Baby Biscuits

Raspberries, not too much sugar, a ton o' love

Well, hello there. At long last, the second draft of my book is with my editor and I am here with you. My nose was so deep in my edit, I missed posting delicious food for Chanukah, missed developing an idea I had about cooking to cure writer’s block, missed the easy joy of writing these newsletters. But I did make time for the most important event of the past few weeks: the arrival of a brand new person in my life, and the baking of his welcome biscuits.

Three years ago, when this beautiful new person’s beautiful big brother burst into my life, I became BB, a wide-eyed, fifty-three-year-old grandparent. I won’t lie — it was overwhelming to find myself in a role I associated with my own grandmother, the emphatically-rotund kitchen sorceress called Baba Sarah. Hart arrived and I was buzzed; buzzed like I’d had six cups of coffee, buzzed with joy and wonder and confusion at the miracle of a new child coming into my life without having to do any of the work.

On that snowy December morning, three years ago, I needed an outlet for all that buzzy energy. “Time to bake,” I heard Baba Sarah say. I ran to the corner store at dawn, mixed up a tray of raspberry biscuits and, just like that, a tradition was born.

The same magical energy returned when Robin flew in, around two weeks ago, and the biscuits came together in a few happy minutes. The key, if a recipe so simple could have a key, are the layers, which make them puff up and, as you can see in my pic above, almost tip over.

I was in such a rush to get these biscuits to their destination while they were warm, I only took the one photo of them baked; not the best for highlighting their dimension. I was also too excited to remember to brush the tops with egg wash for a shiny finish, but never mind — I like the rustic, floured tops, anyway. Baba would’ve called these ‘bakin’ powder biscuits’ and like me, she would’ve made them to eat at home or to take out as a simple gift. She might have baked them for breakfast, brunch, a snack or maybe, a special occasion.

Beyond all of that, there is one thing I know for sure: She would have loved the idea of me making them to welcome her great, great grandsons into the fold and, of course, she would have loved them.

Raspberry Biscuits

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

10 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into little cubes

1 1/4 cup sour cream or high-fat plain yogurt

1/2 cup frozen raspberries, lightly crushed into smaller pieces

I egg, beaten with a bit of water, for brushing tops, if desired

coarse sugar for sprinkling over egg wash, if desired

Preheat oven to 425 F. In a work bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix well. Add cold butter and blend into dry ingredients with cool fingertips, just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Little chunks of butter are good.

Making a well in the centre of the bowl, add sour cream/yogurt and mix with a fork or spoon until just combined into a craggy dough.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead ever so slightly until it comes together in to a messy, thick shape. Sprinkle a layer of frozen raspberries over dough and fold to cover them. Repeat, folding dough and pressing down only slightly, until all raspberries are loosely incorporated. Resist the urge to make the dough perfect.

Shape into an easy rectangle and cut into 8-10 pieces. Place pieces on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a Silpat, spacing them widely as they will grow in the oven. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until puffy and lightly brown. Serve plain or with butter and maybe a little maple syrup.