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52 Weeks of Baking: The Best Drop Biscuits

YumSugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:17:44 -0800

I've been out of town for a while and haven't had much time for baking. That's why this week's baking needed to be something wonderfully simple. However, I also wanted it to be Thanksgiving friendly. Luckily, while flipping through the pages of the most recent issue of Cook's Illustrated, I came across this recipe for the "Best" Drop Biscuits. They looked simple, sounded great, and best of all, they could be done in under thirty minutes. The ingredient list is also wonderfully sparse, consisting of just baking staples.

After a few easy steps and a brief encounter with the smoke alarm - the oven is at a toasty 475°F, anything stuck to the bottom of it is probably going to burn a little - I was chowing down on some perfect biscuits. I'm not sure they're the best drop biscuits, but they are pretty darn close. To get the recipe, read more

If buttermilk biscuits are too boring for you, try adding other flavors such as Parmesan cheese, pepper, scallions, mustard seed, etc.

Best Drop Biscuits
From Cook's Illustrated, Nov/Dec 2007

Makes 10-12.

2 cups (10 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp table salt
1 cup cold buttermilk*
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (about 5 minutes)
2 tbsp melted unsalted butter for brushing biscuits

*Note: If you don't have buttermilk, substitute with a mixture of 1 cup cold milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice that has stood for 10 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475F.
In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk and 8 tbsp melted butter, stirring until butter forms small clumps. It looks like it is a mistake, but you are actually looking for those clumps.
Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from the sides of bowl.
Using a greased 1/4 cup dry measure, scoop level amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, spacing biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, about 12-14 minutes.
Brush biscuit tops with remaining 2 tbsp melted butter.
Transfer to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes before serving.

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Biscuits Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:00:41 -0800

You're practically set with your menu for tomorrow. Vegetables chopped? Check. Pumpkin soup made? Check. Turkey brined? Check. Cranberry sauce prepared? Check. Pumpkin pies done? Check. Bread? What about the bread?

Fret not. Here are two recipes for biscuits that turn flaky and golden in less than 15 minutes. With both the beginner drop biscuits and their expert cutout counterparts, the key is to keep the dough cold, and to avoid overworking it. To check out both recipes, read more.

Beginner Biscuits
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups chilled heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add cream, then stir just until a dough forms.
Drop heaping 1/4 cups of batter about 1 inch apart on an ungreased large baking sheet.
Bake in middle of oven until tops are pale golden and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

Makes 12 biscuits.

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Expert Biscuits
From Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, bench flour
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475°F.
Into a bowl, sift together the self-rising flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the buttermilk, cheese, and green onions and, using your hands or a rubber spatula, stir just until the buttermilk and flour come together to form a dough, being careful not to overmix.
Lightly flour a work surface with the all-purpose flour. Turn out the dough onto the surface and press into a disk about 1/2-inch thick and 8 inches in diameter. Using a 3-inch round cutter dusted in flour, cut into rounds. (Be sure to press straight and downward when cutting the dough -- a twisting motion will prevent the dough from rising.)
Reform the scraps in order to make 7 biscuits. Place on a small baking sheet and brush the tops with the melted butter. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 7 biscuits.

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Everybody Must Get Scones

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:15:09 -0700

On a recent trip to my local farmers market, I discovered a bunch of beautiful baskets overflowing with figs. Figs have a quick season, so I knew I had to make something pronto! Rather than bake or poach the fruit as I usually do, I wanted to try something new.

I decided to alter Nicole's strawberry-goat cheese scone recipe with my farmers' market figs. The figs perfectly complemented the subtle flavor of the creamy goat cheese.

I opted for a drop-style biscuit rather than a traditional wedge scone, but regardless of the shape it tasted delicious! To learn how to make these simple and scrumptious scones read more!

Fig & Goat Cheese Scones
Modified from Baking Bites

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into large pieces
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
3/4 cup diced figs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Gently add in butter and toss to coat. Using your finger tips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles very coarse sand.
Add about 1/2 cup milk and goat cheese and stir, adding additional milk if necessary, until dough comes together into a slightly sticky ball.
Mix the figs in gently by hand, lightly kneading the dough to evenly distribute the fruit.
For a drop biscuit-like form, make 2-inch balls of dough, placed on the cookie and flattened to 1-inch thickness. For a more traditional scone shape, place dough on prepared baking sheet and press down into a disc that is about 1-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut dough into 6 triangles. Separate slightly, giving them room to spread, and place pan in the oven.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until scones are light gold on top. Let cool on a wire rack before serving. Scones can be served warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 drop-style scones.

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What's Yummy This Week: YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:21:00 -0800

This week we've really stepped up our Thanksgiving coverage with a Classic Thanksgiving plan and loads more Thanksgiving tips. Figure out what to make, and what to do if too many folks arrive.
Do you know what a turducken is?
Find out which celebrity chef is expecting her first baby.
Would you ever bite into the hottest pepper in the world?
The classic cosmo is making a pomegranate flavored comeback.
Love Thanksgiving? Love chocolate? Then you're going to love these turkey and pilgrim shaped chocolates.
This week I baked the "Best" Drop Biscuits. They'll go great with any meal, but will pair nicely with PartySugar's Mushroom Soup with Blue Cheese Toasts.
If you had the cash, would you pay $25,000 for a frozen hot chocolate?
This week's reader recipe is a simple, but droolworthy Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich.
In honor or National Diabetes Awareness Month, we've compiled a list of cookbooks to help manage diabetes without losing great flavor.
Don't forget! Our YumSugar gift guides start next week!
And finally, you've still got time to enter our Haute Hostess Apron Giveaway!