For me, nothing says 'family time' like homemade biscuits (or scones) for breakfast.

As the kids roll out of bed on Sunday mornings, bleary eyed but refreshed from a good night's sleep, they smell that buttery crispy fragrance and their eyes light up.


We all enjoy biscuits. My husband enjoys them with cream cheese. Sarah likes them with butter, and the rest of the kids enjoy them with jelly.  I'll eat them any which way. So long as they are fresh and homemade.

I've tried a few variations, and Molly Katzen's recipe (from one of my very favorite cookbooks, Sunlight Cafe) is our favorite. It's simple, no fuss, and comes out great every time.

If you don't have any buttermilk at home, which I often don't, just add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it stand for a few minutes. I don't taste a difference between biscuits made this way and those made with the 'real thing.'

Simplest Buttermilk Biscuits from Sunlight Cafe
I don't stress too much about the rolling and shaping. I don't mind if the biscuits are rough and oddly shaped. 

2 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter
2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400*. Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Place the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in a food processor or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix briefly to combine.

Cut the butter into slices and add them to the dry mixer. Mix as briefly as possible, just till the butter is cut up and the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Pour in the buttermilk and mix just until the dough holds together.

Roll or pat the dough into a rough circle, about 3/4 inch thick. Cut free form biscuits with a knife or glass.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until deep golden brown on bottom and light golden on top. Cool for a few minutes before serving.