Buttermilk Biscuits w/ English Clotted Cream + Strawberry Preserves

 

Ingredients: all-purpose flour, buttermilk, unsalted butter, baking soda, baking power, salt, sugar, English Clotted Cream, Strawberry Preserves

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Nothing better than homemade biscuits fresh from the oven. Except for homemade biscuits done the English way! I came across this incredible jar of English Clotted Cream (made by the Devon Cream Company) and I got inspired to make some biscuits to go with it. It was during my first trip to the Cotswolds a few years ago that I had some currant scones that were served with this incredible English cream and strawberry jam - with a cup of Earl Grey, of course. So when I saw this at Surfas yesterday, I had to snatch it up.

 

Instead of scones, I thought I'd make my famous Buttermilk Biscuits using the recipe from epicurious.com + Gourmet magazine. Perfectly buttery and just barely sweet, the pairing with the cream and the jam makes everything melt in your mouth. The recipe is pretty genius and very simple; I think the key is sifting the dry ingredients twice, allowing for a fluffier consistency once it bakes. My only spin is to NOT use a rolling pin, as the recipe suggests. It's better to just mold it out with your hands to about a 3" high rectangular block and then use a biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. 

I wish I had enough time to whip up a batch of my Strawberry Jam, but since it's so early in the season, I got a jar from Trader Joe's instead. Not sure where else you can find the Clotted Cream, but most likely in any specialty food store or larder. If you've never tried it before, it's like a thick whipped cream, the consistency of cream cheese, but sweeter and richer.