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poppy seed biscuits

freight house poppy seed biscuits
poppy seed biscuits
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poppy seed biscuits

this biscuit recipe comes from a church cookbook that belonged to my father’s mother. we called her gimper and she was famous for her apple butter and stack cake. the technique is something i learned while working in birmingham with miss annie. whether it’s a sweet or savory dish we are pairing the biscuits with at the freight house, we always top them with poppy seeds, fresh cracked black pepper, and flake salt. every time you make biscuits, they will improve. they truly are an art form and representative of the way I cook…from the hip.

ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 8 Tbsp butter cold and cut into dime size cubes cubed
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds
  • 1 Tbsp heavy cream
  • flake salt and black pepper
instructions
  1. in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  2. mix with your hands to get any lumps outs.
  3. add the butter using a “church fold.” rub your hands together with flour and butter in your palms. almost like shaking hands with yourself, causing the butter to smash and stretch. you want long, flat pieces of butter (you are essentially creating a laminated dough). this will make your biscuits extra fluffy. do not over mix the butter. you do not want the pieces to be too small.
  4. slowly add milk to the dough. keep folding it over on itself. do not knead or squeeze the dough to incorporate the milk. the dough should become one, but not be wet and sticky. if you need a little extra milk, go for it.
  5. roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface at 1-inch thickness, and cut biscuits into your desired size. we like “cat head,” which means huge. you can also make tiny biscuits for snacks at parties.
  6. arrange on a sheet tray/baking pan and lightly brush with heavy cream. sprinkle poppy seeds, salt, pepper on top.
  7. let set in fridge for 30 to 45 minutes. you can also freeze for up to 1 week. just take out of the freezer and let thaw in the fridge before baking.
  8. bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown and done inside. the cooking time will depend on the size you make.
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