Basil Parmesan Biscuits #recipe @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: In my Connecticut town, we have a wonderful independent bookstore named RJ Julia Booksellers. As you can imagine I spend a lot of time there, drawn to it like metal filings to a magnet. This photo shows my book launch party back in July.

In addition to the inside of the store--the shelves and shelves and shelves of fabulous books with smart booksellers to help you figure out what you need, and a cafe at the back where you can have a cup of coffee and a cupcake, they often put reduced price books out on tables in front of the store. I double dare you to pass by without checking them out. A couple of weeks ago I found a Cooking Light book called Everyday Baking. Leafing through, I found each recipe looked better than the last. Maybe I was just hungry. But you know by now how much I love biscuits and bread and cake, and you know that I bought it. 

And this recipe for basil Parmesan biscuits is adapted from that cookbook. I adjusted the amount of salt (up a little) and sugar (down a little).

I made these biscuits in my food processor and they were snap to put together. Though the recipe calls for purple basil (which I used because I found it at the farmers market,) I think you could substitute green as well. Why not? You're the chef!


Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2/3 cup purple basil, chopped
1/2 cup grated hard Italian cheese, such as Parmesan, Romano etc.
2/3 cup milk
One large egg

Pulse the dry ingredients together. Then pulse the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles crumbs. And the basil and the cheese and pulse that until well mixed. In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk the egg with the milk, add this to the mixture and stir until combined. 

Scrape the batter out onto a floured surface. Kneed lightly then pat the dough into a square, about 1 inch thick. Cut into 16 biscuits. 

Bake at 4:25 for 13 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Best served piping hot with good butter.

FATAL RESERVATIONS is on bookshelves now! 

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