 | Pimento BiscuitYield: 12 biscuits Pastry Chef Georgia Macon of Prentice Hospitality | Portland, ME |
I chose to do a “pimento” buttermilk biscuit, featuring The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley Red Jalapeño. It’s typically quite difficult to incorporate heat into baked goods that still has a “fresh” flavor profile, but The Perfect Purée allowed me to do just that—I swapped out some of my buttermilk for the purée and incorporated cheddar, shallot confit, and cream cheese to give it a classic pimento cheese vibe. The purée gave the biscuit a gorgeous orange hue and a delightful salty, sweet heat that’s hard to stop coming back to.
Ingredients for Pimento Biscuits:
• 600 g. cake flour
• 450 g. special patent flour
• 400 g. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1½-inch cubes
• 15 g. fine sea salt
• 100 g. granulated sugar
• 19 g. baking powder
• 6 g. baking soda
• 220 g. whole milk buttermilk
• 300 g. heavy cream
• 90 g. The Perfect Purée Red Jalapeño Puree, thawed
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Filling:
• 150 g. cream cheese, softened
• 150 g. grated white cheddar cheese
• 40 g. confit shallots, cooked whole in oil until tender
To Assemble and Serve:
• 40 g. egg yolks
• 40 g. heavy cream
• flaky sea salt, to taste
Method for Biscuits:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine both flours, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and butter. Chill the bowl and its contents at least 20 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar, and confit shallots. Scoop ½-teaspoon portions onto a parchment-lined tray and freeze until firm. With the stand mixer on low speed, mix the dry ingredients until the butter breaks down to pea-sized pieces, 5 to 7 minutes. In a small bowl, stir The Perfect Purée Red Jalapeño into cream and buttermilk. With the mixer running, stream in the dairy mixture, then stop immediately. Scrape down the paddle and bring the drier bottom mixture to the top. Add frozen cream cheese bits and briefly mix until dough just begins to come together. Finish incorporating any dry flour by hand. Pack dough into a 2-inch-high square on a lined sheet tray. Freeze 30 minutes, until firm enough to portion.
To Portion:
Mark 2½-inch squares along the block of dough, trimming rough edges. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut straight down along marked rows and columns.
To Assemble and Serve:
Heat a convection oven to 325°F (low fan). In a small bowl, whisk yolks with cream until smooth. Arrange biscuits on a parchment-lined sheet tray, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Brush tops with yolk mixture, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and bake 30 to 35 minutes, rotating two-thirds of the way through. Biscuits are done when deeply golden and dry on top, or when they register 207°F on an instant-read thermometer.