Cook Like James

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

 

There are many stories regarding the history of Hot Cross Buns. One interesting one comes from Alan Davidson's "The Oxford Companion to Food". He says that the Saxon invaders in Britain chomped on buns adorned with impressions of crosses in honor of the pagan goddess of light, Eostre, from whom the name Easter is derived. Today they are traditionally served at Easter and there is a superstition that Hot Cross Buns baked on Good Friday never became moldy and in the past one Hot Cross Bun would be saved as a good luck charm until the next year's buns were made. Whatever the history, these sweet tender buttery buns are a delicious treat and should be enjoyed all year long. This is adapted from a Cook’s Country recipe for Sweet Dough.

 

Download Hot Cross Buns Recipe

 

3/4 cup buttermilk, warmed (around 110 degrees)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), melted and cooled until warm 

3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten 

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour  

2 teaspoons ground spices, optional (if using, try this mixture - 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)

1/4 cup sugar  

1 envelope instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) 

1 1/4 teaspoons table salt   

Extra flour for the counter 

1 large egg, lightly beaten 

1 tablespoon water  

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar  

1 tablespoon milk  

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  

 

 

1.    Whisk the butter, buttermilk, and eggs together in a large liquid measuring cup. Mix 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, yeast, spices (if using) and salt in a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.

 

2.    Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (If, after five minutes, more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.

 

3.    Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 1 minute. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

 

4.     Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and divide into 12 even pieces. Following the photos, roll the dough into tight balls. Arrange the balls in a greased 9 by 13-inch metal baking dish and wrap tightly in greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

 

5.    Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut an X through the top 1/4 inch of each bun. Whisk the egg and water together and brush over the buns. Bake until golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes.

 

6.    Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar, milk, and vanilla together and drizzle in an X into the cut grooves of the buns. Serve warm or let cool completely.

St Patrick's Day Irish Soda Bread

 

March is the perfect time to bake a traditional Irish Soday Bread and after trying several versions, this one from Cooks Illustrated is a favorite. For a more traditional soda bread, reduce the sugar by half and omit the raisins. If you're in the mood for more Irish fare for St Patrick's Day - try making a Guiness Beef Stew or some Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes) or take a trip to Dublin and stay at one of my favorite hotels - The Merrion. For more St. Patrick Day recipes visit One for the Table and find more Irish staples - Beer & Baileys

 

Download St Patricks Day Irish Soda Bread recipe

 

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1 cup cake flour 

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar 

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt 

4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter 

1 1/4 cups buttermilk 

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup raisins, golden raisins, or currants (or combo of dark and golden raisins)

 

1.    Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in large bowl. Work softened butter into dry ingredients with fork or fingertips until texture resembles coarse crumbs.

 

2.    Add buttermilk, egg, raisins,  and stir with a fork just until dough begins to come together. Turn out onto flour-coated work surface; knead until dough just becomes cohesive and bumpy, 12 to 14 turns. (Do not knead until dough is smooth, or bread will be tough.)

 

3.    Pat dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches high; place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet. Cut a cross shape into the top.

 

4.    Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into center of loaf comes out clean or internal temperature reaches 170 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes, covering bread with aluminum foil if it is browning too much. Remove from oven and brush with some melted butter; cool to room temperature, 30 to 40 minutes

 

Easy Christmas Sticky Buns

Sticky Buns can often be a challenging and time consuming recipe. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry makes this recipe fast and easy to throw together. I like the combination of dried cranberries and golden raisins, but currants would also work well. The recipe easy doubles to make a full dozen. (Make Ahead: Up to 1 day ahead, prepare the rolls, but don’t bake. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to bake)

Download Easy Christmas Sticky Buns recipe

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar

¼ cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry from 17.3 ounce package, defrosted

For the filling:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cloves

Pinch of salt

¼ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

¼ cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and adjust rack to middle position. Place a 6-cup muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 6 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 6 muffin cups.

3. Distribute the chopped pecans evenly among the 6 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture; set aside.

4. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined, using fingers to break up sugar lumps; set aside.

5. Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle the sheet with brown sugar mixture, and then the cranberries and raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful – the filling is very hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

  

 

 

 

Homemade Cinnamon-Sugared Buttermilk Doughnuts

Homemade Cinnamon-Sugared Buttermilk Doughnuts

Doughnuts were a Sunday tradition in my house. Everyone sitting around the kitchen table, sipping coffee, reading various sections of the paper, (I usually opted for Parade Magazine) and reaching for a doughnut. Sometimes my sister would arrive with a variety box of Dunkin Donuts, other times it would be store bought Freihofer’s mixed dozen – plain, powdered, and cinnamon sugar (my favorite). This recipe from ‘The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook’ delivers a near perfect old fashioned country doughnut - crunchy on the outside, moist nutmeg spiced cake on the inside. I rolled mine in cinnamon sugar, but they’re great plain, with powdered sugar, or even a chocolate glaze. Make them when you’ve got plenty of friends and family around to enjoy them while they’re warm – they do not store well. A note from the cookbook: One of the secrets to the best buttermilk doughnut recipe was the right frying medium. Vegetable shortening in the form of Crisco produced a much less greasy doughnut than vegetable oil or peanut oil. Temperature is important, too - at 350 degrees, the dough absorbed too much oil; at 385 degrees the outside started to burn before the inside could cook through. Best results are achieved by bringing the oil up to 375 degrees before adding the doughnuts; it falls back to 360-365 degrees once the doughnuts are dropped in.

Download Homemade Cinnamon Sugared Buttermilk Doughnuts

Doughnuts:

3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for surfaces

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2       teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1teaspoon table salt

1 ½ teaspoons fresh grated nutmeg

¾ cup buttermilk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

6 cups vegetable shortening for frying

Topping:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

1. Mix 1 cup flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment.

2. Mix buttermilk, butter, and eggs in 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Add wet ingredients to the dry; beat on medium speed (number 4 setting on a KitchenAid) until smooth, about 30 seconds. Decrease speed to low (number 2 setting on a KitchenAid); add remaining flour and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Stir batter once or twice with wooden spoon or rubber spatula to ensure that all liquid is incorporated. (The dough will be moist and tacky, a cross between cake batter and cookie dough.)

3. Fit candy thermometer to side of cast-iron kettle or large, heavy-bottomed soup kettle; gradually heat shortening over medium-high heat to 375 degrees (or use a deep fryer if you have one). Meanwhile, turn dough onto floured work surface. Roll with heavily floured rolling pin to 1/2-inch thick. Stamp out dough rings with heavily floured doughnut cutter, reflouring between cuts. Transfer dough rounds to jelly roll pan or large wire rack. Gather scraps and gently press into disk; repeat rolling and stamping process until all dough is used. (Cut doughnuts can be covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature up to 2 hours.)

4. Carefully drop dough rings into hot fat four or five at a time, depending on kettle size. Turn doughnuts as they rise to surface with tongs, a Chinese skimmer, or a slotted spoon. Fry doughnuts until golden brown, about 50 seconds per side. Drain on paper towel-lined jelly roll pan or wire rack. Repeat frying, returning fat to temperature between each batch.

5. Mix sugar with cinnamon in small bowl. Cool doughnuts about 1 minute and toss with cinnamon sugar to coat.

Makes about 15 doughnuts

 

Easy Mini Cranberry Orange Bread

Easy Mini Cranberry Orange Bread

Cranberry bread was always a staple in my house around the holidays. The mini loaves make great gifts and they freeze well, so you can make them ahead. Perfect on Christmas morning with some cream cheese and jam.

Download Easy Cranberry Orange Mini Loaves recipe

1/3 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon grated orange zest from 1 large orange

2/3 cup buttermilk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing pan

1 large egg, beaten lightly

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups cranberries (about 6 ounces), coarsely chopped

½ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (for topping, optional)

1.   Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottoms for 4 mini loaf tins. Stir together orange juice, zest, buttermilk, butter, and egg in small bowl. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in large bowl. Stir liquid ingredients into dry with rubber spatula until just moistened. Gently stir in cranberries and pecans. Do not overmix.

2.  Scrape batter into loaf pans and spread with rubber spatula into corners and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees; continue to bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes longer. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before serving.

