These biscuits go beyond soul food. I believe that they potentially lead to salvation, and I can try to explain why. With only four ingredients, they take only minutes to make. And after you eat one, you will know what heaven must taste like. It was a spring day several years ago, when I first visited the Farmhouse at Serenbe, which sits at the edge of a utopian, nature-focused community south of Atlanta. I knew that the food would be exceptional because Serenbe was started by Steve Nygren, who had previously owned some of our favorite Atlanta restaurants, and his wife Marie, whose mother presided over the famous Mary Mac’s Tea Room on Ponce deLeon for decades.
Well – before the meal of perfectly fried chicken and fresh organic vegetables (grown at Serenbe), came these biscuits. That first bite led to a series of events that took me deeply into a love affair with Serenbe and a return to my own naturalist roots. I soon took my children to summer day camp there and held work retreats there. It was there that I was first introduced to one of my favorite modern books, Last Child in the Woods. All of these experiences changed us in some way for the better. We spent authentic time together outdoors in the rolling hills and forests of Serenbe, delivered from the encumbrances of our technologies. Yes – a real slice of heaven.
On another spring day, I will share more of my most soothing experiences at Serenbe, but let’s start where it all began. Marie accurately calls herself “the daughter of Dixie cuisine.” She shared this biscuit recipe on her blog Serenbe Style and Soul. I was delighted in finding it, and surprised to learn of its simplicity. Now these biscuits make a sunny appearance on our camping trips as well as our Easter lunches and other special days. They usually receive something just short of a standing ovation. They have even provided redemption on a couple of occasions when other parts of a meal turned out to be disappointingly ordinary.
ingredients
2 cups Lily White self-rising flour
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sour cream (not low-fat)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives (original recipes calls for 1/4 cup)
Directions
Be careful measuring ingredients – the flour, butter and sour cream need to be exact. Pour all ingredients into a bowl, and blend by hand. Drop into greased muffin tins, and bake at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Make sure that they are high enough in the oven that the tops brown, or you will end up overcooking. These biscuits love a pat of butter, and maybe even some fresh strawberry jam.
Related: Another Southern Delight – Second Wife’s Pecan Pie
