I was at a friend’s house recently and these delightful biscuits were served with the meal. I enjoyed them so much I had to have the recipe. They are really so simple to make! Serve them slathered with butter or enjoy them with fresh fruit and ice cream as a shortcake-style dessert.

 

Ingredients

2 cups (10 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

¼ cup additional heavy cream

Instructions

Bake the biscuits immediately after cutting them; letting them stand for any length of time can decrease the leavening power and prevent the biscuits from rising in the oven.

 

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

  1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 ¼ cups of the cream and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to the countertop, leaving all dry, floury bits behind in the bowl.

  1. In 1 tablespoon increments, add up to ¼ cup additional heavy cream to the dry bits left in the bowl, mixing with a wooden spoon after each addition, until moistened. Add these moistened bits to the rest of the dough and knead by hand just until smooth, about 30 seconds.

  1. Cut the biscuits into rounds or wedges. Place the biscuits on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Variations:

Cream Biscuits with Fresh Herbs – Follow the recipe, whisking in 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs into the flour along with sugar, baking powder and salt.

Cream Biscuits with Cheddar Cheese – Follow the recipe, stirring 2 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into ¼ inch pieces (½ cup) into the flour along with sugar, baking powder and salt. Increase the baking time to 18 minutes.

 

Makes 8 biscuits.