Buttermilk Biscuits

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Nothing offers both comfort and immediate gratification quite like a freshly baked biscuit. From measuring out the flour to savoring that first buttery nibble, biscuits take no more than 30 minutes. They make a perfect quick side dish to almost any meal.

The key to ultra-tender biscuits is not overworking the dough. Start with chilled butter and work it into the flour quickly so that it doesn't have time to melt. You're going for a crumbly consistency with bits of butter no larger than the size of peas.

When it comes time to pour in the buttermilk, be gentle with the dough. Stir only until all the buttermilk is absorbed and the dough comes together in a shaggy mass. It's OK if the dough is a little sticky. In fact, a wet dough will make lighter and flakier biscuits.

Biscuits are delicious eaten straight off the baking sheet. They only need a sliver of cheese or a spoonful of jam to enhance them. If you want something more substantial, think about serving biscuits with baked beans or transforming them into a dessert with fruit and whipped cream.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Makes 8-10 biscuits.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

4 ounces (8 tablespoons/1 stick) unsalted butter, cold

1 cup buttermilk, plus extra for brushing

Preheat oven to 425-degrees F.

Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Cut the butter into 16 pieces and toss them in the flour. Using a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers, work the butter into the flour until only pea-sized pieces remain (alternatively, pulse 10-12 times in a food processor).

Stir in the buttermilk using a spatula, folding gently until all the buttermilk has been absorbed and shaggy dough is formed. Try not to overwork the dough at this point. Sprinkle the counter lightly with flour and turn the dough out on top. Sprinkle a little more flour over the dough and pat it into a disk roughly 1 inch thick. Use a round metal cutter to cut biscuits from the dough. Reshape the scraps to cut more biscuits.

Space the biscuits two inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Brush the tops with reserved buttermilk. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature. Leftover biscuits will keep for several days and are best when sliced and toasted.

30-MINUTE STOVETOP "BAKED" BEANS

Serves 4-6.

3 slices bacon, diced

1 medium onion, diced small

2 15-ounce cans white beans, like cannellini or great northern

3 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup

Salt and pepper as needed

1 recipe Buttermilk Biscuits (above)

Fry the bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until most of its fat is rendered. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel and discard all but one teaspoon of the bacon fat. Add the onions and cook until they begin turning translucent.

Add the beans with their liquid, the reserved bacon, and the remaining sauce ingredients to the pot. Stir to combine. Let simmer 20-30 minutes on medium-low heat, until the sauce has thickened.

While the beans are simmering, assemble and bake the biscuits as described above.

Taste the beans and add salt and pepper as needed. Split the biscuits down the middle, arrange on serving plates, and add a scoop of beans to each. Leftover beans will keep refrigerated for up to a week.

EASY BLACKBERRY SHORTCAKES

Serves 6-8

1 recipe Buttermilk Biscuits (above)

16 ounces frozen blackberries

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided, plus extra for sprinkling

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 cup cold heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare the buttermilk biscuits as described above, sprinkling each biscuit with a little granulated sugar before baking.

To make the sauce, combine blackberries, 1/4 cup of sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon (if using) in a saucepan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, cook until the blackberry juices and sugar melt into a sauce and the blackberries themselves are softened, 12-15 minutes.

Just before serving, whip the cream with the vanilla and remaining tablespoon of sugar with a standing or handheld mixer until it forms stiff peaks. Split the biscuits and fill each with 1/4 cup of blackberry sauce. Add a dollop of whipped cream on the top of each biscuit, and serve any remaining whipped cream alongside.

Serve warm or room temperature. Leftover biscuits and sauce can be stored separately for up to a week.

 

Emma Christensen is a writer for Apartment Therapy: The Kitchn

 

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