mile high buttermilk biscuits

ho. ly. cow. This week has been crazy. I won't bore you with the details, but I thought things would slow down with it being summer and all. I was wrong.

Soccer camp is over for the Littlest Carrotstick, but his unremitted love for his coach continues. He has been busy making "Go Jessica" and "#10 Rocks" signs to hold at her soccer games this fall. Once again, the faux-hawks garnered quite a bit of attention. (The Littlest Carrotstick's lame mom made him get his hair cut last week, so his faux-hawk is not very big, but it is there.) Everyone knew who the faux-hawk boys were, and as an added bonus, these counter-culture kids were easy to find in the ulta-conservative Mini-Cubs soccer camp crowd. Oscar Fingall O’Flahertie Wills Wilde said, "Fashion is what one wears oneself; what is unfashionable is what other people wear."

Case in point, this kid who consistently wore church shoes to soccer camp. Sorry kid. But you know it's true.

But for the truly fashion forward, this Good Food Friday you have to try Cook's Illustrated's famous Mile High Buttermilk Biscuits. I make these biscuits every. single. Sunday. because they are just. that. good. Eat them hot, so your butter melts into all the little delectable cravasses. Put a little raspberry jam on them (because Raspberry is The Only True Jam), and you won't even need dessert. The outside is crisp and buttery. The inside is fluffy and tender. Mmmmm.

You really need to try these. All the cool kids are doing it.

Yes, My Mohawk IS High, So Are My Mile High Biscuits

2 c flour
1 Tblsp double-acting baking powder
1 Tblsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
4 Tblsp cold butter, cut into 1/4" cubes
1 ½ c cold buttermilk, preferably low-fat
To Form and Finish Biscuits:
1 c flour
2 Tblsp butter, melted

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Spray 9" round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Generously spray inside and outside of 1/4 c dry measure with nonstick cooking spray.
Dough:
In food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda to combine, about six 1-second pulses. Scatter butter cubes evenly over dry ingredients; pulse until mixture resembles pebbly, coarse cornmeal, 8 to 10 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add buttermilk to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated (dough will be very wet and slightly lumpy).
To Form and Bake Biscuits:
Using 1/4 c dry measure and working quickly, scoop up a level amount of dough and drop dough into flour on baking sheet (if dough sticks, scoop it out). Repeat with remaining dough, forming 12 evenly sized mounds. Dust tops of each piece of dough with flour. With floured hands, gently pick up piece of dough and gently shape into rough ball, and place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining, arranging 9 rounds around perimeter of cake pan and 3 in center. Brush gently with hot melted butter, taking care not to flatten them. Bake 5 minutes then reduce oven temp to 450 degrees; continue to bake until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert biscuits from pan onto clean kitchen towel; turn biscuits right-side up and break apart. Cool 5 minutes longer and serve.

You'll never go back to Hungry Jack.

mohawk picture by ethan woods