Chapter 3
MARCH FAMILY DINNERS AND SUPPERS
“I was truly grateful that I not only possessed the will but the power to cook wholesome food for my little girls,” Marmee tells her daughters in the pages of Little Women. Here, then, are the very types of simple everyday recipes that Marmee, Hannah, and the newly married Meg would lovingly put on the table to gratify and nourish their families.
Meg’s Chicken and Macaroni Soup
Beef Stew with Molasses and Apple Cider Vinegar
Hannah’s Smoked Sausage and Potato “Mess”
◁ APPLE ORCHARD CHICKEN
“I’ve laid in a heap of books, and I’m going to improve my shining hours reading on my perch in the old apple tree.” —Jo
It’s hard to know what Jo likes best—eating apples (she devours four in one afternoon in an early chapter) or sitting on a branch of the apple tree to read her beloved books. This recipe uses apples and apple juice for a creamy, sweet-tinged main dish that Jo and her apple-loving family would no doubt enjoy.
Makes 4 servings
4 thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 11/4 pounds [567 g]) total
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup [40 g])
1/2 cup (118 ml) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup (177 ml) apple juice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 small apples, such as Gala, Jonathan, or Cortland, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick (6 mm) slices
1 teaspoon (1 g) snipped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream
2 tablespoons (8 g) snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, patting off the excess.
2. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until brown on both sides and cooked through (170°F [77°C]), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
3. Stir the shallot into the oil remaining in the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until softened, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the broth, apple juice, and apple cider vinegar, taking care not to let the liquid spatter. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the apples and thyme. Let the mixture boil, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup (120 ml), about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the cream and boil gently until the sauce thickens and the apples are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes more. Arrange the chicken on four dinner plates, spoon the sauce and apples over the chicken, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.
MEG’S CHICKEN AND MACARONI SOUP
Beth was soon able to lie on the study sofa all day, amusing herself with the well-beloved cats at first, and in time with doll’s sewing… . Meg cheerfully blackened and burned her white hands cooking delicate messes for “the dear.”
A “mess” is an old-fashioned term for a cooked dish, and Meg enjoys cooking delicate messes for Beth while she is ill. Preparing food for family members who were in the “sick room” kept many cooks busy in the nineteenth century. Indeed, some cookbooks at the time included tips and even entire chapters on cooking for invalids. These recipes included soft gruels (thin liquids usually made from boiled grains), as well as broths, puddings, stewed fruits, and savory gelatin-like concoctions that would be easy for an ailing person to eat.
These days, someone who’s feeling under the weather might not love you for bringing them a restorative drink made of calves’ feet and milk. However, they might be very grateful for this “delicate mess,” a variation on chicken noodle soup that calls on macaroni, a popular soup noodle of the time.
Makes 4 light main-dish servings
6 cups (1.4 liters) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup (75 g) dried elbow macaroni
11/2 cups (210 g) chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 tablespoon (4 g) snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1. In a soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the chicken broth, carrot, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the macaroni and cook until the macaroni is tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the chicken, parsley, and lemon juice. Heat to boiling. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls to serve.
BAKED NEW ENGLAND COD
Cod fishing was a booming business in New England in Louisa May Alcott’s time, and the mild, delicate fish would have made for an inexpensive alternative to pricier meats for the financially struggling March family. Cookbooks at the time often called for stuffing the whole fish with a mixture of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, onion, and butter, and sewing the fish back up with a needle and thread. Here’s a much easier way to serve the fish using similar ingredients, but without the needle and thread.
If you like, serve this with tartar sauce (see the recipe below). The recipe was modeled after a recipe in an 1850 cookbook that calls for almost exactly the same ingredients—including “French” mustard (known as Dijon today)—but with a homemade hard-cooked egg dressing rather than mayonnaise. It could be the best tartar sauce ever.
Makes 4 servings
20 saltine crackers or 1 cup (72 g) oyster crackers
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons [55g]) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons (12 g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons (20 g) minced onion
Salt and ground black pepper
4 (6-ounce [170 g]) cod or haddock fillets (each about 3/4 inch [2 cm] thick)
Tartar sauce, homemade (recipe follows) or purchased, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Put the crackers in a heavy resealable plastic bag, press out the air, and seal the bag. Roll a rolling pin back and forth over the bag until the crackers are finely crushed.
3. Transfer the crushed crackers to a small bowl and add the melted butter, parsley, onion, and a pinch of black pepper and stir to combine the ingredients.
4. Grease the bottom of a shallow baking dish that’s large enough to hold the fish fillets in one layer. Sprinkle the fish with a few pinches each of salt and pepper. Divide the cracker crumb seasoning evenly over the tops of the fillets, pressing the crumb mixture lightly so that it sticks to the fish.
