Buttermilk Biscuits

For Feast of Christmas Eve, I wanted to make some biscuits to go with dinner.  I looked on Pinterest and when I saw this recipe with the description of being flaky, buttery, fluffy AND super easy to make, I was so sold.  My biggest concern was all of the warnings about not overworking the dough or they would come out like sad little hockey pucks.  Luckily, I was on the lazier side of working the dough (mostly based on all of the warnings and my fear), and they came out great.  Everyone loved them.  My husband actually thought they were pre-made from the pop-til-you’re-scared can.  He was shocked that I made them from scratch.  I’m so excited to now have a go-to biscuit recipe!

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Total time:  30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 8 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp. salted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2.  Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor.
3. Cut butter into cubes and add to flour, then pulse 6 or 7 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a grater, fork or a pastry cutter.)
4. Return dough to bowl, add buttermilk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball (don’t worry if it is a little sticky).
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently roll it down again. Repeat 6 times.  DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH.
6. Forms a rectangle and cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this will crimps the edges of the biscuit causing it not to rise.
7. Repeat using the scraps to reform a rectangle and cut additional biscuits.
8. Place biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Brush melted butter over tops of biscuits before serving

Adapted from Cooking Maniac blog