Maple Orange Butter for Buttermilk Biscuits

Maple Orange Butter for Buttermilk Biscuits

The newest addition to our traditional Sunday Brunch is this amazing sweet butter to spread on warm buttermilk biscuits. No joke, this is sensational stuff! Destined to be a new family favorite.

Maple Orange Butter

I use unsalted butter and add a tiny pinch of salt or you can use 1/2 salted and 1/2 unsalted butter. Of course you can use all unsalted if you prefer.

• 1 cup butter (not margarine or other horrible butter substitutes)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• zest of one small orange, very finely minced

Beat together with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes about 18 two inch biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 9 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Pulse in:

• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold vegetable shortening, cut in small cubes (I store mine in the freezer)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the shortening and butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in:

• 2 cups buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches. Using a sharp 2 inch biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them, almost touching, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown.