Joy the Baker

Buttered Pecan Biscuits

by 68 Comments

buttered pecan biscuits

I’m not sure I know how to meditate.  I don’t sit still and close my eyes.

To me, meditation requires a bowl of flour, a handful of cold cubed butter, buttermilk, and a biscuit cutter.

buttered pecan biscuits

Breaking the butter down into the flour, sugar, and salt helps ease my mind and clear my thoughts.

I can feel the butter soften and the flour transform in fat.  The pinch of nutmeg is subtle but fragrant, and to me… it just feels sublime.

buttered pecan biscuits

Buttermilk is part of the meditation too.  Of course it is.  I love the smell of buttermilk. It’s promising… with character.  There’s peace in that.

There’s also the clear moment of cracking an egg against a hard surface once, with conviction.

Bourbon is a meditation in itself especially when combined with vanilla beans and transformed into extract.

The standing and mixing, patting and rolling, slicing, brushing, and baking…. totally my jam, my meditation, my 2nd breakfast.

Now let’s add buttered pecans.

buttered pecan biscuits

Buttered pecans are just as easy as you’d want them to be.

Pecans are roasted until fragrant.  Butter is melted.  Pecans and butter brown together over a low flame.  Add a dash of salt and huzzah!  Buttered Pecans.  Pecans buttered.

buttered pecan biscuits

Cold butter flakes combined with flour and sugar, baking powder and baking soda… you know the drill.

Buttermilk, buttered pecans, and homemade (extra bourbon-y) vanilla extract.  It’s all a very good situation.

buttered pecan biscuits

The biscuit dough is shaggy.  We have it just where we want it.  Cold butter bits.  Lots of nuts.  Moist (not wet) dough.

The dough is formed into a disk, about 1-inch thick, and biscuits are cut into rounds.

buttered pecan biscuits

These little dough treats are brushed with buttermilk and sprinkled with an aggressive amount of turbinado sugar.

buttered pecan biscuits

Golden brown, tender, flakey, and fluffy.  Just how we want our biscuits.

These biscuits are on the sweet side, but also balanced with salt and earthy nuts.  The brown butter adds a dreamy depth to this biscuits.  I like these biscuits paired with butter, cherry jam, and a few slices of ham.

I love you more than biscuits.

Buttered Pecan Biscuits

makes about 10 biscuits

Print this Recipe!

1 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

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

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing the biscuits

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

turbinado or granulated sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place pecan pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

In a medium saute pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add pecans and stir to toast until butter is lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before incorporating into the dough.

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and sugar.  Cut in butter (using your fingers or a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Work the butter into the dry ingredients until some of the butter flakes are the size of peas and some are the size of oat flakes.    In another bowl, combine egg, milk, and vanilla extract and beat lightly with a fork.  Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough.  Fold in the buttered pecans.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 10 times.  Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness.  Cut into 2-inch rounds using a round 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.  Brush lightly with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.   Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Serve warm.  Biscuits are best the day they’re made, and though they can be frozen and lightly reheated in the oven if you need a future treat.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Prissy

    Call me late to the party! Man, these look so good I’m afraid to make them because I’ll eat them all. But I’m going to anyway since I too need to meditate!

    Reply

  2. Ginger

    I work at a B&B and these have become my signature baked good. I cut these out in a diamond shape and call them buttered pecan scones. I make a vanilla butter sauce to pour over them, instead of sugar on top. Sometimes I leave them plain and serve with herb butter for those who prefer savory. These are very versatile!

    Reply

  3. Regan

    Can I make the dough the night before and pop ’em in the oven in the morning? I assume that would be ok, but wouldn’t want to ruin these delicious little morsels!

    Reply

  6. Koko

    Thank you, Joy! I made them yesterday and they smelled good out of the oven! When I tasted them this morning, I noticed a strong flavor of baking powder and/or baking soda. Do you have any suggestions how to eliminate the flavor? Thank you!!!

    Reply

  7. Erin

    These were beyond amazing! I used half whole-wheat flour and it just contributed to the nuttiness factor of roasted pecans. Thanks Joy :)

    Reply

  14. heather

    These biscuits were delicious! The house smelled amazing as soon as I put the pecans in the oven. We couldn’t wait to eat the final product and were not disappointed! Wonderful!

    Reply

  15. Jen

    made these last night and, oh my are they delicious! the buttered pecans made all the difference! thanks for another wonderful recipe Joy!

    Reply

  18. Long Distance Baking

    The perfect post! Your descriptions of flavors were spot on and now I’ve been craving butter pecan ice cream all day. I almost went out to the store JUST for pecans because I felt such an intense urge. Will be making these for sure!

