Sugar High. Nicole Hampton
BISCUITS
These biscuits are everything. Make them as a side for dinner, make them to pair with gravy, and make them just to munch on. Biscuits are so much easier to make than I thought they were, and they are so worth every minute of effort!
MAKES ABOUT 16 BISCUITS
4 cups all-purpose flour2 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons baking powder2 teaspoons salt
1 cup shortening chilled and cubed11⁄2 cups chilled buttermilk4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut in the shortening until the mixture has small, pea-sized chunks of shortening throughout. Stir in the buttermilk until a dough begins to form.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently until the dough comes together completely, being careful not to overwork it. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a long rectangle, and then fold it into thirds. Roll it out into a rectangle again, about 3⁄4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can. You can re-knead, fold, and cut the dough scraps once, but any more than that will compromise the texture of your biscuits. Place the biscuits onto your baking sheets, spacing them evenly.
Chill the biscuits in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Don’t skip this step! Try as we might, most people (myself included) overwork biscuit dough. A rest period in the refrigerator helps everything go back to the right temperature for baking. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Brush the tops of the biscuits generously with the melted butter, and bake until risen and just golden on top, 13 to 15 minutes. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
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BISCUITS, SCONES, MUFFINS & QUICK BREADS
These bacon-, cheese-, and herb-flecked biscuits are hearty and savory, and they make a great breakfast. You can use whatever kind of hard, shreddable cheese that you prefer, but cheddar really shines in this recipe.
MAKES 10 TO 12 BISCUITS
2 cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon sugar3 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon salt
1
⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs of your choice
1⁄2 cup shortening chilled and cubed1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons crumbled cooked bacon
3⁄4 cup buttermilkMilk Coarse sea salt
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick mat. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper, and herbs. With a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut in the shortening until the mixture has small, pea-sized chunks of shortening throughout. Stir in the cheese and bacon. Stir in the buttermilk until just combined.
Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface. Pat the dough into a square about 1⁄2 inch thick. Using a large knife, cut the dough into 10 to 12 square biscuits, and place onto your baking sheet. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle coarse sea salt over the top. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top, 13 to 15 minutes. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
CHEDDAR, BACON & HERB BISCUITS
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BISCUITS, SCONES, MUFFINS & QUICK BREADS
If you read my blog, you may have noticed that I’m kind of into caramelized onions. And roasted garlic is the little sister to caramelized onions.
Throw them together in a biscuit, and you’ve got something beautiful.
MAKES 16 BISCUITS
FOR THE ROASTED GARLIC1 large head garlic
1⁄2 teaspoon olive oilFOR THE CARAMELIZED ONIONS
3⁄4 cup diced onion1 tablespoon olive oil1 teaspoon sugar
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
1
⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE BISCUITS4 cups all-purpose flour2 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons baking powder1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon dried oregano
1
⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1
⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
1
⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
3⁄4 cup shortening chilled and cubed11⁄2 cups chilled buttermilk4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the roasted garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut off the top of the head of garlic to expose most of the tops of the cloves in the head. Place the garlic, cut-side up, in a square of foil, and begin to wrap the foil around the head of garlic, leaving the top open. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the garlic. Close the foil around the top completely. Place in the oven, and bake until the garlic is golden and soft when you stick a fork into it, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely. Working over a cutting board, turn the head of garlic upside down, and squeeze the cloves out of it, turning while you do so to get all of the cloves out. Use a fork to pick out any that don’t fall out on their own. Smash the garlic cloves into a paste using the fork—it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.
For the caramelized onions: In a small skillet over medium-high heat, stir together the diced onion, olive oil, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has caramelized on all sides and has cooked down to about 1⁄4 cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes.
For the biscuits: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick mats. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, oregano, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut in the shortening and the reserved roasted garlic and onions until the
ROASTED GARLIC & CARAMELIZED ONIONBISCUITS
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BISCUITS, SCONES, MUFFINS & QUICK BREADS
mixture has small, pea-sized chunks of shortening throughout. Stir in the buttermilk until a dough begins to form. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently until the dough comes together completely, being careful not to overwork it.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a long rectangle, and then fold it into thirds. Roll it out into a rectangle again, about 3⁄4 inch thick, straightening the edges. Using a large knife, cut into 16 even pieces. Place the dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them evenly. Chill the biscuits in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to rest the dough. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Brush the tops of the biscuits generously with the melted butter and bake until risen and just golden on top, 13 to 15 minutes. Enjoy warm.