Cream Biscuits
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

This biscuits are different from Baking Powder Biscuits in that there is no butter cut into the dry ingredients. They might not contain any butter, but heavy cream is full of butterfat that makes the biscuits light and tender with a rich, milky flavor.

Make sure you just FOLD the batter lightly JUST until the moisture is absorbed. Then pat it out lightly to cut.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Slowly add 1 cup of the cream, stirring with a rubber spatula, to form a smooth dough. Add up to 1/2 cup additional cream if mixture is too dry, being careful not to overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a square, about 3/4-inch thick. With a 2-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut into 12 circles, gathering the scraps and gently patting out again, if necessary. Dip each round into the melted butter to coat on all sides. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with a little more sugar. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

12 biscuits