Whipping Cream Biscuits

Whipping Cream replaces butter or shortening in these tall, velvety biscuits. These are so quick and easy to make – no cutting in fat with a pastry blender or food processor here – a lot like making cookie dough!

Learning to cook, I got frustrated with “cutting in fat”. I hated thinking about it. I hated even looking at the pastry blender. I always seemed to leave the pieces of butter too large, or let everything get too warm…

I’d end up with a deflated, soggy mess after baking.

That’s when I found Whipping Cream Biscuits.

My mom and I started making these biscuits around the holidays because she’d have heavy cream on hand for other recipes. As the name implies, these biscuits get their fat from cream, not a solid fat like butter or shortening. And because of that, they’re very quick to whip up.

Key Ingredients

The main players in Whipping Cream Biscuits are:

• Flour – Use a high-quality, all-purpose flour and you’ll end up with a softer, more tender result.
• Cream – You can use whipping cream or heavy cream interchangeably here. They differ slightly in milk fat content, but this recipe has been tested using both products. No noticeable differences were noted in the (delicious) end product.

The Process

The process of making Whipping Cream Biscuits is a lot like mixing up a batch of cookie dough…

Measure your ingredients and throw everything in a bowl. Mix until combined, but do not overmix.

Roll, cut, bake. The end. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Speaking of rolling and cutting:

Leave the biscuit dough on the thicker side before cutting: no more than an inch, no thinner than half an inch.

I find that this helps achieve a taller biscuit with baking. It may mean the baking time is a little longer than what the recipe states, so keep and eye on them and aim for that golden-brown color.

NOTE: I highly recommend a biscuit cutter.

I do not recommend cutting biscuits with a glass. I know loads of people do it. I did it for years. I’ve had perfectly good glasses break during cutting or while trying to retrieve a stuck biscuit from inside.

Once the glass breaks, everything needs to go in the trash – you never know where those tiny shards may end up and it’s not worth the risk. Do yourself a favor, and get a metal or plastic biscuit cutter. They’re fairly cheap, easy to clean and best of all, they won’t shatter in your dough.

Recipe Notes:

• How long can I store these? Whipping Cream Biscuits keep well in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days after baking. Baked biscuits also freeze nicely in a freezer bag. Simply thaw before eating, or reheat in the microwave.
• Can I use whole wheat flour? This recipe has not been tested with whole wheat flour (yet). You may be able to get away with half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour, but just keep in mind this will increase the denseness of the final product.
• Can I use half and half instead of cream? If I’m measuring the whipping cream and I find I’m up to ¼c short, I’ve been known to make up the difference with half-and-half. But, due to the fact that half-and-half contains less milk fat than heavy cream or whipping cream, I don’t suggest using it as a substitute for the full amount.

Finishing Touches

Whipping Cream Biscuits are perfect for topping with gravy or jelly and butter.

More ideas for serving:

• Brush baked biscuits with garlic butter and serve with a hot bowl of soup, or plate of freshly fried chicken
• Add ½ cup of blue cheese crumbles or shredded cheddar cheese to the dough before rolling/cutting for cheesy biscuits
• These biscuits are NOT crumbly and make excellent breakfast sandwiches and even survive my lunch bag when I need something on-the-go

Enjoy!