Though I resent the torrid afternoons and humid mornings, there are many things about this time of year that I welcome with enthusiasm and relish thoroughly. Berries are one of those things.
Sometimes I just want to make extra flakey scones and call them biscuits so that there is no guilt in serving them alongside dinner, you feel me?
Growing up, my mom made a lot of strawberry freezer jam. It was a thick, sugary syrup with a faint essence of strawberry flavor, and I adored it. She would pop open a can of biscuits and my father and I would compete against one another in a contest of "who can pull their biscuit apart into the most layers."
Each layer would then be slathered with jam and shoved into our mouths before the sticky, pink syrup dripped all over our hands. It was lovely.
These days, I make my own biscuits, but I certainly would not turn my nose up to a can of those childhood favorites and a jar of my Mama's sweetest jam.
While I am no longer in the habit of butchering my biscuits as I did in days gone by, you could certainly lose count of the layers in these biscuits.
I discovered this biscuit recipe several summers ago and I have not tried another recipe since. I love how flaky and rustic they turn out.
In order to bring in a bit of that summer magic and satisfy my sweet tooth, I added in a couple handfuls of the sweetest blackberries and poured a thick, cinnamon glaze over these perfectly lopsided biscuits.
While unnecessary, a sprinkling of crumbled praline completed these biscuits, which could really be a meal on their own.
That dripping cinnamon glaze gets me every time.
Yes, this time of year certainly has its perks.
Praline sprinkles for ever and ever.
Memorial Day plans? You're looking right at them.
Sincerely,
Pedantic Foodie
Blackberry Buttermilk Biscuits
with
Cinnamon Glaze & Pecan Praline
makes 8 biscuits
praline recipe adapted from The Kitchn // biscuit recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
FOR THE PRALINE
This recipe will make more praline than you will need for these biscuits, but leftovers make wonderful ice cream or waffle toppings!
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Prepare a large baking sheet by lining with aluminum foil and spraying lightly with nonstick spray.
Combine sugars, unsalted butter, milk, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and chopped pecans in a heavy bottomed 3-quart saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Fit the pan with a candy thermometer.
Cook the syrup, stirring often, until it comes to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, begin stirring constantly for approximately 3 minutes, until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F. Watch closely as this will go quickly!
Immediately remove the pan from the heat, detach the candy thermometer, and begin stirring rapidly! Keep stirring until the mixture has thickened and has lost its luster. When the praline looks dull and milky in color, pour onto the prepared baking sheet and allow to cool completely.
Cook's Note: You can speed up the cooling process by setting the baking sheet atop a cooling rack!
After the praline has cooled, break it up into pieces and place in the work bowl of your food processor. Pulse until the mixture is in fine crumbs. Store in a ziplock bag until ready to use!
Cook's Note: You can make the praline up to one day in advance.
FOR THE BISCUITS
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for rolling)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 cup buttermilk, chilled (plus extra for brushing)
- 1 cup blackberries
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and flour. Drop in the cubes of butter and use the tips of your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture, until the mixture is the texture of rough cornmeal.
Pour in buttermilk and blackberries and use a spatula to gently bring the mixture together, forming a rough dough.
Sprinkle a clean surface with a heavy coating of flour and dump the dough out onto the prepared surface. Roll the dough into a square 1-inch in thickness. Use a sharp knife to cut the square of dough into four strips. Stack all of the strips on top of one another and press down gently to flatten.
Cook's Note: While this method may seem a bit unusual, it is a fool-proof way to create dozens of flaky layers.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into an 8x4-inch rectangle. Slice lengthwise and cut crossways, to form 8 equal biscuits.
Lay the biscuits out onto the prepared baking sheets and freeze for ten minutes.
Cook's Note: Alternatively, you can freeze the biscuits until solid and then transfer them to zip-top bags and store frozen for up to a month. When you are ready to bake, bake the biscuits straight from the freezer and add several minutes to the baking time.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk and place in the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes; until the edges are golden.
Transfer to cooling racks and allow the biscuits to cool completely while you prepare the glaze.
FOR THE GLAZE
- 1/4 cup half & half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine half & half and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Use a fork to slowly whisk in confectioner's sugar and ground cinnamon.
Use a large spoon to pour the glaze over the biscuits, then sprinkle with crumbled praline. Allow the glaze to set completely before serving; about 15 minutes.
Enjoy!
