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Black Pepper Cream Cheese Biscuits

Source of Recipe

From "Secrets of the Southern Table" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"Callie White was once a much-sought-after caterer in Charleston, and one of her most popular menu items were cream cheese biscuits stuffed with minced country ham and slathered with Dijon mustard-spiked butter. For years, customers clamored for her to sell her biscuits on the side, but she was always too busy. The biscuits became so popular that her daughter, Carrie Morey, finally convinced her mom they needed to go into the biscuit business. Now, ten years later, they've baked more than 4 million biscuits, each and every one by hand! Carrie and her team of bakers use White Lily self-rising flour�and since White Lily doesn't sell in bulk, the bakers are forced to use 5-pound bags! Why is Carrie so attached to White Lily? Southern all-purpose flour is milled from soft winter wheat that has less gluten-forming protein than national brands of all-purpose�approximately 9 grams per cup of flour for White Lily versus 11 or 12 grams per cup for other brands. Gluten gives structure to yeast breads, but is not what you want for tender biscuits. If you live outside the South, White Lily is available online or in some specialty shops. Or, for results similar to those of Southern flour, substitute equal parts all-purpose flour and cake flour. These black pepper biscuits were inspired by the flavor and texture of Callie's Charleston Biscuits. I split them and stuff them with thinly sliced country ham, too, and here I've topped them with Pear Mostada."

List of Ingredients

◦ 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the biscuits
◦ 2 tablespoons baking powder
◦ 1 � teaspoons fine sea salt
◦ 8 tablespoons (� cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
◦ 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
◦ � to 1 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing the biscuits
◦ 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for the top
◦ Sliced ham, for serving (optional)
◦ Pear Mostarda (recipe follows)


Recipe

Heat the oven to 500� F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse to combine. Add � cup of the buttermilk and the pepper; process until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl, adding the remainder of the buttermilk, if necessary. The dough should pull from the sides of the bowl. (In testing, I found that 1 cup was necessary with King Arthur all-purpose flour and � cup was more appropriate for White Lily flour.)

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead lightly, using the heel of your hand to compress and push the dough away from you, and then fold it back over itself. Give the dough a small turn and repeat four or five times. (It's not yeast bread; you want to just barely activate the gluten, not overwork it.)

Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 9-inch square about � inch thick. Using a chef's knife or a long utility knife, cut the biscuits into 1 �-inch squares. (Don't drag the knife through the dough, but instead press the knife directly through the dough. This will help prevent pinched edges.) Use an offset spatula or pancake turner to move the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, keeping them close together. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with additional pepper.

Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 450� F. Bake, rotating the pan once, until nicely browned and the temperature registers 205� F, about 17 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm with sliced ham and Pear Mostarda.

Makes 36 (1 �-inch) biscuits




❧ Pear Mostarda:

◦ � cup white vinegar
◦ 1 cup sugar
◦ 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
◦ 6 firm Bosc pears, cored, peeled, and diced (about 6 cups)
◦ 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
◦ Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

Combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and � cup water in a medium saucepan. Add the pears and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the pears are tender but still hold their shape and most of the liquid has cooked away, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

Let cool completely before serving.
The mostarda is best made a few days before serving so that the flavors can meld and intensify. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Makes 2 cups