    Reply

  21. Gry

    everything is better with butter – also pecans…;)
    Thanks for the recipe, looking forward to try it! Also, I’ll try to make vanilla extract with bourbon, sounds almost too good to be true!

    Reply

  23. Patricia

    Just made these this morning! As if the pecans and browned butter weren’t warm and comforting enough, I went ahead and added in some maple syrup to the pecans and a bit of cinnamon as well. At that point there was no turning back, so I drizzled the leftover maple browned butter over the top of the warm biscuits. Thanks for the inspiration, Joy!

    Reply

  24. Elisabeth

    As much as I love a good biscuit, I’d love to try these in scone form. Joy I’m so sad you’re leaving LA! Who will show me the great places to eat and where to get the best fake tan?

    Lol if you’re dying to do a Disneyland trip before you leave, let me know and I’ll get you some tickets! I hope the packing is going ok.

    Reply

  28. brianne

    we have the same meditation style. nothing calms me more than cutting butter into flour. you absolutely nailed this post. loved it!

    Reply

  31. Lauren

    How you manage to pack and post is beyond me, let alone bring a few moments of peace into my day. Just know that from a chilly, cloudy, and very snowy New England, I am grateful.

    Reply

  34. Amberlee

    Joy,
    I would eat biscuits 3 times a day if possible. Yum! Unfortunately, gluten isn’t my pal. Do you know of any gf biscuit recipes?

    Love,
    Hangry for Biscuits

    Reply

  35. Taylor

    These look delicious! I’m just grateful I have all of those things in my house at the moment because that’s what I’ll be doing instead of working out tonight. I feel the same way about meditation. I’m not the type of person to calm down to the point of meditation (if I do, that means I’m actually just sleeping), but when I’m stressed or need something calming, I turn to baking. I love putting all my energy and thinking into that simple act of creating food.

    xoxo
    Taylor

    http://www.welcomehometaylor.com

    Reply

  36. Lucy

    Love the sensuality in this post…who knew making biscuits could be relaxing and sexy at the same time lol! I never thought about biscuit-making as a form of meditation since it’s usually for me just a quick way to feed some hungry mouths. Love this recipe with the buttered pecans and turbinado sugar…

    Reply

  38. Taylor

    Oh my! You had me at butteer, buttermilk, and biscuits. And then you just had to throw in pecans and vanilla! Are you trying to torture me at my desk job this morning?? *sigh* But, I have printed this off and will be making it this weekend with some homemade jam. I moved to NOLA about 2 years ago and have found soo many great restaurants! We try to find/try a new one every two weeks or so. If you ever need some ideas, just drop a line! Hope you enjoy NOLA

    Reply

  41. whimsigal

    I have within the last year mastered from-scratch biscuits and would love to try this variation of them! They look absolutely amazing! I may even have all of the necessary ingredients on-hand to do this today!

    Reply

  42. Skye

    Oh yes, there is something about the rituals of baking that is so very, deeply comforting. Better than meditating. And then, at the end of it, you get to eat buttered pecan biscuits.

    Reply

  46. Jessica @ Gas Stove Girl

    I could not be happier that I have all of these ingredients in my house at this moment and these will absolutely be my weekend treat. I have blackberry jam on hand too. My mouth is already watering. Thanks for being a biscuit queen :-)

    Reply

  51. Marie @ Little Kitchie

    One of my favorite posts from you. Just lovely! Waking up on a lazy Saturday morning and making biscuits is my version of therapy. Also, why have I only made vanilla extract with vodka until now?! Bourbon is happening ASAP.

    Reply

  52. Mor Tina

    Hello and a lovely day!

    I understand your form for meditation, your photos makes baking look like a love.
    You are a nature talent we only meet few of in a lifetime.
    Enjoy your meditation:-)

    My daughters meditation is her different art, also bakingart, cakeart.
    My meditation is my farm, natur, animals…………

    Have the best day ever:-)
    Tina
    http://www.mariahoffbeck.blogspot.com

    Reply

    • renee

      biscuits are actually an American derivative of the original Scottish scone (both of which could be sweet or savory)… so I would call these biscuits!

      Reply

      • Darryl Snow

        biscuits are actually not derived from scones but from ships biscuits, and are unleavened. scones have just been confusingly renamed in america. whatever you call them, these are still scones.

        Reply

  62. Sharon

    Sublime writing … just sublime. You’re a wordsmith extraordinaire Joy. You made me meditate whilst I was reading it! Many thanks.

    Reply

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