Baking Powder Biscuits or How I Survive Summer in Nebraska

I loathe summer. I've never understood how people can live in places like Florida where it (typically) does not snow. I can still remember a road-trip when I was eight from Chicago to St. Louis-in July. In a '74 Dodge, Dart-sans air conditioning of course. The second-hand smoke from my sister would have been bad enough without the hundred degree, thick, humid air making it stick to my skin and clothes. Then, for extra fun and laughs I was dragged to an amusement park so that I might be spun about in circles in the unbearable heat. There was a perfectly good pool back at the hotel, but no-we had to ride the vomit-a-rama.

I was the kid that stayed inside all summer reading.

Not much has changed. I still can't stand hot weather, and now I have the added bonus of illness that requires me to stay out of the sun. Believe me, it wasn't like I was about to pull out a lawn chair and sunbathe.

This is a bad time of year to be a bread baker. The idea of heating my oven to 500 degrees AND creating steam is just too much for me. Instead, I've been experimenting with biscuits as they bake quickly, without steam.

I'm going to post two of the more unusual ones I've made lately. One makes use of heavy cream in place of shortening, and the other is rich with cottage cheese. The cream biscuits come from Beard on Bread, and the cottage cheese recipe from the New York Times Heritage Cookbook.


Cream Biscuits: (makes about 16)

2 cups all purpose flour
1-teaspoon salt
1-tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¾ to 1-cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons melted butter

Sift dry ingredients together. Add cream until it makes a soft dough. Turn out on a floured board and knead 1 minute. Pat out to ¾ inch thick. Cut in rounds or squares and dip tops in butter. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F. for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm.


For the Cottage Cheese Biscuits: (makes about 2 dozen)

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup butter
1-cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2/3 cup milk, approximately.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Sift flour, baking powder, and one teaspoon of the salt into the bowl. With a pastry cutter, cut in butter until coarse. Mix in the cottage cheese and remaining salt and chives. Add to the flour mixture. Add enough milk to make a soft dough.

Turn out on floured board and knead half a minute. Pat into ½ inch thickness and cut into rounds. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until done.