It is well recognized among bakers that the palate, intricate and mysterious as it is, responds well to how taste buds react to salt and sugar. A persistent and false belief is that the tongue is mapped out to detect sour, bitter, sweet, and salt in different parts. In reality, our taste buds are all capable of experiencing the entire spectrum of flavor. A satisfying way to experience this, for most, is to merge and unite sweetness and saltiness (carefully!) in recipes that call for it. This particular buttermilk biscuit recipe provides what we’ve come to love from this kitchen standard. It is a light and flaky layered texture that almost calls out for butter as steam rises upon splitting the biscuit open. However, we’re talking about something special here, and that is in the honey glaze with a subtle, but distinct and noteworthy, note of salt that plays off the sweetness of the honey beautifully. These thick and flaky biscuits with a sweet honey glaze would be great for morning breakfast, afternoon snack, or even an unorthodox, tasty dessert. This particular recipe is from the Fox in the Snow Cafe; https://www.foxinthesnow.com/more-fox-in-the-snow/ if you would like to give these huge but delicious biscuits a try.

My husband, Kent, was loose in the kitchen today and was tasked to make buttermilk biscuits, a mess, or both. He originally started his career as an accomplished chef. Fortunately for me, he did all the cooking, and I did all the baking. I finally learned how to cook after 20 years of marriage, and love it, so we’ve switched places in the kitchen. We realized very early in our relationship that I was a better baker than he, which was fully verified in a hard-won competition. He took the loss gracefully. Who wouldn’t want an eager and excellent baking spouse? But he does like to bake something up once in a while, perhaps for old time’s sake.

Biscuits became popular in the early 19th century shortly before the American Civil War. They were inexpensive to make and easy to travel with, on naval vessels and horse and ox-drawn carriage. They held some good nutritional resources, which paired well with meals, usually covered with gravy. 

I always remember having biscuits with beef stew. My mother likes them sweetened up with strawberries and whipped cream for a spin on Strawberry Shortcake. If using as a sweet treat, I like to add some coarse sugar over the top before cooking. Biscuits can be basic and travel well or spun into an exquisitely crafted breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Happy Baking!