Onions and garlic meet caramelized mushrooms and sweet potatoes.

We’re going to toss in flour and mushroom broth and make a thick gravy.

Gravy and biscuits. I don’t know what more we could possibly want from life.

Caramelized Mushrooms and Dumplings

makes 9 biscuits and 1 8×8-inch dish

Print this Recipe!

For the Mushroom Mixture:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 pound small cremini mushrooms, cleaned and cut into bite size chunks

1 medium purple onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 cups diced sweet potatoes

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups mushroom, vegetable, or chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce

dash of balsamic vinegar (optional)

For the Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (depending on how spicy you like your biscuits)

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 large egg

3/4 cup buttermilk, cold

To make the biscuits:

Start by making the biscuits. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, black pepper, and chopped chives.

Add butter to the dry ingredients. Use your fingers to quickly incorporate the fat into the flour. Break up the butter with your fingers until some of the fat is the size of oat flakes and some of the fat is the size of small pebbles.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg and buttermilk.

Make a small well in the center of the fat and flour mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture. Using a fork, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Try to moisten all of the flour bits with the liquid. Dump the shaggy biscuit dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead together until dough forms a disk about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Use a round, 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut biscuits. Gather the dough scraps, knead for a few turns, and cut out more biscuits until no dough remains. Place biscuits on a small cookie sheet and place in the fridge until ready to bake.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

The make the mushroom filling:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter into olive oil. Add mushrooms in a single layer in the pan and allow to cook, without disturbing, for about 4 minutes. Add a hearty pinch of salt and black pepper. Toss mushrooms every once in a while until softened and golden brown. Remove mushrooms from the pan.

Add a touch more olive oil and sautee onions until softened and transluscent. Add garlic and toss for one minute. Add carrots and sweet potatoes and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, softened the potatoes slightly. Add thyme. Return the mushrooms to the pan. Turn heat to low and add flour. Toss together. Slowly add the broth, stirring constantly until thickened. Add peas.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Worchestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar.

Pour mushroom mixture into 8×8-inch pan. Remove mushrooms from the refrigerator and place 9 biscuits over the filling. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown and cooked through.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Mushrooms and dumplings will last for up to 4 days, well wrapped, in the refrigerator.

Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits

joythebaker — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:18:05 +0000

My hair is in rollers. Like… kickin’ it old school in Velcro rollers.

No one needs to know that besides the 137 of you who read this blog, my cat, and any random person who comes to this blog after Google searching “the most awesome biscuits ever made, for real”.

Ah.. the rollers. It’s amazing how un-cute you have to look to eventually look cute-ish. Boys don’t do this. They just put on cardigans and look hot.

Now… there’s a lot of good news I need to tell you about these biscuits. First: bacon. Second: brown sugar. Third: butter. Fourth: they’re freaking biscuits!!! And fifth: they do not have an un-cute phase. They’re all cute/delicious/freak-out-worthy, from beginning to end.

Do you really need convincing? No. Do I really need these rollers? Um… today? Yes.

I love when baked goods start with salty bacon and brown sugar.

It’s really a good path.

Cold butter is the key to big, fluffy biscuits.

It gets incorporated into the dough with fast fingers.

Sweet and salty bacon is paired with very coarsely crushed black pepper.

Every day needs a bite of spice!

Just mix biscuits with a fork… no biggie.

Try not to sneak all of the bacon bits out of the dough and into your mouth.

I could just stare at this picture all day. It’s like being in love.

These biscuits… besides being completely delicious… are smack dab in the middle of sweet and savory.

You could top them with butter and jam, and feel just right. Or! You could add a fried egg and tomato jam and have a perfectly tasty morning.

It’s up to you. Choose your own bacon biscuit adventure!

Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits

makes about 8 biscuits

For the Bacon:

6 slices of bacon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

coarse ground black pepper

For the Biscuits:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spread bacon across baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with brown sugar and black pepper. Bake until crisp and cooked through, about 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully use tongs to place the hot bacon on a cutting board. Don’t put the bacon on paper towels or they might stick. Ick! Allow to cool until you’re able to handle the slices and chop into medium chunks. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and black pepper. Add cold butter and use your hands to quickly break the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse meal. In another bowl, combine egg and buttermilk and beat lightly with a fork. Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring to incorporate. Once batter is nearly incorporated, add bacon and mix in.

You may want to dump the shaggy biscuit mixture onto a lightly floured board to knead together a few times. Don’t overwork the dough and melt the butter, Just make sure it comes together.

Roll or pat dough into a 1-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds using a biscuit cutter or cut into 2×2-inch squares. Reshape and roll dough to create more biscuits with excess scraps. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Serve biscuits warm with jam or a fried egg.

I love these biscuits the day they are made. They can be kept in the fridge and will last for two days. The shaped, uncooked biscuit can also be frozen. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake up in the morning.

Hot Cross Biscuits

joythebaker — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 07:36:31 +0000

It’s that time of year.

It’s time to put a marshmallow Peep in your hat.

It’s time to pipe a cross on your biscuit.

It’s time to eat way way way too many white chocolate Easter bunnies.

Or maybe you gave up sugar for Lent… in which case… I’m sorry to torture you with dessert everyday. I’m sorry.

Hot Cross Buns are traditional this time of year.

These are not Hot Cross Buns.

These are the totally lazy version of Hot Cross Buns.

Hot Cross Buns are traditionally and English Spring/Easter time treat.

They’re yeasted and spiced and adorned with a frosting cross. They’re usually served on Good Friday. They’re always always delicious.

I don’t do well with rules.

I turned buns into biscuits, added currants and lemon zest, and added a cream cheese frosting cross.

Jesus would totally be down. I’m almost certain.

… and I love when things turn into a pretty pretty mess.

… Like my kitten, he’s a pretty mess too (picture not included).

I like this.

These biscuits are subtly sweet, filled with sweet and tender dried currants, and have a hint of citrus flavor. If you’re tempted to have a heavy hand with the cream cheese frosting… we must be related. I like you.

Hot Cross Biscuits

Makes 8 to 12 biscuits (depending on how thick you like them. I made 8.)

Print this Recipe!

For the Biscuits:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

3/4 cup buttermilk, cold

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 cup dried currants

For the Frosting:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

dash of vanilla extract

Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add lemon zest. Add cold butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture. Work quickly to incorporate the butter into the flour. The butter bits will be the size of small pebbles and oat flakes.

Whisk together egg and buttermilk.

Toss the dried currants into the dry ingredient mixture, and create a small well in the center of the flour and butter mixture. Pour in the buttermilk, all at once, and use a fork to incorporate the ingredients. Make sure that all of the flour bits are moistened by the egg and buttermilk.

Dump the shaggy dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Bring together, kneading lightly, until the dough forms a 1-inch thick disk. Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut biscuit circles. Place on the baking sheet. Gently knead the remaining dough scraps together. Form into a 1-inch thick disk and cut out more round biscuits until no dough remains.

Brush biscuit tops with buttermilk and baker for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned on top and firm-ish in the center.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting with a cross.

In a medium bowl, using a firm spatula, blend together 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons cream cheese, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Add just a dash of vanilla extract and a sprinkle of cinnamon if you’d like. Mixture will be thick.

Cut a small tip off of a zip lock bag (you can also use a small round cake decorating tip). Fold down the sides of the bag and scoop the frosting into the bag. Pipe crosses onto completely cooked biscuits and serve.

Biscuits are best served the day they are made, but will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for one day.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Goat Cheese Biscuits

joythebaker — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 05:14:32 +0000

Soup is my favorite thing to make.

If I could have been a professional soup maker instead of a professional baker… this blog would have been called something.. well, you know.

I love making soup.

