Springtime Hand-Ground Fennel Seed and Buttermilk Biscuits

The time for springtime picnics has arrived! I wanted to make my famous Flakey Goat's Milk and Thyme Biscuits for a lovely garden party my husband and I were having this afternoon, but I realized I had no goat's milk and only buttermilk. I also wanted a more delicate and spicier flavor than thyme to excite my pallet for the brighter flavors to come within a couple months. I scoured my spice rack for something that would fulfill my want of brightness when I stumbled upon a jar of dried fennel seeds. "Perfect!" I thought. These biscuits are incredibly light and fluffy with an uplifting flavor, perfect for a springtime garden party. Serve them fresh from the oven with apple butter or blueberry preserves.

What You'll Need:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons ground fennel seed*

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold cut into cubes

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup butter, melted

*You can purchase ground fennel seed, but I like grinding it myself with my mortar and pestle. It gives the fennel a more rustic quality and provides a wonderful texture within the biscuits.

- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

- In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, soda, and fennel.

- Using two knives, cut in the ½ cup of cold butter until well blended (this can also be done in a food processor which will speed up the process).

- Add the buttermilk and form the dough into a ball. Feel free to add a little extra flour if you need.

- The rest of the process is identical to the recipe for my Flakey Goat's Milk and Thyme Biscuits. Form the dough into a ball and roll out into a rectangle about ½" thick.

- Arrange the rectangle so one of the short sides is facing you. Starting from the edge closest to you and working up the rectangle, using a pastry brush or spoon, lightly cover two thirds of your dough with the melted butter. Starting with the farthest edge, fold the dough into thirds.

- Roll out the dough again and repeat the previous step about 3 more times. This process is what will make your biscuits flakey. Be careful not to roll to hard or be too harsh with your dough, otherwise your biscuits will be tough (and nobody likes tough biscuits!)

- Once you have coated and folded your dough for the last time, roll out the dough until it is about 1" thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the biscuits into equal squares. If you prefer circular biscuits like me, you can also use a round cookie cutter or even a biscuit cutter to cut out your biscuits.

- Place your cut biscuits on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

- Remove from oven and let cool slightly. These babies are best served warm.

Yield: About 12