It’s hard to resist the temptation of thinking about Fall and holiday foods this time of year. Even though our holidays may look different during this crazy 2020, you still have to eat so why not make the best of it?
Wandering the garden looking for the last stray pepper or radish, the thing that was inspiring was the fresh sage. I think sage is my son’s favorite herb. Making Thanksgiving dressing with fresh sage every year is a memory worth holding on to. It’s not quite time for dressing but why not add some sage to something entirely new?
Tiny biscuits with sage and pepper could be the perfect partner for a little slice of turkey or ham or even – and maybe this is weird – a bit of jam or jelly. Sage is kind of multi-purpose like that. The biscuit dough is a cinch in the food processor although easy to mix by hand. Fancy chefs will tell you the food processor is a mistake, but I am a home cook and it is my best friend in the kitchen. A long time ago someone (sadly can’t remember who) shared a secret formula to different doughs that goes like this “pie should be dry, for biscuits wetter is better”. That refers to the dough and it has proven true time and again. It’s an easy dough, a little flour, a little butter, salt, soda, baking powder, and of course buttermilk to make it “wet”. Adding the sage and black pepper was just putting a little pep in the party.
Biscuit cutters are a not so secret obsession and picking the perfect one is part of the fun for me, but if that’s not your cup of tea, a small jigger is perfect for a mini biscuit. The oven time made for great house smells and my very small audience paced around in anticipation. The rest is history, the biscuits were tender and flaky, and just full of flavor. They will be on the holiday table and at many parties when we have them again!
Finally, it is impossible not to say they are “cute as a biscuit”. These won’t last a minute at your table. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp black pepper
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh sage (dried in a pinch 1 Tbsp)
½ cup buttermilk (a little more if needed to hold dough together)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients except butter milk in a food processor or by hand until dough is crumbly.
Add buttermilk to make dough hold together adding extra if needed.
Roll dough out on a floured surface to about ½ inch thick.
Cut biscuits and bake on prepared baking sheet about 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.
