1931: biscuit bliss

As September wraps up, I felt it necessary to honor National Biscuit Month. (oh, the things I think about) My mother is a fabulous cook, but my memory of Sunday morning breakfasts is none other than the glorious refrigerator biscuit! It was 1931 when baker, Lively Willoughboy secured his patent for his prized product. The idea was originally acquired by the company Ballard & Ballard which was later bought by Pillsbury in 1951.

If you think like me, you want to know where that charming little doughboy came from. It wasn't until 1965 with the launch of refrigerated crescent rolls that the iconic Pillsbury Doughboy started singing, "Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven!"
As good as those darn refrigerator biscuits are, real lovin' is baked into biscuits from scratch. This is my go-to recipe in a pinch. Please enjoy!

Cream Biscuits
Yield: 8 biscuits

2 C. flour, plus extra for the counter
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. heavy cream

Adjust an oven rack to the upper middle position and heat the oven 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the cream with a wooden spoon until the dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Pat the dough into a 3/4 inch-thick-circle. Cut the biscuits into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter or 8 wedges using a knife. Place the biscuits on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

*Adding 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper into the flour mixture makes these biscuits oh, so savory. Increase the baking time to 18 minutes.
recipe adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook