Angel Biscuits

It's the simple things that are the best things.

These are none other than that. Little, fluffy, pockets of buttery goodness. I like mine with a little jam, but butter and honey is a close second.

Angel Biscuits

Yields: about 40 1" biscuits or 20 3" biscuits

Original recipe here.

1/2 oz. active dry yeast (2 packets)

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups buttermilk, warm

5 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup shortening

butter, melted (optional)

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the warm buttermilk and set aside. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl, stir together. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the yeast/buttermilk mixture and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly 3 - 4 times, then roll out to about 1/2" thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter (for normal size, use 3", for teeny ones like mine, use 1") Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 450 F for 8 - 10 minutes. Lightly brush the tops with melted butter when they come out if desired.

Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls

When the recipe said quick and easy, I was sold. I made it the day I saw the recipe - now that is some advertising! Sometimes you just need something sweet, and after a long hiatus of not baking, I needed something to ease me into the process. Even though yeast can be scary, these are anything but!

I'm not going to tell you that these are the most amazing cinnamon rolls I've ever had, because they weren't, but anything that is this easy and requires little effort can't nearly taste as good as something that you've poured your heart and soul into! But besides that, I still managed to polish them off ;)

Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Yields: 12 cinnamon rolls

Original recipe here.

1/4 cup warm water (not hot)

2 tsp. dry active yeast

1 tsp. + 2 tbsn. sugar, divided

1 large egg

1/3 cup + 2 tbsn. sour cream, divided

2 1/2 tbsn. unsalted butter, melted, divided

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Whisk together the water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in a large mixing bowl; allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining sugar, egg, 1/3 cup sour cream, 1 tbsn. melted butter, baking powder and salt until well combined. Stir in the flour until well combined and a ball of dough forms. Lightly cover the bowl with a moist towel or saran wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm area for 45 minutes. Roll the dough out into a thin rectangle on a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin. Brush the dough with 1 tbsn. melted butter, then sprinkle the entire surface with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough up and slice into 12 equal pieces. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and lightly cover with a moist towel or saran wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Once risen, heat the oven to 350 F. Brush the cinnamon rolls with the remaining 1/2 tbsn. melted butter and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. To make the glaze, mix together the remaining sour cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cinnamon rolls.

Red Velvet Pancakes

Ah! This last installation in Pancake Week is a little bit late but I've been overcome with heat and sickness. That's me being dramatic but I have been spending my last days in bed with nothing but my laptop and occasionally my super cute dog!

A while back ago, a reader suggested that I make red velvet pancakes. She said that they would be the perfect fit for my blog, and as soon as I read her comment, I wholeheartedly agreed. I love kitschy food! Most people are sick of red velvet now, but I could never get sick of something so lovely. I mean anything that gives me excuse to eat buttermilk and cream cheese frosting is okay by me.

These pancakes are just plain fun. The red color is stunning and immediately evokes a giggle out of me. These would have been extremely lovely with a light cream cheese glaze but unfortunately I didn't have any cream cheese on me. I made a buttermilk syrup instead and it was equally as lovely. I just love buttermilk syrup because I can never find a way to use up all the excess buttermilk I have in my refrigerator! Plus, it sure is tasty.

Red Velvet Pancakes

Yields: 2 servings

Original recipe here.

1 cup flour

1 tbsn. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsn. sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsn. melted butter or vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. red food coloring
buttermilk syrup, for serving

Preheat a lightly greased or nonstick skillet on the stovetop. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the egg, melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla and food coloring and whisk well until the better is smooth and few lumps remain. Drop the batter into the hot skillet and cook until the edges are just starting to set and the bottom is lightly browned, about 2 - 3 minutes. Flip and cook again until the bottom is lightly browned, about 1 - 2 minutes. Serve immediately with syrup, berries, or whipped cream.

Spiced Peach Pancakes

Guess what friends?! This week at Une-deux senses is PANCAKE WEEK!

There's no shortage in my love for pancakes here. You've seen me make oodles of pancakes, from chai-spiced, to creme fraiche & pear, to matcha, to mango & coconut, to ricotta hotcakes, and even cornmeal hoecakes! Whew, that was exhausting going through all the kinds of pancakes I've made... so it's pretty clear then that I love them so dearly right?!

If you can believe it, I have tons more of pancake recipes just waiting to be published in my arsenal of good eats here at Une-deux senses. So I decided to just bang them out in a lovely week I've entitled: PANCAKE WEEK. I just realized I repeated myself but oh well, the excitement here is beyond!

What better way to celebrate a summer breakfast with fresh, juicy peaches? Surrounded in a slightly spiced and fluffy batter and topped with even more juicy, sweet peaches? Dang, I'm in heaven. I caramelized some peaches in butter and brown sugar to top my pancakes with, but that's completely optional. What a great start to my PANCAKE WEEK!

Spiced Peach Pancakes

Yields: about 12 large pancakes

Adapted from my favorite pancake recipe, here.

1 cup whole wheat flour 

1 cup cake flour or ap flour

3 tbsn. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

pinch of salt

2 eggs

2 cups lowfat buttermilk

2 tbsn. butter, melted

2 - 3 large, ripe peaches, sliced thin

crème anglaise, for serving (recipe here)

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. Throw some water on the griddle, if it sizzles, it's ready. Turn down the heat to medium-low and grease the griddle with cooking spray. Ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and lay about 3 - 4 slices of the peaches on top. Cook until bubbles start to arise to the top of the pancakes and the edges lose their sheen. Flip, then cook until golden brown. 

Sweet Cherry Scones

I've been kind of, in reality, totally obsessed with scones at the moment. I guess I actually can't even say 'at the moment' because I've been obsessed ever since I tried the most monumentally, mind-blowing scones ever at the Diamond Head Market & Grille in Oahu, Hawaii. I was never one to love scones. They have a bad reputation of being dry and chalky... but ever since I met the 'one' I can't get the idea of delicious scones out of my damn mind!

I've come to realization with the fact that I will never be able to duplicate the glorious scones that come from the Diamond Head Market & Grille and that's okay by me. I guess I'll just have to visit more often ;)

Anyway, despite failures to replicate their famous Blueberry-Cream Cheese scones, I now know that scones can be very loveable. They don't have to be dry, bland or chalky. These scones are easy, delicious and moist beyond belief. Seriously, I had a craving for scones and whipped these up in less than an hour with not a drop of sweat or a wave of stress. The best part is that you can toss anything you want into them - I happened to have some fresh cherries on hand so that's what I threw in and it was delicious.

I imagine any fresh fruit would be perfect, possibly some dark chocolate? Lemon zest? Cream cheese? The possibilities are really endless!

Sweet Cherry Scones

Yields: about 10 drop scones

Adapted from here.

8 tbsn. unsalted butter, cut into cubes and frozen

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1 1/2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Fold in the frozen cubed butter and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, but do this fast so that the butter does not melt. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and milk together to combine then add to the butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Use a large ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Pear-Creme Fraiche Pancakes

I've been having this obsession with pancakes. I just, well, love them. They're like a quick and easy dessert in my mind. I've made all kinds: the best, chai-spiced, matcha flavored, blueberry ricotta, mango coconut, even bacon greased hoecakes! They were all spectacular, but these, oh man, these... were so freaking delicious.

These were inspired by the pear pancakes from The Kitchen, which I've personally never tried but my best friend rants to me about them all the time. But truly, they were inspired by the gorgeous pears I bought from the Farmer's Market. They were the most delicious pears I've had in a while: supple, buttery and so deliciously sweet. They cost a pretty penny but they were definitely worth it.


You might as well call these pancakes dessert since I served them alongside my favorite sauce ever: a vanilla-bean creme anglaise. Think: the best vanilla bean ice cream, melted and smothered on top of your pancakes. Yeah, it's awesome - your tastebuds and tummy will thank you.

Pear-Crème fraîche Pancakes

Yields: 12 - 16 pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup flour

3 tbsn. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup crème fraîche

3/4 cup + 1 tbsn. milk

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla 

unsalted butter, for cooking

1 large ripe, but firm pear, sliced very thinly

vanilla bean crème anglaise, for serving

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Whisk together the crème fraîche, milk, eggs and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined. Melt some butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the batter into the pan (about 1/4 cup per pancake). Arrange a slice of pear on top of the batter. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes over medium heat until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another 1 - 2 minutes, until browned. Continue this process with the rest of the batter. Serve with the crème anglaise. 

How to Cook Perfect Pancakes

Pancakes are a simple, good thing. But, that being said, there are a lot of ways to mess a pancake up. I've witnessed my fair share of pancake disasters and disappointments. To me, the perfect pancake is fluffy, light and a bit chewy. If that's your idea of pancake heaven - then please, heed my advice on how to make the most delicious pancakes ever! My favorite buttermilk pancakes are down below, but you could apply these tips to any pancake batter you desire to make an awesome Sunday brunch.

{just a few tips on how to reach pancake nirvana} 

(1) Fluff your flour. Fluff you say? Yes. Anytime I measure flour, I always make sure to lighten the flour by "fluffing" it, just to make sure I always measure the right amount of flour. Not fluffing your flour could result in pancakes that are too heavy - and we don't want that at all!

See! Flour that is light and fluffy!

(2) DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT over mix your batter. The most important cardinal rule of great pancake making is do not over mix your batter. The best way to make pancakes is to make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients in the center, then slowly swirl the two together until just combined. Lumps are perfectly fine - in fact, lumps are very much welcomed.

(3) Grease your pan. Cooking spray is your friend. I find it the easiest way to grease your pan and the most effective. If you don't have cooking spray on hand, butter or vegetable oil should be fine too. Just use it to lightly coat the pan so your pancakes will come off like a dream.

(4) Low and slow... is the name of the game. Although cooking on high flame might get the job quicker, the best way to cook pancakes is on medium-low heat so that the pancakes can cook evenly. As soon as the edges of the pancakes start to lose their shine and bubbles start to rise to the top of the pancake, it's time to flip!

(5) Don't press your pancakes! Pressing your pancakes will not make them cook any faster and plus, you'd be ruining all the effort you put into your pancakes to make them light and fluffy. If you feel the urge - RESIST!

The results of low and slow cooking (on the left) and high temperature cooking (on the right).

(6) Don't stack em. Pancakes are meant to be stacked only if you eat them right away! The best way to eat pancakes is to eat them straight off the griddle but if that's not a possibility - resist the urge to stack your pancakes! The heat from the pancakes will cause them to sog each other up and we wouldn't want soggy pancakes would we?

(7) Racks are your friend. Again, if eating pancakes straight off the griddle isn't a possibility, cooling racks are the best way to house fresh pancakes. Straight off the pan, arrange your pancakes in a single layer to allow the pancakes to cool. Before eating, re-warm the pancakes in a low-temperature oven (about 200 F).

(8) Bask in pancake bliss. Perfect pancakes are only perfect if they are enjoyed. So chow down!

Butter and maple syrup are necessary!

Now, on to my favorite pancake recipe. I have made plenty o' pancakes and I've loved them all - from chai flavored, matcha  flavored, pear filled, chocolate chip studded and more. But, simple, fluffy buttermilk pancakes are a special tool that any home cook can use in their arsenal. These pancakes are awesome, basically. They're incredibly light, fluffy and easy to make. I think it's the mixture of buttermilk and sour cream that makes them extra tasty!

{my favorite pancakes}

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Yields: 16 4" pancakes

Original recipe here.

2 cups flour

2 tbsn. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

3 tbsn. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 - 2 tsp. vegetable oil, for greasing the pan

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, eggs and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients and gently stir until just combined - do not over mix! Allow the batter to sit 10 minutes before cooking. Heat 1 tsp. of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using a paper towel, carefully wipe it out, leaving a thin film of oil on the bottom of the pan. Pour 1/4 cup portions of the batter on the hot pan and cook until the edges are set, the bottom is golden brown and bubbles on the surface are beginning to break, about 2 - 3 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 1 - 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and serve immediately.

{update!}

This is another amazing pancake recipe that only uses buttermilk, so if you don't have sour cream - these will automatically make breakfast fabulous!

Best Buttermilk Pancakes II

Yields: 20 pancakes

Original recipe here.

2 cups flour (whole wheat works wonderfully too)

3 tbsn. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

2 eggs

2 cups lowfat buttermilk

2 tbsn. butter, melted

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. Throw some water on the griddle, if it sizzles, it's ready. Turn down the heat to medium-low and grease the griddle with cooking spray. Ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbles start to arise to the top of the pancakes and the edges lose their sheen. Flip, then cook until golden brown.