These biscuits and butter makes for an easy and sophisticated weekend breakfast or brunch.  If you let the butter sit on the kitchen counter overnight you can easily whip up this dish for breakfast the next morning.  When served alongside a fruit salad and bacon or sausage you have a complete meal that is sure to please.  Living in Europe means that all of our butter is European-style with a higher fat content than most butters found in the United States. It is possible to find European-style butters in some grocery stores and if you can find it, use it.  The results are that much richer.  I love the combination of strawberries and mint this time of year when the strawberries are ripe and plentiful.  If the berries aren’t perfectly ripe look for another fruit. Other possible combinations include cherries and orange zest or blueberries and lemon zest.  Simply substitute an equal amount of fruit, an equal amount of zest for the mint, and omit the black pepper.

This biscuit recipe is courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen.  Like most of their recipes it is fool-proof and comes together quickly.  If you don’t have cake flour you can substitute 7/8 of a cup of all-purpose flour and 1/8 of a cup of cornstarch.  Make sure the butter is cold and do not overwork the dough; the less handling you do the fluffier the biscuits.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS WITH STRAWBERRY MINT BUTTER

For the biscuits:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the flours, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a food processor and pulse six times to combine.

Sprinkle the butter cubes on top of the flour and pulse until the mixture comes together and resembles a fine meal.

Transfer the dough into a large mixing bowl.

Add the buttermilk and use a wooden spoon to combine until the dough is soft and sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and pat into a large circle.

Using a sharp knife, divide the dough into 12 even pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball and place on a large baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until brown.

For the butter:

1/2 cup softened butter

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

• Place the butter in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.
• Add the strawberries, mint, and peppercorns and blend until combined.

Yields:  12 biscuits and 3/4 cup of butter

Tagged: black pepper, butter, mint, strawberries