My grandma’s biscuits were the stuff of legends. My dad and his sisters rave about how tall and fluffy and heavenly they were. Unfortunately, Grandma never used a recipe and she is no longer with us to share her secrets. From what I’ve been told, Grandma’s biscuits were sky-high, light, and more like cake than a biscuit. She didn’t measure, but went by feel when it came to determining if the dough was the right consistency. I do not have that skill. I must have instructions. America’s Test Kitchen has a recipe that I have been told is pretty close, and I modified it for these biscuits. Christmas Morning Eggnog Pan Biscuits are a nod to my grandma and a gift to my youngest, a certified eggnog-drinking-fool! Both eggnog lovers and those who won’t touch the stuff agree these biscuits are some of the best they’ve had. I’ll consider that an early Christmas present to myself!
The Recipe…
Christmas Morning Eggnog Pan Biscuits makes an incredibly wet dough. So wet, that you’ll wonder how they will ever bake into biscuits. The biscuits must also be treated gently, no crazy kneading like other biscuit recipes. These pan biscuits use the sides of the pan and each other to rise sky-high. Indeed, these biscuits are more akin to cake than a cut-out biscuit, and for Christmas morning, I’m perfectly OK with that! 🙂
The pictures below help to explain some of the more unique parts of the recipe.
The real magic happens when Christmas Morning Eggnog Pan Biscuits come out of the oven. They smell fabulous, and the fresh nutmeg and eggnog lend a flavor that is pure Christmas. This recipe becomes something extra-special when the icing is drizzled over the golden tops of the biscuits.
As pretty as Christmas Morning Eggnog Pan Biscuits are on the serving plate, they are even more appealing as individual servings. At that point, I no longer have to gaze at the biscuits from afar!
Light and fluffy and covered with creamy icing, it is next to impossible to eat only one of these decadent biscuits. I challenge you to try! 🙂 For me, I guess that’s where my New Year’s Resolution comes in.
Wishing you and your family a blessed holiday season, with a grateful Thanksgiving and a Christmas full of the spirit of the gifts Christ gave to us. Have a great week!
Notes
Store leftovers in a tightly covered container after cool.
This recipe was created using Prairie Farms Eggnog, a local favorite in my area of the country.
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 2 c. all purpose flour, plus 1 c. sprinkled on rimmed baking sheet
- 1 T. baking powder
- 1 T. sugar
- 1 t. salt
- 1/2 t. freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 4 T. cold butter, plus 2 T. melted butter
- 1 1/2 c. cold eggnog
Icing
- 1 c. powdered sugar
- 1-2 T. eggnog
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1/8 t. rum extract or eggnog flavoring, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500° F and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda.
- Using a pastry blender, cut 4 T. of butter into mixture until no large pieces remain. Rub flour/butter mixture between hands to remove all large pieces of butter and make the mixture the consistency of coarse sand or cornmeal.
- Add eggnog and stir until mixture is just incorporated. (Dough will look lumpy and very wet.)
- Spray the inside of a 1/4 c. dry measuring cup and scoop dough out onto flour-lined baking sheet. You should get 12 evenly sized scoops.
- Using fingers, lightly pick up each piece of dough, coat with flour, and shape into a rough ball. Place in greased 9-inch cake pan with 9 biscuits around the outside and 3 biscuits in the middle.
- Brush tops of biscuits very gently with melted 2 T. butter.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 500° F and then lower temperature to 450° F for 12-15 minutes, or until biscuits are very golden brown.
- Let biscuits cool for 2 minutes, turn out of pan, and then turn biscuits back right side up and break apart. Drizzle with icing.
Icing
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, eggnog, and extracts. If too stiff, add a small amount of eggnog until desired consistency is obtained.
- Drizzle over baked biscuits.