B-Light, Tender Buttermilk Biscuits

By billn3440

Ingredients

• Basic:
• 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps. Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 6 tbs. unsalted butter, frozen solid
• Extra ingredients (for flavor variations)
• 1 cup cold buttermilk (plus a few extra teaspoons, if needed

Preparation

Step 1

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. With fork, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using the large holes on a box grater, coarsely grate butter into the dry ingredients; mix quickly with fingertips to blend evenly. Mix in extra ingredients, if using them. Stir in buttermilk with fork and mix until dough just comes together. If necessary, add extra droplets of buttermilk over any dry patches.
Turn dough out onto floured surface and pat into a thick disk about 6” across. Cut in half with a knife, and then cut each into 5 parts. Pick up each piece and gently, without over handling the dough, shape into a round. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and arrange biscuits in pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 10 --------- calories: 163

Variations:

Brunch: 2 ounces (4 thin slices) prosciutto, finely diced
4 ounces (about 1 cup) extra-sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (green onions)

Add these ingredients where the master recipe calls
Calories: 223

Lunch: 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs. minced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus tsps. Of the oil
½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Briefly sauté garlic into tomato oil in a small skillet. Scrape garlic into spinach; add tomatoes and feta, and mix with fingertips. Add where master recipe calls. Calories: 197

Dinner: 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs. each chopped fresh dill and tarragon
¼ cup torn basil leaves

Add where master recipe call. Calories 198

Dessert: 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tbs. butter
1 ½ cups fresh pineapple (small dice)
1 recipe for buttermilk biscuits

Heat sugar and butter over medium heat to spread able consistency. Pour into a 9” round cake pan, tilting to completely coat bottom. Top with pineapple; arrange uncooked biscuits over pineapple. Bake about 20 minutes. Calories: 266