Photo by David Prince

Cornmeal Biscuits with Sage Butter

From "Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way" by Lorna Sass, Clarkson Potter

Makes 12 to 14 biscuits

Most traditional biscuit recipes don't contain eggs, but when using whole grain flour, an egg improves the texture significantly. These pale yellow biscuits are absolutely delicious when split open and slathered with sage butter.

• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour
• 1/2 cup wholegrain cornmeal, preferably stone-ground, plus more for dusting the work surface
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle or chili powder
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits, plus more for greasing the baking sheet
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup well-shaken light buttermilk

For the sage butter

(optional for a lower fat version) 

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 generous tablespoon minced sage
  

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter.

In a bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and chipotle.

Using two knives or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles unevenly coarse pebbles.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the buttermilk. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients, stirring to combine, until most of the flour is incorporated.

Sprinkle a work surface lightly with cornmeal. Gently knead the dough until smooth, usually 25 to 35 turns. Shape the dough into a disc.

Sprinkle more cornmeal onto the work surface and more on top of the disc. Roll the dough out to a generous 1/4-inch thickness. Fold the dough in half and gently roll to about 1/2-inch thick.

Use a two-inch-round biscuit cutter or a 1/4-cup metal measuring cup to cut out the biscuits. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Roll out scraps to create additional biscuits. (The raw biscuits freeze well, and can be popped into the oven straight from the freezer.)
Bake for 5 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue baking until the bottoms are golden and the tops spring back to a gentle touch, 5 to 7 more minutes, or slightly longer if they were frozen.

While the biscuits are baking, make the sage butter: mash the sage into the butter in a small bowl. Set aside, or cover tightly and refrigerate until needed.

When the biscuits are done, serve them immediately with the sage butter (optional) on the side.

Refrigerate leftover biscuits in a zipper-top bag for up to 3 days and reheat in a 350F oven. Baked biscuits do not freeze well.

Variations

Sesame Corn Biscuits: Add 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds to the dry ingredients.

Cheese Biscuits: When the biscuits are about a minute short of done, lightly sprinkle each with coarsely grated cheddar cheese and return to the oven until done.

Stuffed Cornmeal Biscuits: Just before serving, split the biscuits open and fill them with thinly sliced scallions (green part only), sliced prosciutto, country-smoked ham, or herbed goat cheese.

Drop Biscuits: Do not knead the dough. Instead, drop the batter by heaping tablespoonful, about 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake as directed above.

Copyright © 2006 Lorna Sass

About "Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way"

In Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way , bestselling cookbook author Lorna Sass demystifies whole grains with a thorough grain-by-grain primer followed by more than 150 irresistible recipes.  In this extensive guide to the wide range of fantastic whole grains available-many of which are gluten-free-Sass introduces home cooks to dozens of grains, including amaranth, barley, buckwheat, hominy, popcorn, polenta, Job's tears, millet, oats, quinoa, brown rice, red rice, black rice, rye, triticale, sorghum, teff, farro, grano, green wheat, kamut, spelt, wheat berries, and wild rice. She shares tips for buying and storing these grains as well as the best and simplest way to cook them.  This is the book America has been asking for: the definitive guide that will make it easy and delicious for us to incorporate healthful whole grains into our diets with innovative recipes for every meal of the day.

Get Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way at:

• Amazon.com