Oliver's Cornmeal Tea Biscuits

These biscuits split the difference between a Southern buttermilk biscuit, an English scone, and proper cornbread. The combination of all-purpose flour, cake flour, and yellow cornmeal gives them a tender crumb with just enough cornmeal grit to keep things interesting.

The sugar level is gently sweet, the way a tea-time biscuit should be. Not dessert sweet, but enough to pair beautifully with strong tea, butter, jam, or clotted cream. They’re sturdy enough to slice and stuff with cured ham or smoked salmon for tea-sandwich service.

Cutting cold shortening into the dry mixture is what creates the flaky pockets that puff in the oven. Use a pastry blender or two knives, working until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal with a few pea-sized pieces of fat.

Don’t overwork the dough. A few quick passes to bring it together is plenty. Heavy kneading turns biscuits dense and tough.

Serve warm with butter and good preserves, or split and toasted with cream cheese for breakfast.

Kitchen Tips

• Chill the shortening in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting in. The colder the better.
• Use medium-grind cornmeal, not fine. The texture is part of what makes these distinct.
• Press, don’t twist, the cutter for biscuits that rise straight and tall.
• Cool 5 minutes on the pan before transferring. They’re fragile when hot.

Variations

• Add ½ cup chopped dried cherries or cranberries to the dough.
• Stir in fresh blueberries and a teaspoon of lemon zest for a brunch version.
• Brush the tops with a beaten egg mixed with milk before baking for a glossy finish.