Strawberry Drop Biscuits

This recipe received high praise from Master Baker Yvonne of Portola Valley, a trusted recipe recommender. As biscuits go, these are as easy as it gets; with no rolling or cutting and mixed in a single bowl. Kind of a cross between a scone and a biscuit. The outside browned and crunchy, and the inside tender and moist. The butter and cream give them richness, and the addition of water creates steam to keep them light and fluffy.

I considered skipping the simple glaze, but think it added a touch of sweetness that complimented the berries. As I was assembling my ingredients, I was slightly (?) annoyed to see that the strawberries had gone into a breakfast smoothie! Fortunately, most any fruit will work here, and I actually think my blueberry biscuits will be the ones I continue to make.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

6 Tbs. cold salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 medium strawberries, cut into small 1/4-inch pieces (about 2/3 cup), or whole blueberries, raspberries, or other diced stone fruit

6 Tbs. heavy cream, plus more if needed

1/4 cup unsifted confectioners sugar

Arrange an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, granulated sugar and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl. Toss the pieces of butter into the flour mixture to coat. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the flour until the mixture is mealy and small pieces of pea-size butter remain.

Add the diced strawberries and toss with a fork to combine. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add 4 Tbs. of the heavy cream and 1/4 cup of water. Continue tossing with the fork until the dough is just evenly damp and shaggy, being careful not to overwork the dough too much. Add 1 to 3 teaspoons more water, as needed, if the dough is still too dry to work with.

Drop 6 mounds of dough (each a generous 1/3 cup) onto the baking sheet, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches of space between each mound and gently padding any stray bits of dough back into place as you work. Lightly brush the tops with 1 Tbs. heavy cream and bake until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

Add the confectioners sugar to a small bowl, and whisk in the remaining 1 Tbs. heavy cream, adding more if needed to make a thick icing that is just thin enough to drizzle. Spoon over the warm biscuits; serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I used a full cup of blueberries, which maybe caused me to end up with 7 biscuits. Would do that again as I liked each bite including a berry!