Parmesan Sesame Biscuits
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 8:28PM 
If you read my post on Pasta with Beets and Spring Onions, then you’re well aware of my fondness for Laurie Colwin, and how much I love her books. They have been an absolute inspiration to me over the years; not because Laurie is such an accomplished, sophisticated cook, but perhaps because the opposite is so true. Laurie was a writer (she died in 1992) who loved to cook. She was (and continues to be) a constant reminder of what it is that draws me into the kitchen and how important it is to cook simply, with love and a sense of humor.
These biscuits are one of my favorite of her recipes. I’m not sure why, but it seems that perhaps they embody the idea that good home-cooked food should not only taste good, but in some simple way, also warm the heart and make us smile.
And these biscuits make me smile. There’s nothing complicated here, just the lovely simplicity of a home-made biscuit. And that’s the thing, isn’t it? Whether we’re up or down, we must be fed. And sometimes all it takes is a biscuit, made from scratch, with parmesan and sesame seeds.
Parmesan Sesame Biscuits
Printable Recipe
Adapted from a recipe by Laurie Colwin in More Home Cooking
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds
1. Sift 2 cups of flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt
2. Cut or rub in 2 tablespoons butter
3. Add 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese and 1 ½ tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds (let them cool first).
4. Add about 1 ¼ cups buttermilk (or a combination of milk and yogurt) and stir until the mixture forms a dough. Knead 6 times on a floured board.
5. Roll out to about ½ inch and cut with a round cutter. When I use a 2 ¼-inch cutter, I get 20 biscuits.
6. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.
Reader Comments (4)
Are these the biscuits you made for breakfast when we were visiting?? Those were soooo good! I think I ate about six of those.
No, those ones were different, but good too. I'll have to make these for you sometime. Or you could make them. They're amazing with Sophia's strawberry-rhubarb jam.
These warm my heart and make me smile! :-))
Wow, they look simply amazing! and will make a great companion to soup or pasta dish. I usually do not bake biscuits, but this recipe make me want to try as I think I can eat five of these in one sitting.