 

Fast and Easy Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Icing

Fast and Easy Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Icing

 

Cinnamon is the star ingredient, so try to use the best possible. I like Vietnamese Cinnamon - the strongest, richest, and sweetest cinnamon around. I get mine from Penzey’s (they have locations around the US or you can order online here - http://www.penzeys.com). This is a clever recipe from Cooks Illustrated that is made without yeast, so they’re quick to throw together on a Sunday morning for brunch. Melted butter is used in both the filling and the dough and to grease the pan; it’s easiest to melt the total amount (8 tablespoons) at once and measure it out as you need it.

 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for pan

 

CINNAMON-SUGAR FILLING

 

3/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed, 5 1/4 ounces)

1/4 cup granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounces)

2 teaspoons ground Vietnamese cinnamon (or best available)

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

 

BISCUIT DOUGH

 

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces), plus more for work surface

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

 

CREAM CHEESE ICING

 

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 cup confectioners' sugar (4 ounces)

 

To make cinnamon-sugar filling:

 1.    Combine sugars, spices, and salt in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and stir with fork or fingers until mixture resembles wet sand; set filling mixture aside.

 2.    Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter in 9-inch nonstick cake pan; brush to coat pan. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

To make biscuit dough:

 1.    Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in measuring cup or small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy.

 2.    Pat dough with hands into 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with filling, leaving 1/2-inch border of plain dough around edges. Press filling firmly into dough. Using bench scraper or metal spatula, carefully loosen dough from work surface.

 3.    Starting at long side, roll dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch seam to seal. Roll log seam-side down and cut evenly into eight pieces. With hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal open edges and keep filling in place. Place one roll in center of prepared nonstick pan, then place remaining seven rolls around perimeter of pan.

 4.    Brush with 2 tablespoons remaining melted butter. Bake until edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Use offset metal spatula to loosen buns from pan; without separating, slide buns out of pan onto greased cooling rack. Cool about 5 minutes before icing. 

To make icing and finish buns:

 1.    While buns are cooling, line rimmed baking sheet with wax paper (for easy cleanup); set rack with buns over baking sheet.

 2.    Whisk cream cheese and buttermilk in large nonreactive bowl until thick and smooth (mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift confectioners’ sugar over; whisk until smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon glaze evenly over buns; serve immediately. 

         

Easy Parmesan Cheese Straws

  

PARMESAN CHEESE STRAWS

  I like to make a bunch of these ahead of time and keep the “straws” in the freezer until I need them. They make a great appetizer or serve them with your favorite pasta recipe. 

Download PARMESAN CHEESE STRAWS recipe

½ box Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed on the counter for 10 minutes

2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, (or Asiago) about 1 cup

¼ teaspoon table salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika (optional)

 

1.     Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Place the puff pastry on a sheet of parchment and sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Place another sheet of parchment over the top and, using a rolling pin, press the cheese into the dough by gently rolling the pin back and forth. Without removing the parchment, carefully flip the dough over, cheese-side down. Remove the top layer of parchment and repeat with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Measure the piece of dough and continue to roll it out to a 10 1/2-inch square, if necessary.

2.    Remove the top sheet of parchment. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into fourteen 3/4-inch-wide strips (see photos below). Gently twist each strip of dough and then transfer it to the prepared baking sheets, spacing the strips about 1 inch apart.

To Store: Wrap each baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or transfer to the freezer for up to 1 month. (After the straws are completely frozen, about 4 hours, they can be transferred to a zipper-lock bag to save space in the freezer. Transfer back to a parchment-lined baking sheet before baking.)

To bake: Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 425 degrees. When the oven is ready, remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator or freezer, unwrap, and bake the straws until fully puffed and golden brown, 8 to 13 minutes, switching and rotating the trays halfway through the baking time. Let the straws cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving. (The cheese straws, completely cooled, can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.) 

 

   

Old Fashioned Anadama Bread

ANADAMA BREAD

"Anadama bread dates in print to 1915, but is probably somewhat older. If it were not for the frequency of their citation, it would be difficult to believe the story most often cited is of a Gloucester, Massachusetts, fisherman's wife named Anna, who gave her husband nothing but cornmeal and molasses to eat every day. One night the fisherman got so angry, he tossed the ingredients in with some yeast and flour and made a bread in the oven while muttering to himself, "Anna, damn her!"  -Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink.   Whatever its origin, this a wonderful bread, made even better when toasted and slathered with butter and jam.

  

½ cup water

¼ cup cornmeal

3 ¼ cups bread flour, plus extra for work surface

2 teaspoons table salt

¾ cup milk, warm (110 degrees)

1/3 cup water, warm (110 degrees)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup molasses

1 package rapid-rise yeast (also called instant yeast)

 

1. Bring 1/2 cup water to boil in small saucepan, slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.

 

2. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off oven heat.

 

3. Mix cornmeal mixture, flour, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix milk, warm water, butter, molasses, and yeast in 1-quart Pyrex liquid measuring cup. Turn machine to low and slowly add liquid. When dough comes together, increase speed to medium  and mix until dough is smooth and satiny, stopping machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook if necessary, about 10 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead to form smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.

 

4. Place dough in very lightly oiled bowl, rubbing dough around bowl to lightly coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 40 to 50 minutes.

 

5. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and form dough into loaf by gently pressing the dough into a 9x5” rectangle, one inch thick. Next, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn dough seam side up and pinch it closed. Place dough in greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and press gently so dough touches all four sides of pan.

 

6. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in warm spot until dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees, placing an empty loaf pan on bottom rack. Bring 2 cups water to boil.

 

7. Remove plastic wrap from loaf pan. Place pan in oven, immediately pouring heated water into empty loaf pan; close oven door. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted at angle from short end just above pan rim into center of loaf reads 195 degrees, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

Perfect Easy Popovers

 

Perfect Popovers

 I was in Washington DC recently and had a great dinner at BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel http://www.bltsteak.com/). The food was delicious, but the popovers were particularly memorable. Popovers are great in the morning with some strawberry butter, or you can add a little grated parmesan cheese to the batter and serve them at dinner. If you’re serving a Roast Prime Rib, you can also make great individual Yorkshire puddings by substituting pan drippings for the vegetable oil.

2 large eggs 

1 cup whole milk 

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon table salt 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

1.    In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until well combined, about 20 seconds. Whisk the flour and salt in a medium bowl and add to the egg mixture; stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the flour is incorporated; the mixture will still be lumpy. Add the melted butter. Whisk until the batter is bubbly and smooth, about 30 seconds. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2.    While the batter is resting, measure 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil into each cup of the popover pan. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place the popover pan in the oven, and heat to 450 degrees. After the batter has rested, pour it into a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or another container with a spout (you will have about 2 cups batter). Working quickly, remove the pan from the oven and distribute the batter evenly among the 6 cups in the pan. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, without opening the oven door. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake until golden brown all over, 15 to 18 minutes more. Invert the pan onto a wire rack to remove the popovers and cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately. 

 
 

Best Flaky Biscuits with Bacon and Cracked Pepper

 

Best Flaky Biscuits with Bacon and Cracked Pepper

Download Best Flaky Biscuits with Bacon and Cracked Pepper Recipe

 

These biscuits are perfect for an indulgent weekend breakfast. Serve them with scrambled eggs, your favorite frittata, or make mini sandwiches with leftover ham and cheddar cheese. Saco powdered buttermilk works well in this recipe, but make sure that the water is ice cold when you add the melted butter. The tiny clumps of butter that form from the cold liquid ensure the flakiness of the biscuits – a handy tip from the folks at America’s Test Kitchen.

 

6 strips bacon, cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces) 

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper  

2 teaspoons baking powder  

1/2 teaspoon baking soda  

1 teaspoon sugar  

3/4 teaspoon table salt  

1 cup buttermilk (cold) 

8 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly (about 5 minutes), plus 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing biscuits 

 

 

1.    Preheat oven to 475 degrees and adjust oven rack to middle position. Fry bacon in 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and cool to room temperature.

 

2.    Whisk flour, pepper, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cooled bacon, and salt in large bowl. Combine buttermilk and 8 tablespoons melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps.

 

3.    Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. Spray a 1/4-cup dry measure lightly with cooking spray and then scoop level amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (biscuits should measure about 2 1/4 inches in diameter and 1 1/4 inches high). Repeat with remaining batter, spacing biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes.

 

4.    Brush biscuit tops with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes before serving.