5. Bake the fish until it is opaque throughout and flakes easily when you insert a fork into one of the fillets, 8 to 12 minutes. Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
1850 TARTAR SAUCE: In a bowl, gently fold together 1/2 cup (115 g) mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons (27 g) drained and chopped cornichons (small sour French pickles), 1 small chopped shallot (about 2 tablespoons [20g]), 2 tablespoons (2.5 g) snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons drained and chopped capers, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup (250 g).
NEW ENGLAND FISH CHOWDER
Say the word “chowder” and, for most Americans, clams immediately come to mind. Yet in the mid-1800s, more cookbooks gave recipes for fish chowder than for clam chowder. The ingredients most always included salt pork (a relative of bacon), onions, and cod or haddock, and sometimes, though not always, potatoes and milk or cream. As cod was inexpensive and abundant at the time, it’s very likely that the March family would have occasionally enjoyed a fish chowder like this one at dinner.
Makes 4 servings
2 slices thick-cut bacon
Butter, if needed
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup [80 g])
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
11/2 cups (355 ml) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 medium red or small russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups [220 g])
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
21/2 cups (595 ml) 2% or whole milk, divided
2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour
12 ounces (340 g) cod or haddock fillets
Snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley or chives
1. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. If needed, add butter to the fat in the pan to equal 2 tablespoons (30 ml). Add the celery, carrot, and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender but not brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Slowly add the chicken broth so that it does not spatter. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to boiling, then reduce the heat so that the broth actively simmers. Cover the pan and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Combine 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the milk and the flour in a screw-top jar; cover and shake until combined and lump-free. Stir this flour slurry into the soup, then add the remaining 2 cups (475 ml) milk. Cook, stirring, until the soup boils.
3. Add the fish fillets and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pan and simmer until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue simmering and stirring gently, using a spatula to break the fillets into bite-size chunks.
4. Chop the bacon into small bits. To serve, ladle the soup into wide, shallow bowls and top with the bacon and snipped fresh parsley or chives.
Bill of Fare for a Simple Chowder Supper
New England Fish Chowder (above)
◁ GARDEN POT PIE
Are you a vegetarian? If so, you’re in good company. Louisa May Alcott’s father, Bronson Alcott, a renowned teacher, philosopher, and antislavery activist, was a vegetarian. In fact, in 1843, he founded Fruitlands, a short-lived commune whose members refrained from eating or using any kind of animal products—yes, they were vegans, though that term had not yet been coined. Bronson Alcott was also a gardener, and this recipe honors those talents (though admittedly not the strict vegan diet of Fruitlands).
Flavored with summer savory, a nicely peppery herb that was popular at the time, this pot pie makes a hearty main dish for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike; you could also serve it as a side dish alongside roasted meats.
Makes 6 servings
3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (160 g) chopped onion
1 celery rib, sliced (about 1/2 cup [50 g])
8 ounces (226 g) white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 pound (454 g) baby red and/or yellow potatoes, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch (2 to 2.5 cm) pieces (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (235 ml) water
1 teaspoon (2 g) seasoned vegetable base (see Note)
1 cup (235 ml) whole milk
2 cups (260 g) frozen peas and carrots, thawed
11/2 teaspoons (1 g) dried summer savory, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 sheet (half of a 17.3-ounce [490 g] package) frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. In a very large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and potatoes and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid released from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Put the flour in a medium bowl. Gradually add the water and seasoned vegetable base, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the milk. Add this mixture to the skillet. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the peas and carrots and summer savory. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the vegetable mixture into a 2-quart baking dish.
4. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the thawed puff pastry and press/roll it lightly to smooth the seams. Cut the pastry to fit over the baking dish with a slight overlap. Cut a few slits in the dough. Place the dough over the vegetable mixture, tucking the edges inside the dish. Brush the pastry with the egg wash mixture (you won’t use it all—discard any extra).
5. If the dish is very full, place it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips that might bubble up while it bakes. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTE: If seasoned vegetable base, such as Better Than Bouillon is unavailable, you can substitute 1 cup (235 ml) vegetable broth for the 1 teaspoon of vegetable base and 1 cup (235 ml) water in the recipe.
◁ MEG’S MACARONI AND CHEESE
While the cooking mania lasted [Meg] went through Mrs. Cornelius’s Receipt Book as if it were a mathematical exercise, working out the problems with patience and care. Sometimes her family were invited in to help eat up a too bounteous feast of successes.
