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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
These little dough treats are brushed with buttermilk and sprinkled with an aggressive amount of turbinado sugar.
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
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.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
These look so dang good joy! I looove pecans!
Kat
” I love you more than biscuits” — sounds like a perfect line for a Valentine’s Day card. :)
Ale
i will try! I love pecan!
http://duecuoriinpadella.blogspot.it/
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.
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
Lily (A Rhubarb Rhapsody)
Oh man, is there any better combination out there? I need that buttery goodness. Just curious where/if the vanilla extract comes into play?
Kezia
Yum! I agree – baking is my meditation too, especially when I’m making familiar recipe. The buttered pecans look out of this world amazing!
Darryl Snow
Looks nice, but they are most definitely scones, not biscuits!
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!
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.
Rachel
Great idea to add pecans… They look scrumptious!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Now this is my idea of a biscuit! That sprinkled sugar on the tops seals the deal :)
Emma Thompson
you could definitely have been a writer in another life
Pernille
Thank you! Just thank you!
Belinda Lo (Moonblush Baker)
The process of rubbing butter in to flour has to be one of best kitchen therapies out there. I am in love with the idea of steeping the pecan in the butter first; I am wanting these right now!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
There’s nothing better than butter + pecans!
Sharon
Sublime writing … just sublime. You’re a wordsmith extraordinaire Joy. You made me meditate whilst I was reading it! Many thanks.