Drop Biscuits with Molasses Butter

Author Notes

I hate throwing edible things away - and was beginning to get devastated by the idea of all the good whey I was discarding after making Jennifer Perillo's ricotta every few weeks (yes, I admit - I have a ricotta making and eating problem). I stumbled across an article that listed the many uses of whey, one of which being a substitute for buttermilk. I immediately applied it to one of my most made recipes - a version of my mother's incredible drop biscuits. The result was lighter and fluffier than normal - and I've been making them this way ever since! My mom puts dried fruit or (another favorite) dark chocolate chunks in hers - but I like them plain with good butter. —Erin McDowell

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Erinmcdowell is a writer, editor, and food stylist -- and occasional Food52 test kitchen assistant!
WHAT: Fluffy, delicate, lightly-sweet biscuits -- and homemade molasses-y butter to slather all over them.
HOW: Make butter (you can do it!) by whipping cream and molasses, and skimming off the liquid. Mix together your biscuits, drop them on a baking sheet, and butter them as soon as they're out of the oven. Feel very happy.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Let's look past the fact, for a moment, that these were the best biscuits we've had in a long time. We love that erinmcdowell calls for making your own butter in such a nonchalant way -- because once you do it, you realize how easy it can be. And the fact that these biscuits are adaptable makes them easy to whip up whenever the mood strikes; if you have leftover whey from making ricotta, you should use it, but feel free to swap in buttermilk. —The Editors