By Week 452. Year 9. Tommy is 42. Deer season. The stand at dawn. The coffee in the thermos. The waiting that is not waiting but praying — the silent prayer of a man in a tree, asking the woods for what the woods are willing to give. dark roux gumbo for dinner from what the season provides.
Made dark roux gumbo this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Laissez les bons temps rouler.
When you’ve spent all day in the stand and come home to a pot of dark roux gumbo already filling the house with that deep, smoky smell, you don’t need much else — but a basket of warm biscuits on the table says the meal is complete. These whipped cream biscuits come together fast, no fuss, no cutting in cold butter, no waiting — just the kind of bread that belongs next to a bowl of gumbo on a cold October night when the woods gave what the woods were willing to give.
Whipped Cream Biscuits
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 14 minutes | Total Time: 24 minutes | Servings: 10 biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add the cream. Pour the cold heavy cream into the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough comes together — do not overmix. The dough will look rough and slightly sticky.
- Turn and pat. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a 3/4-inch thick round, folding the dough over itself two or three times to build light layers.
- Cut the biscuits. Use a 2-inch round cutter or the rim of a glass, pressing straight down without twisting, to cut out biscuits. Gather scraps, re-pat, and cut remaining dough.
- Bake. Arrange biscuits on the prepared baking sheet with sides just touching. Bake for 12–14 minutes, until tops are golden and the biscuits have risen tall.
- Brush and serve. Remove from oven and immediately brush tops with melted butter. Serve warm alongside gumbo, stew, or anything that needs a good piece of bread next to it.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 21g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg