Parmesan Cream Biscuits

These biscuits go together quickly and are worth every calorie. The original recipe is from Marion Cunningham’s The Breakfast Book, which I love (and that’s not Richie’s mom from Happy Days). My variation adds Parmesan (though they are great without it, smeared with homemade jam). Sometimes I knead in a bit of crumbled, cooked bacon and cheddar instead.

Thanks yet again to my mother-in-law for giving me her mom’s old biscuit board. It never fails me; it’s as if those cumulative years of baking experience give it special powers.

Parmesan Cream Biscuits

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 heaping tsp. sugar
1 to 1 1/2 cups cream (half and half is fine)
1/3 c. (5 1/3 tbsp.) melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir with a fork to blend and lighten. Toss in 1/2 cup to 1 cup shredded Parmesan, if desired.

Slowly add 1 cup of the cream, stirring constantly. Gather the dough together; when it holds together and feels tender, it is ready to knead. If dough seems shaggy and pieces are dry and falling away, slowly add enough of the additional cream to make the dough hold together.

Place dough on lightly floured board and knead for 1 minute (if you forgot to add cheese earlier, add it now by kneading it in). Pat the dough into a square about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 12 squares with a sharp knife and dip each into the melted butter so all sides are coated. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes, till lightly browned (start checking at 10 minutes).

Note: Leftover biscuits are a great base for breakfast sandwiches.