Cooks Illustrated Best Drop Biscuits Food

DROP BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the texture of coarse meal with some pea-size pieces.
• Using a fork, stir in the milk until just evenly moistened, adding up to 2 more tablespoons, if necessary, but stopping before the dough gets too wet. Scoop the dough into 8 rough mounds (about 1/3-cup each) and place them on the prepared sheets. Bake the biscuits until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

COOK'S ILLUSTRATED BEST DROP BISCUITS

Steps:

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Combine buttermilk and 8 tablespoons melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps. 2. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. Using greased 1/4-cup dry measure, scoop level amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (biscuits should measure about 2 1/4 inches in diameter and 1 1/4 inches high). Repeat with remaining batter, spacing biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. 3. Brush biscuit tops with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes before serving.

BEST EVER DROP BISCUITS (SMALL BATCH)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Combine buttermilk and 1/4 cup melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps.
• Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl.
• Using greased 1/4-cup dry measure, scoop a scant amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, spacing biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 8 - 12 minutes. They can be made up ahead of time and gently re-heated in a 300 oven for 10 minutes.
• Brush biscuit tops with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes before serving.
• Test if baking powder is fresh: Mix 2 teaspoons of the baking powder into a cup of water. If there is an immediate reaction of foaming and fizzing, the baking powder is okay to use. If the reaction is at all delayed or weak, throw it away and buy a fresh can.