Top Eight Free: Your Guide to Allergy-Free Eating

These biscuits are our version of a James Beard recipe.  We refrain from dredging them in melted butter before baking, and instead brush a restrained amount of olive oil on top.  But beware — these biscuits are single-handedly responsible for my daughter gaining 10 percent of her body weight in four weeks.   Of course, we don’t recommend eating an entire batch each day, though it may be hard to resist!

Contains wheat and dairy.

2 cups white flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Wisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl.  Slowly add the cream to the mizture, while gently folding it in with a spoon or spatula.   When the dough begins to hold together and feel tender, then it is ready.  If it is still shaggy and falling apart, keep adding cream. 

Gently fold in the cream.

Dough should stick together, but not be soggy.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board.  Gather it together and fold the right and left edges together until they meet in the middle.  (See photos)  Gently pat it down and then fold again.   Repeat a few more times until dough stays together.   Do not overwork the dough!  It will make tough biscuits that don’t rise. 

Gently pat the dough out to about 1 inch thick.  Use a sharp knife to slice it into 8 peices.  Brush the tops of the biscuits with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.   Place on baking sheet, not touching.  Bake for about 15 minutes, until they are light golden brown and puffy.  Serve immediately.