Recipe: Cream Biscuits, Cream Biscuits with Fresh Herbs, and Cheddar Biscuits (America's Test Kitchen)

CREAM BISCUITS FROM AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN

"Bake the biscuits immediately after cutting them as letting them stand for any length of time can decrease the leavening power and prevent the biscuits from rising properly in the oven."

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Adjust the oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups cream and stir with wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough from bowl to countertop, leaving all the dry, floury bits behind in the bowl. One tablespoon at a time, add up to 1/4 cup heavy cream to dry bits in bowl, mixing with wooden spoon after each addition, until moistened. Add these moistened bits to rest of dough and knead by hand just until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Cut biscuits into rounds or wedges. Place rounds or wedges on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

VARIATIONS:

CREAM BISCUITS WITH FRESH HERBS
Using the herb of your choice, follow the recipe for Cream Biscuits, whisking 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs into flour along with sugar, baking powder, and salt.

CHEDDAR BISCUITS
Follow the recipe for Cream Biscuits, stirring 1/2 cup (2 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese cut into 1/4-inch pieces into flour along with the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Increase baking time to 18 minutes.

Makes 8 (2 1/2-inch) biscuits
Adapted from source: America's Test Kitchen