I just stand in front of the stove and stir. And stir. And stir. And completely space out. Stir again. Think some thoughts. Stir. Taste. Stir.

It’s the best. It’s like taking too long a shower and accidentally washing you hair three and a half times.

Soup is best with biscuits. Really.. I’ll find any excuse to put a biscuit in my face.

These biscuits are made with both butter and goat cheese. Goat cheese!! In the dang biscuit!

The result is a tender, slightly tangy, dream boat biscuit situation.

These are the best drop biscuits to ever happen, anywhere… ever.

They’re so easy. Make them. You’ll understand.

Let me tell you about this soup.

It’s called Curried Sweet Potato Soup, but it’s not really curry-y. It’s packed with some really lovely flavors: coriander, cumin and ginger… and of course loads of sweet potato. Goat cheese crumbles on top really balance out the whole bowl.

This soup and biscuit combination is absolutely one of my favorite fall discoveries. It’s so warm, flavorful and delicious. Please make it happen in your kitchen.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

serves 6 to 8

Print this Recipe!

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

6 cups chicken broth, or slightly more as needed.

salt and pepper to taste

6 to 8 teaspoons goat cheese

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until the onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red pepper flakes. Add the sweet potatoes and broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup, in batches in a blender or food processor. Season to taste. The soup can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Reheat over a low flame. If the soup is too thick, add a little more stock.

Ladle into bowls and crumble goat cheese on top.

Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

makes about 9 biscuits

adapted slightly from Art Smith’s Table Fifty-Two

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the pan

2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted to top the biscuits

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup buttermilk

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat as well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With your fingers incorporate the butter and goat cheese until the flour resembles a coarse, pebbly mixture. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. With a fork, mix together the buttermilk and flour until all of the dry flour disappears.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan or in the microwave. Set aside.

Remove the cast iron from the oven and place one tablespoon of butter in it. Work the pat of butter around, greasing the entire pan, including the sides.

Spoon the batter, by the 1/4-cup into the hot skillet. I used a big scooper to do the job. The biscuits will touch when baked… that’s ok.

Brush with melted butter.

Bake for 14-16 minutes, until slightly golden in color. Remove from the oven. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits

joythebaker — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:11:05 +0000

It’s Friday. I know you weren’t expecting this, but it’s time for a Pop Quiz.

Don’t worry. If you’ve done the reading this should be easy… (I hated when teachers would say that to me).

Pop Quiz

1) True or False: The joining of chocolate and coffee is like a cosmic combination of all that is good, just, and rock and roll in the universe.

2) Fill in the Blank: Breakfast is the most _________________ .

3) Multiple Choice: The best choice for this weekend’s breakfast treat is:

a) stale Cheerios.

b) Gerard Butler and hot fudge sauce.

c) breakfast sandwiches made on Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits.

Now… here are the answers:

1) True….. duh! 2) Breakfast is the most important meal that ever was. 3) c… if and only if b is unavailable.

Perfect score? We’re best friends. Take note.

Breakfast. Be still my heart. I love you breakfast.

The combination of cheddar with buttery biscuits is divine. Add a little kick of black pepper and holy yum! These biscuits are made with both all-purpose and whole wheat flour. I like the nuttiness of whole wheat flour. Now you know. The combination results in a dense but buttery and delicious biscuit. They’re the perfect holder of turkey bacon and a fried egg. Make a sandwich. Dooooo it!

Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits

makes 10 to 12 biscuits

Print this Recipe!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour (use all-purpose if you don’t have whole wheat)

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening, cold and cut into cubes

1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup buttermilk, cold

3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

a touch of heavy cream and black pepper for topping the biscuits before baking

In a mixing bowl, sift together flours, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cheddar and black pepper and toss to combine. In another bowl, combine egg and milk and beat lightly with a fork. Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times. Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds using a biscuit cutter or cut into 2×2-inch squares. Reshape and roll dough to create more biscuits with excess scraps. Brush tops with a bit of heavy cream and a sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately with softened butter or top with bacon and a fried egg as breakfast sandwiches.

