JAM THUMBPRINT BISCUITS

Flaky, buttery biscuits are one of my favorite shortcakes to bake—and eat. I love working the dough with my hands, then peeling apart the hot biscuits layer by layer. As much as I enjoy biscuits with jam, I wanted the two to fuse together more. After experiments with baking jam inside the dough and on top, I found that thumbprint indentations work best. The crater ensures that every bite includes some caramelized jam, and it results in a chewy layer on top and a juicier fruitiness near the bottom.

TIP: Thinner jams will bubble up and out of the thumbprints. If you want jam that stays in the centers, choose a thick variety.

makes about 10

no eggs, no nuts

1. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Whisk both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and toss to coat, then cut it in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until small crumbs form, with a few pea-sized pieces remaining. Add the buttermilk and stir just until incorporated. There will be some dry bits floating around the dough. Gently gather the dough together in the bowl to form a ball, kneading it if necessary, and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.

3. Roll the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Fold it in thirds, like a letter, then roll to ¾ inch thick. Use a lightly floured 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut the dough into rounds, pressing straight down and cutting the rounds as close as possible to each other. Place the rounds on the prepared pan, spacing them 1 inch apart. Gently pat the scraps into a ¾-inch disk and cut out more rounds; discard the remaining scraps.

4. Use the very thick handle of a wooden spoon, a wine cork, or two fingers to poke an indentation in the center of each biscuit, going nearly all the way to the bottom. Each thumbprint should be a scant 1 inch in diameter. Freeze until the dough is firm, at least 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Mix the cinnamon with the remaining 1½ teaspoons sugar in a small bowl.

6. Scoop about ½ teaspoon jam into each biscuit indentation. Sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with the cinnamon sugar.

7. Bake until the biscuits are risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Slide the parchment paper with the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Any spilled jam will harden into gooey caramel and crisp, sugary shards; you can peel off these pieces and enjoy them with the biscuits.

MAKE AHEAD

The biscuits are best the day they’re made but will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

Jam Thumbprint Biscuits

FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Omit the jam and cinnamon sugar and simply cut the dough into rounds; bake as above.