Tradition!

As the new year begins, I turn once again to a time-honored and much-loved tradition.  It is, of course, my annual viewing of Joss Whedon's television masterpiece Buffy the Vampire Slayer, followed by its companion piece Angel.  I know, it's pretty geeky, but Buffy and friends appeared on TV my senior year of high school and occupied my Tuesday evenings through college and culinary school.  Not to get all sentimental or anything, but I still totally remember where I was when Buffy died.  Both times.

Anyway, when I settle in for a comfortable night with Miss Summers and Co., I like to make a batch of fluffy, yummy biscuits to nosh.  My biscuit recipe comes from a copy of The James Beard Cookbook, published in 1961 and passed down from my great-grandmother to my mother to me.  It's a family heirloom that I plan to give to Mac Mini when she gets a place of her own.

The dust jacket has long since disintigrated, but I saved the author's biography and framed it.  St. James now occupies a place of honor above our stove.  Here he is in his jowly, well-fed glory.

Biscuits are a very simple quickbread.  When made properly, they're flaky and light, with a crisp outside and a tender inside.  The key is to use cold butter and milk and not to overmix the dough.

Beard's Buffy-Watchin' Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into pea-sized pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk*, cold

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Place dry ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well.  Cut in butter with a fork and use the tips of your fingers to pinch and press mixture lightly, working butter and dry ingredients together until mixture is sandy in texture and some small pieces of butter remain intact.  Add buttermilk and mix until dough is sticky and pulls away from sides of bowl.  Turn out onto lightly floured surface, knead lightly once or twice, and press out to 1" thick.  Use a floured biscuit cutter or knife to cut 2"-diameter biscuits.  Alternatively, skip the kneading and drop biscuits by spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet.  Bake biscuits for 10-12 minutes, until barely browned on top.  Serve immediately with butter, honey, or (my favorite) maple syrup.

*To make buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to 3/4 cup milk and let sit 5 minutes.  Or do what I do and use 1/4 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup milk.