Southern-style biscuits are one of my go-to comfort foods. I make them regularly for weekend breakfasts and quick dinner side dishes, and there’s almost always a bag of them in my freezer. I don’t even need to look at the recipes anymore—I know the proportions, methods, times and temperatures by heart. Yep, I’m a biscuit gal, just like my grandma.
All that said, I’ve never really gotten on the drop biscuit train. I guess I thought they were cheating or something—the ingredients and mixing methods are nearly identical, but you don’t have to pat and cut anything, instead scooping the sticky dough directly onto a pan before baking. I suppose that without dirtying a surface or doing extra work I assumed that they were a slightly-less-good version of the “real deal.” But I was wrong. So, so wrong.
Turns out, drop biscuits are their own thing entirely. They’re fluffy and tender instead of flaky and layered, and they have these extra crispy-crunchy exteriors with which I am now fully obsessed. And the recipe works with both whole milk and buttermilk, and (!) I don’t have to scrape an invisible layer of butter and flour off of my countertop every time I make a batch. Drop biscuits, where have you been all my life???
I won’t lie to you: drop biscuits are not a traditionally beautiful food. They’re scraggly, craggy and have slightly wonky shapes, regardless of whether you use a cookie scoop, a spoon or your hands to dole out dough. They’re super delicious, just a little ugly. Or at least they are until you give them a glossy coat of salty-sweet honey butter.
Ohhh yes.
Honey Butter Drop Biscuits
makes 10-11 medium-large biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into cubes
1 cup whole milk or buttermilk, very cold
Honey Butter:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add chilled butter. Using your fingertips (not your palms!) or a pastry blender, cut cold butter into flour mixture until it is roughly the size of peas.
Pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk. Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a sticky, shaggy dough forms.
Scoop dough by the 1/4 cup and drop biscuits a couple inches apart on the prepared pan. Bake biscuits for 12-14 minutes, until they have puffed and are starting to brown.
Make the honey butter. In a small bowl, combine butter, honey and salt. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring between, until melted together. Brush onto warm biscuits. Serve.
Biscuits are best the day they are made. Leftovers may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days. Biscuits without honey butter may be frozen for up to 3 months.
e2 bakes brooklyn 