Mile-High Buttermilk Biscuits

Tags

biscuits, bread, butter, buttermilk, Cook's Illustrated

I love biscuits and scones. There’s something about butter and flour being mixed into a fluffy, tender baked good that is just divine. Now I’ve made other biscuits before (including pumpkin of course!), and those were awesome, too, but I just can’t help but try new recipes. These are relatively simple as far as biscuits go, though being a Cook’s Illustrated recipe they do have some additional steps. They’re essentially drop biscuits, and they kind of bake up like pull-apart rolls.The results are nothing short of biscuit perfection. They’re light and delicious and were the perfect choice to bake up while my weeknight bolognese cooked on the stove. If you’re like me, constantly looking for new biscuit (or any bread) recipes, give this a try. You won’t be disappointed!One Year Ago: Pizza Dough and Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Mile-High Buttermilk Biscuits
Yield: 12 biscuits

Dough
2 cups (10-ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1½ cups low-fat buttermilk

For Shaping and Finishing
1 cup (5-ounces) all-purpose flour, distributed on a rimmed baking sheet
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan and the inside and outside of a ¼ cup measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the dough: In a food processor bowl fitted with the metal blade, add the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda; pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter, dispersing evenly over the dry ingredients, then pulse 8 to 10 times, or until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Pour the flour-butter mixture into a large bowl; add the buttermilk and stir with a rubber spatula just until everything is incorporated. The dough will be wet, sticky, and somewhat lumpy.

To form the biscuits: Use the prepared ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop level ¼ cup mounds of dough, then drop them into the flour on the baking sheet. Continue until all the dough has been scooped (there should be 12 mounds). Use some of the flour from the baking sheet to dust the top of each mound. Flour your hands, then, one at a time, pick up each piece of dough and gently shape it into a rough ball, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Shake off the excess flour and place in the prepared cake pan. Repeat with the remaining mounds of dough, fitting 9 biscuits around the outer edge of the pan and 3 in the middle.

Gently brush the top of each biscuit with the melted butter. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and continue baking for another 13 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are deep golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let the biscuits cool for 2 minutes, then invert them onto a clean kitchen towel. Flip the biscuits over and break them apart. Allow to cool 5 minutes longer before serving. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container and reheat at 475 degrees F for 5 to 7 minutes.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated via Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

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Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Tags

blueberry, buttermilk, cake, lemon, muffins

Breakfast. Cake. Could life be any better? 🙂 This is the best excuse ever to eat cake for breakfast! I mean, it’s all right there in the title… If it makes you feel any better, it’s like eating a blueberry muffin. It’s just cut into squares like cake. And has a tender crumb, like cake. But it’s not overly sweet like cake, so therefore it’s a perfect breakfast cake or snack cake. Sorry, I just said cake so many times! This is really delicious, though. Plump blueberries bursting in every bite, with a slight tang from the lemon and buttermilk. So good, and such a pretty breakfast cake. 🙂 Hurry and take advantage while blueberries are still in season!

One Year Ago: Skillet Lasagna and Garlic Rice Pilaf

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

½ cup butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon zest
¾ cup + 1 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×9-inch pan with cooking spray; set aside. Toss the blueberries with ¼ cup flour; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter, lemon zest and ¾ cup sugar together; beat until creamy and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat just until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined, then gently fold in the blueberries and any loose flour. Batter will be thick.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Source: Slightly adapted from Life as a Lofthouse