Name: Biscuits and Sorghum
Yield: 9 biscuits
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp. sugar (optional); 1 tbsp. baking powder; ½ tsp. salt; 1¼ cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing; 1 large egg yolk; Softened butter; Sorghum or molasses; Jam (optional); Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

One of the most remarkable people I’ve ever met was Moe, my partner Keiko’s great-grandmother. She lived through some of the most challenging chapters in American history, including the Great Depression. Like many children of that era, she left school early to help support her family, taking a job as a factory seamstress before she ever reached high school. Despite her formal education being cut short, Moe was sharp as a tack. She was brilliant, talented, and endlessly resourceful, with a fiery wit that she carried well into her final days. Even her stories of hardship had a hint of humor: “The Great Depression? Nothing ‘great’ about it!”

I was fascinated to learn that during those times of food scarcity, she and her family made do with biscuits and sorghum, a molasses-like syrup. It may not sound as interesting as some other dishes, but it’s downright heavenly—as long as you’re not eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (as Moe would remind you). Sorghum has a lighter yet more complex flavor than cane molasses, and when whipped with heaps of butter, there’s nothing better to sop up with a warm biscuit. If you already have it on hand, molasses will do just fine. “Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without.” —Bobby Hicks, Retro Recipes: Vintage Dishes with a Modern Twist

Read our Q&A with Hicks, and check out his recipes for copycat Cheez-It crackers and butterscotch bread pudding.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar (if making sweet biscuits), baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Gradually add the cream to the bowl and mix until you have a shaggy dough that is incorporated but not overmixed.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12-inch square. Using a bench scraper, fold one side inward to the center, then fold the other side to the center, so it becomes a 12×6-inch rectangle. Then fold the top edge down to the center, and then the bottom. Now the dough should be roughly a 6-inch square. Dust your hands with some extra flour if needed to prevent stickiness.

Gently roll the dough again into a 12-inch square, and repeat the folding process.

Gently roll the dough one last time into a 12-inch square and square off the edges. Cut into 9 even biscuits using a knife or bench scraper and cutting straight down.

Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 1 to 2 teaspoons heavy cream. Brush the mixture on top of the biscuits.

Bake the biscuits until golden brown on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes if using convection.

Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then split the warm biscuits in half and spread with a light smear of softened butter. Spoon a tablespoon of sorghum or molasses on top, along with a bit of jam and thyme, if you like.

Note: You can absolutely use a round cutter for your biscuits, but I prefer the rectangular shape, as it results in less waste and less handling. Avoid “cutting” the dough with a knife, bench scraper, or round cutter—simply press down and lift up. This will prevent crimping the dough, which reduces the rise of the biscuits.