One of the recipes in Mrs. Cornelius’s Receipt Book was for macaroni and cheese, and judging by how often recipes for it appear in nineteenth-century cookbooks, this dish was as popular back then as it today. This recipe makes a luscious version that gets extra flavor if you follow Mrs. Cornelius’s directions and use an “old” cheese (see sidebar).
Makes 4 servings
2 cups (210 g) dried elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour
21/2 cups (590 ml) 2% or whole milk
3 cups (340 g) shredded cheddar cheese, preferably aged Vermont or Irish
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain well, return to the pot, and set aside.
3. While the macaroni is cooking, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir until a smooth paste forms, about 30 seconds (do not allow this to brown). Slowly pour in the milk while stirring. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Add the cheese and cayenne pepper and stir until the cheese is melted. Stir the cheese sauce into the macaroni. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart (2 L) casserole dish.
4. Bake the macaroni until heated through and beginning to bubble, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
CREAMED HAM ON TOAST
Any cook in Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy’s time would have known how to make some version of a creamy, buttery white sauce. Cookbooks of the time were filled with ways to use the sauce. Most commonly, it was used as a sauce for poultry and fish, but it also found its way atop veal, tripe (don’t ask), eggs, oysters, and vegetables, notably cauliflower.
This recipe is inspired by an informal supper dish at the time called “frizzled beef.” The dish was made by taking cooked beef—perhaps left over from an earlier dinner—and shaving it thin. Then, the beef was fried in hot oil and served in a cream sauce over toast. Basically, it’s an ancestor to what we call creamed chipped beef today.
In this recipe, ham stands in for an up-to-date alternative to frizzled beef, but the dish remains a gratifying option for a simple supper.
Makes 4 servings
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour
11/2 cups (355 ml) whole or 2% milk
21/2 cups (375 g) chopped smoked ham
2 teaspoons (10 g) Worcestershire sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper to taste
6 slices sandwich bread
2 tablespoons (8 g) finely snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir until a smooth paste forms, about 30 seconds (do not allow this to brown). Slowly pour in the milk while stirring. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens and bubbles, then cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in the ham, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Cook and stir until the mixture is bubbly and heated through. Remove from heat; cover and set aside to keep warm.
2. Toast the bread. Cut each toasted slice into quarters. Put six toast quarters overlapping in a row on each of four plates. Spoon the creamed ham atop the toast and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve hot.
Sunday Night Supper at the Marches
Creamed Ham on Toast (above)
Buttered green beans
Strawberry Sherbet served with Vanilla Butter Cookies with Mr. Bhaer’s Chocolate Drops
BEEF STEW WITH MOLASSES AND APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
No doubt, Hannah made meat stews often for the March family. Then as now, a good stew recipe is one of the best ways to turn an inexpensive cut of meat into a wholesome and warming meal. This old-fashioned recipe calls on two flavorings that would have been in the Marches’ pantry: molasses (Jo was a pro at making gingerbread cake, which stars molasses) and apple cider vinegar, likely made from the fruit of Aunt March’s apple orchards. These two ingredients meld together beautifully in this winter-perfect dish.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
11/2 pounds (680 g) beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (141/2-ounce [411 g]) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) mild-flavored molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/3 cup (50 g) raisins
Hot cooked noodles or Hannah’s Pounded Potatoes, for serving
1. Sprinkle the meat with the salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Add the meat cubes, a few at a time, and turn to coat them with the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium if the meat browns too quickly. Transfer the meat to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the garlic; stir briefly until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the tomatoes with their juices, vinegar, molasses, and ginger. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring, to loosen up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the meat to the pan. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes.
4. Stir in the pearl onions and the raisins; cover and simmer until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve with noodles or potatoes.
◁ HANNAH’S COTTAGE PIE
Hannah had lived with the family since Meg was born, and was considered by them all more as a friend than a servant.
Hannah is a beloved member of the March household. Where did she come from? Due to her brogue-filled speech and the fact that so many Irish people immigrated to the United States in the 1840s, when Meg would have been born, she was most likely Irish. It’s a good bet that she would have known how to put together a good cottage pie, a well-known British and Irish dish of seasoned minced beef topped with mashed potatoes. Cottage pie is a cousin to shepherd’s pie, which is traditionally made with lamb rather than beef.
Makes 6 servings
1 recipe Hannah’s Pounded Potatoes
1/2 cup (57 g) shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
11/2 pounds (680 g) ground beef (at least 90% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup [160 g])
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (1.3 g) dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste
11/2 cups (355 ml) reduced-sodium beef broth
2 teaspoons (10 g) Worcestershire sauce
11/2 cups (225 g) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1. Prepare the potatoes as directed through step 2, omitting the extra 2 tablespoons of butter. After the potatoes have been mashed, stir in the cheese. Cover and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until the onion is tender and the meat is brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley flakes; cook and stir for 30 seconds more. Add the flour; cook and stir for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomato paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and mixed vegetables and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour the mixture into a 3-quart baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, using a spatula to spread the potatoes evenly over the meat.
