Dorothy was so right: there is no place like home.
During the last years of my husband’s education, we lived together in Manhattan. After that, we could have moved anywhere. I wanted to live close to family, so we moved to Miami, Florida, where my brother and sister-in-law lived with their two girls. That is where we bought our first home. At that point, I was working full time and our son was 6 months old. But for some reason, Miami never felt like home to me. I was born and raised in the northeast, and I always felt out of place there, however I loved being near my family, especially my two nieces, whom I still hold very dear.
My husband wasn’t happy with his job, and it became clear that Miami was not for us. While we were talking about moving to another city in Florida, hurricane Andrew hit. Our home was destroyed and we had no place to go. We moved eight times in one month with our son, and our possessions in three small boxes. I was in shock. We had to find a temporary place to live until we decided where to go, so we rented an apartment on Miami Beach. My commute to get my son to preschool, and me to work, became a nightmare.
Out of the blue, my husband got a job opportunity from a colleague back in the northeast. After a brief discussion, my husband wanted to take the position. In the moment, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but this was my chance to move back home, to a place where I was comfortable and safe. The horrible tragedy of hurricane Andrew became somewhat of a blessing.
We moved back and purchased a home. This one really felt like home to me, and I was finally at peace. A home is where you can cozy up on a rainy day. Where you feel relief pulling into the driveway after a long trip. Where you feel at ease when you walk in the door. The sound of my children laughing and playing echo in the hallways. And of course, the delicious scent of dinner in the oven, or the delightful smell of a pie or muffins baking in the oven.
So, this is one really good recipe that will make anywhere you are feel like home. These biscuits are so light and fresh. The lemon and the dill are flavors, though they don’t sound great on paper, I found combine well together. They are the tang and the savory that make these delightful treats so irresistible. Have them for breakfast, a snack or dessert, anytime is a good time to eat them. A pat of butter really brings out the rich flavor of these biscuits.
This recipe is courtesy of Cook’s Country and will make 8 biscuits for people who will truly feel at home in your home.
Ingredients for Lemon-Dill Biscuits:
3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened, plus 1 tablespoon melted
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
Grease 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
Whisk flour, dill, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Using your hands, rub butter and shortening into flour until mixture forms a coarse meal.
Stir buttermilk into flour mixture until just combined.
Using greased ⅓-cup dry measuring cup, scoop out and drop 8 mounds of dough evenly into prepared skillet.
Brush biscuits with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
Transfer skillet to oven and bake until biscuits are puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through baking.
Using potholders, transfer skillet to wire rack and let biscuits cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
It’s that simple!
