Losing self-control in the face of yogurt biscuits

This week I had my plans all laid out for One Good Loaf.
Those plans completely changed however when I read the Culinate newsletter that gets delivered to my inbox. One of the featured recipes caught my eye, a recipe for Yogurt Biscuits. This was the point where “placenta brain” took over and I was no longer master over my own free will and choice–the pregnancy cravings were in control. The bread recipe I had planned on making and had so carefully prepared for was accidentally shoved into a pile of papers (hey, out of sight, out of mind, right?) and I began pulling ingredients out of the cupboard and refrigerator like a maniac. I felt somewhat like Homer Simpson, except instead of the line being about donuts, it was “Mmmmmm . . . yogurt biscuits . . . .” All rational thought had left my head and all I could think about was getting those biscuits made so that I could be stuffing them into my already salivating mouth.
I had that dough mixed up, cut into biscuits, and thrown into the oven faster than you can say “lickety split” and was soon smelling the aroma of baking biscuits from the oven. In my haste I made the biscuits a bit thick, so they needed a couple extra minutes of baking time.
When I was finally able to pull them out I quickly split one open, slathered it in cream honey and took a big bite. At this point I began to come to my senses as my craving began to be satiated and I had to laugh. I was covered in flour and my kitchen was a mess, but boy was I happy! The biscuits were nice and moist and I enjoyed every last bite of two of them in one sitting.

Yogurt Biscuits
By Carry Floyd, from the Culinate Kitchen collection
Makes 10 to 14 biscuits

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole-wheat pastry flour (I just used regular whole-wheat flour because that’s what I had)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 to 8 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into 8 to 10 pieces
1 1/4 c. plain yogurt or buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the entire mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

3. With a large spoon, stir the yogurt into the dry ingredients, just until the mixture comes together. If some of the dry ingredients are still loose at the bottom of the bowl, stir in an additional spoonful of yogurt, then with your hands press all the dough together into a shaggy ball.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times, until the dough is holding together. (Don’t worry if it’s a little stick.) On the floured surface, press dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle and cut into biscuits with a round glass or biscuit butter dipped into flour.

5. Place the biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet. Reshape the leftover dough, being careful not to overwork it, and cut out more biscuits.

6. Place the baking sheet on top of an identical baking sheet (a double pan lowers the chance of overbaking the bottoms of the biscuits) and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the biscuits are golden-brown. These biscuits are best served warm.

Coming Sunday: Mandarin Manifesto