5. Bake until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
An Everyday Family Dinner at the Marches
Hannah’s Cottage Pie (above)
HANNAH’S SMOKED SAUSAGE AND POTATO “MESS”
Ask Hannah for some nice little mess, and take it round. —Jo
The Marches often deliver food to the Hummels, an impoverished German-immigrant family that lives nearby. A “mess” is a bygone term for a cooked dish and, with German sausages and hearty potatoes, this “nice little mess” would have made the Hummels feel right at home. The potatoes are roasted with olive oil, which Hannah might have known as “sweet oil,” a common term for olive oil at the time.
Makes 4 servings
11/2 pounds (680 g) red-skinned potatoes cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
11/2 tablespoons (22 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked
1 (12-ounce [340 g]) package fully cooked smoked German beef sausage (such as knockwurst) or fully cooked beef kielbasa, cut into 2-inch pieces
Meg’s Currant Jelly Sauce or Dijon or brown mustard
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Put the potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika. Toss lightly to coat, then spread the potatoes in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes.
3. Stir the potatoes, then push them toward the edges of the sheet. Put the sausage pieces in the middle. Bake until the potatoes are tender and brown on the edges and the sausage is heated through (165°F [74°C]), about 20 minutes more. Serve with currant jelly sauce or mustard.
◁ HANNAH’S POUNDED POTATOES
Jo wrathfully proposed that Mr. Davis be arrested without delay, and Hannah shook her fist at the “villain” and pounded potatoes for dinner as if she had him under her pestle.
Clearly, Hannah puts her heart and soul into her cooking. In the above scene, she vigorously pounds potatoes after learning that Amy’s teacher, Mr. Davis, has harshly punished Amy for bringing pickled limes to school. Later in the book, when Marmee returns home after a long absence, Hannah dishes up a splendid breakfast for her, “finding it impossible to vent her excitement in any other way.” When Beth grows gravely ill, “Old Hannah never wearied of concocting dainty dishes to tempt a capricious appetite, dropping tears as she worked.”
Here’s a luscious recipe for “pounded potatoes” (aka mashed potatoes) that would make Hannah proud. Because she is likely of Irish descent, this version includes scallions, a popular Irish addition to the dish. You’ll find it makes a terrific all-purpose side for just about any kind of braised or roasted meats or poultry.
Makes 4 servings
4 medium russet potatoes (11/2 to 2 pounds [680 to 907 g] total) peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, divided
4 scallions (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
Salt and black pepper to taste
1. Put potatoes in a large saucepan and add salt and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a boil, cover, and cook until the potatoes are so soft that they fall apart when you try to spear one with a knife, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander and set them aside. In the same saucepan, heat the cream, 4 tablespoons (55 g) of the butter, and the scallions over medium heat until the butter is melted and the cream is hot. Remove the pan from the heat. Return the potatoes to the pan. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and top with dabs of the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter. Serve immediately.
◁ MAPLE-CORNMEAL DROP BISCUITS
The omelet was scorched, and the biscuits speckled with saleratus.
Saleratus was a kind of baking powder that Jo used to help her biscuits rise. Unfortunately, when she makes biscuits for Marmee, she must have forgotten the key step of thoroughly mixing the saleratus into the flour. Such an omission would have made the bitter-tasting saleratus all too apparent in notable specks here and there. Specks of the modern baking powder we use nowadays can have the same effect, so be sure to mix it in well when you’re stirring the dry ingredients together.
One of the keys to making light, tender biscuits is not to overhandle the dough. Hannah would most likely have rolled the biscuit dough and cut it into neat little rounds—and done so with a light, expert touch. However, a less-experienced cook (Jo, for example) would fare better by dropping the batter from tablespoons. Let’s go that route for these easy no-fail biscuits.
Makes 16 biscuits
13/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 g) yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar
1 tablespoon (14 g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons (42 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
2 tablespoons (25 g) shortening, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
3/4 cup (177 ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (85 g) maple syrup
Maple Butter (recipe follows), for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar.
3. Add the butter and shortening. Using a pastry blender or two table knives in a crisscross fashion, cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add the buttermilk and maple syrup. Stir the mixture lightly with a fork just until everything is combined into a soft dough. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Serve warm with maple butter.
MAPLE BUTTER: Let 1 stick (8 tablespoons [112 g]) unsalted butter stand at room temperature until soft, about 30 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons (42 g) maple syrup.