Dad’s Buttermilk Biscuits

joythebaker — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:08:28 +0000

On losing, letting go of little sisters, and warm biscuits:

We never talked about this. I didn’t know how to bring it up. The 2009 Bloggies. Remember? Best New Blog? So… I sorta…. kinda…. mostly… didn’t win. The thing is, I really really wanted to win. I did. I played it cool though. On the outside, I pretended to not care either way. That was a big fat lie. But the thing about losing… it’s pretty cool actually… it makes me want to be better. It also makes me unbelievably grateful for all of your smiling faces. Fact.

I found myself in a frenzy this morning. My little sister left for a many month long European adventure. The thought of her being so far away that I can’t easily call her at two in the morning to scream our favorite Mariah Carey song at her sent me into panic mode. I calmed myself, safe in the knowledge that my sister deserved some life changing adventures and I am due many presents from far away lands upon her return.

Biscuits. If I were to hand you a warm biscuit with raspberry jam would you: a) throw it on the ground and shove me on the floor or b) thank me kindly, gobble the biscuit and give me a giant hug? If your answer involved shoving me on the floor… well, that’s kinda funny, but throwning biscuits on the floor is just plain rude. Don’t do it.

These Buttermilk Buiscuits… well, they must be blessed by the heavens. I don’t think there’s any other way to explain just how good they are. They’re best right out of the oven, steaming hot, doused with butter and jam.

My dad has been making this recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits for our family for, exactly, ever. Incedentially, my sister has been swiping them of the table for as long as I can remember. They’re simple family goodness.

Dad’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Print this Recipe!

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening, cold and cut into cubes

1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup buttermilk, cold

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. In another bowl, combine egg and milk and beat lightly with a fork. Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times. Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds using a biscuit cutter or cut into 2×2-inch squares. Reshape and roll dough to create more biscuits with excess scraps. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Giant Paprika Cheddar Drop Biscuits

joythebaker — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:00:09 +0000

Here are a few Monday confessions I feel compelled to get off my chest:

I’ve given up working out for the new year. I don’t wanna do. I’m liable to throw a tantrum about it.

I just bought a vacuum, and I’m too embarrassed to tell you how long I went without one.

I’m secretly seriously competitive. Did you hear? Did you vote?

I don’t use parchment paper when I’m supposed to. At all. I don’t have any good reason for not using it, just a serious mental block.

I don’t like to buy myself fancy kitchen equipment. I’d rather buy shoes. Crazy, right?

I made these Giant Paprika Cheddar Biscuits last week around ten in the morning. By two in the afternoon I had worked my way through a cool four of them.

Again… I’ve given up working out for the new year, which I obviously must feel bad about because here I am mentioning it again. Unfortunately I don’t feel bad enough to lace up my running shoes… sigh… moving on!

About the biscuits: super easy, delicately spiced with sweet paprika from Spain (thank you Rachel!) and dotted with melted cheddar. I measured out each biscuit with a half cup scoop and they were absolutely GIANT! Next time I might try a 1/4-cup of 1/3-cup measuring scoop to dollop out the batter for more reasonable biscuits.

These pretties would be just lovely for breakfast with a fried egg and sliced tomato, or with an equally giant pot of Turkey Chili. You could always just go the Joy the Baker route and plow through four biscuits while standing in your kitchen reading the newest issue of Bon Appetit magazine. You’ve got options, just make these biscuits part of your plan.

Paprika Cheddar Drop Biscuits

adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

Print this Recipe!

makes 8 giant biscuits or 12 smaller biscuits

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, plus more for dusting

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

6 ounces cheddar, finely grated (about 1 cup)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream ( I used 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup sour cream)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. I just greased and floured my baking pan, skipping the paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and paprika. Using a pastry blender, or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course meal with a few larger clumps remaining. Stir in the cheese with a fork.

Add the cream (or milk and sour cream); using a rubber spatula, stir until the dough just comes together. The dough will be slightly sticky; don’t over mix. Using a 1/2-cup measure (for giant biscuits) or a 1/4-cup or 1/3-cup for smaller biscuits, scoop mounds of dough about 1 1/2-inches apart of the prepared baking sheet. Lightly dust with paprika.

Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through baking, until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Slide parchment and biscuits onto a wire rack to cool or let biscuits cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing onto a wire rack with a spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits

joythebaker — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:11:46 +0000

These Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits take me back home. I come from a biscuit loving family. We take our biscuits rather seriously. My Dad makes what he calls Mile High Biscuits. They’re light and buttery, a beautiful golden color, and we always ate them hot with dinner. We were generally a happy family of 4 sitting around the dinner table, sharing a meal, laughing, and talking about our days. Biscuit night was always a different story. On biscuit nights, there was, without a doubt, scandal and conflict.

Why? Well Dad always made a recipe of 12 biscuits. Now let’s do the math- 12 biscuits for 4 people, that’s 3 each. The problem is, no one never ended up with three biscuits. Three words- my little sister. My sister, the biscuit strategist, would cunningly place the biscuit basket at her side of the table, and with great stealth, gather about 8 biscuits for herself over the course of dinner. I must admit, the girl is clever. And with her darling smile and endless charm, she always got away with the lion’s share of biscuits. Always! I’d stomp my feet, outraged, pleading “But Mom…! It’s not fair!” Mom would calmly reply “Joy, who said life was fair? Now eat your broccoli before it gets cold.”At that point, defeated, I usually just ate my one biscuit slowly, while trying to shoot my sister down with the evil eye. Mom was right though- life isn’t always fair, sometimes your sister just gets more biscuits than you, and steamed broccoli once it’s cold, is just wretched.

As always, my Tuesdays are dedicated to Dorie Greenspan, and the Tuesdays with Dorie ladies. This basic biscuit recipe is dressed up with brown sugar, toasted pecans and sour cream. The biscuit is slightly sweeter than a traditional biscuit, and the toasted pecans add a delicious crunch. They will certainly satisfy any biscuit craving. This recipe yielded about 14 biscuits. I ate every single one with strawberry preserves. And that’s fair.

Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits

Print this Recipe!

Dorie Greenspan

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

5 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 10 peices

1/2 cup cold sour cream

1/4 cup cold whole milk

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans, preferably toasted.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Get out a sharp 2-inch diameter biscuit cuter, and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, making certain there are no lumps. Drop in the butter, and using your fingers, toss and coat the pieces of butter with the flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips (my favorite method) or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You’ll have pea sized pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes, and pieces the size of everything in between- and that’s just right.

Stir the sour cream and milk together and pour over the dry ingredients. Grab a fork and gently toss and turn the ingredients together until you’ve got a nice soft dough. Now reach into the bowl with your hands and give the dough a quick gently kneading- 3 or 4 turns should be enough to bring everything together. Toss in the pecans and knead another 2 or 3 times to incorporate them.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough very lightly with flour and pat the dough out with your hands or roll it with a pin until it is about 1/2 inch high. Don’t worry if the dough isn’t ocmpletely even- a quick light touch is more important that accuracy.

Use the biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Try to cut the biscuits close to one another so you get the most out of the first round. By hand, or with a small spatula, transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet. Gather together the scraps, woring them as little as possible, pat out to a 1/2 inch thickness and cut as many additional biscuits as you can; transfer to baking sheet. (The biscuits can be made at this point and frozen on the baking sheed, then wrapped airtight and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting, just add a couple more minutes to the oven time.)

Bake the biscuits for 14-18 minutes, or until they are tall, puffed and golden brown. Transfer them to a serving basket, and serve immediately.