Recipe: Buttermilk Biscuits

Ever have one of those Saturdays when you run out of all your standard kid entertainment ideas by 9 o’clock? On mornings like that, after the matchbox cars, play-doh, and--let’s be honest--cartoon(s) of choice, have lost their shiny appeal, my next go-to is baking. My little guy loves helping, and I love doing something with him that doesn’t involve making “vroom noises” or telling Swiper to stop swiping Dora’s backpack.

(Wasting a little flour is worth letting him get his fill of measuring and mixing with his own bowl.)

As someone who grew up on Bisquick, I never really knew how divine biscuits could be. This recipe is the best one I’ve ever made, and it’s basically as easy as a mix.

A couple tips:

• If you’re cooking for a bigger crowd, the recipe doubles well.
• These are best served hot out of the oven, but do freeze well. Just pop in the oven at 350 for a few minutes.
• I cut my biscuits into squares rather than circles. It requires less dough handling, which means a more tender end result.
• I always make my biscuits small. They seem to rise better (and I can eat six instead of two).
• I love these served with any type of soup, salad, or as little sandwiches with ham and cheese.

Recipe adapted The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast, Easy, Fresh

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, cold (half a stick)
1 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Cut the butter into small pieces. Add to the bowl and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal with pea-size or smaller pieces of butter. Pour in the buttermilk and stir until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle about an inch thick. Use a large sharp knife to cut the dough into little squares. Put the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet and brush the tops with buttermilk. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 18-20 small biscuits.

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