TWD: Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits

Thanks to Ashley at eat me, delicious for picking out this week’s recipe!

Well let’s just get the obvious out of the way first – I had to omit the pecans from this recipe due to my nut allergy, so that’s why you don’t see pretty little flecks throughout my biscuits.

That being said, I loved these biscuits! The butter and brown sugar gave them just enough sweetness that I didn’t think that they needed any butter or jam to add flavor. These were tender and flaky and, in my mind, what a perfect biscuit should be. I will be saving this recipe, however the next time I make them I will cut them out a bit larger. Two inches is pretty small after you see it cut out 😉 I’d also watch my browning – I set my timer for the minimum time in the recipe (14 minutes) and my biscuits got a little browner than they should (although I like most everything a little over-done so it wasn’t a problem for me). All in all, another winner by Dorie!

Our group has grown by leaps and bounds. Head on over to the Tuesdays With Dorie blog and visit the blogroll to check out the biscuits made by all of the other Dorie bakers!

Next week: Snickery Squares
Last week: Almost-Fudge Gateau

Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits
(Source: Dorie Greenspan “Baking: From My Home to Yours” p.25)

(Makes about 12 biscuits)

2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup cake flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
1/2 cup cold sour cream
1/4 cold whole milk
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans, preferably toasted

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Get out a sharp 2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour(s), baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bow. Stir in the brown sugar, making certain there are no lumps. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips (my favorite method) or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You’ll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between– and that’s just right.

Stir the sour cream and milk together and pour over the dry ingredients. Grab a fork and gently toss and turn the ingredients together until you’ve got a nice soft dough. Now reach into the bowl with your hands and give the dough a quick gentle kneading– 3 or 4 turns should be just enough to bring everything together. Toss in the pecans and knead 2 to 3 times to incorporate them.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough very lightly with flour, pat the dough out with your hands or toll it with a pin until it is about 1/2 inch high. Don’t worry if the dough isn’t completely even– a quick, light touch is more important than accuracy.

Use the biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Try to cut the biscuits close to one another so you get the most you can out of the first round. By hand or with a small spatula, transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Gather together the scraps, working with them as little as possible, pat out to a 1/2-inch thickness and cut as many additional biscuits as you can; transfer these to the sheet. (The biscuits ca be made to this point and frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight and kept for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting– just add a couple more minutes to the oven time.)

Bake the biscuits for 14-18 minutes, or until they are tall, puffed and golden brown. Transfer them to a serving basket.