There would be a mutiny, and possibly a murder if I’d turned on the oven in the past few weeks. It has been so warm that we’ve only been pulling things from the garden or foraging in the crisper and eating them as they wilt in our hands. Late last week we drove out to the Lochaber strawberry festival to take advantage of the bumper crop, and even later as the first cool breeze of the evening blew in I set to baking. Sweating butter and cream and basil these came together late at night and soothed the palate of a house longing for more than salads. They are perfect summer, delicious and cool, beautiful and fresh, warm and cool all at once.
{As usual, all changes to the recipe or general hilarity where I burnt myself, forgot something, or think that something really sucked are noted with an asterisk and annotated at the end of the recipe. Those are usually the funny parts. Recipe for the biscuits are from James Beard, and the creme anglaise from Julia Child’s DVD’s, a gift from my mother!}
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 teaspoons white sugar
1-11/2 cups whipping cream *
1/3 cup melted butter
½ cup milk (4 ounces)*
½ cup heavy cream (4 ounces)
4 large basil leaves, ripped up
4 egg yolks (2 ounces)
¼ cup sugar (2 ounces)
Preheat oven to 425. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir the dry ingredients with a fork to blend and lighten. Slowly add 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups of cream to the mixture, stirring constantly. Gather the dough together; when it holds together and feels tender, it is ready to knead. If the dough seems shaggy and pieces are dry and falling away, then slowly add enough additional cream to make the dough hold together.
Place the dough on a lightly floured board and knead for 1 minute. Gently roll the dough out into a rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into circles or squares and dip each into the melted butter so all the sides are coated. Place the biscuits 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes** or until the biscuits are lightly browned. ***
* While this suggests 1 to 1 1/2 cups, I used the whole 1 and 1/2 cups, and as per my mother, she always has as well. It was perfection.
** These took EXACTLY 15 minutes. My oven is pretty bang on, and on the middle rack, this was perfect.
*** The biscuits need to be zipped up and stored in a ziplock, or they go a bit stale fairly quickly. To revive, simply toast!
Mix the milk and cream in a small saucepan. Add ripped basil. Bring just to a simmer, then remove from the heat and let steep for 15 minutes or so to infuse the dairy with basil flavor.
Partially fill the largest bowl with equal parts ice and water, and set the larger of the remaining bowls on the ice. Set a strainer in place over that bowl.
After the basil has infused the dairy to your satisfaction **, remove the basil, then return the pan to gentle heat and stir frequently. In the third bowl, quickly whisk the yolks and sugar together. Once the dairy reaches a simmer, remove it from the heat and whisk about a tablespoon of it into the yolk and sugar mixture. Continue adding the dairy to the yolk and sugar mixture slowly to avoid curdling.
Once the dairy, yolks, and sugar are fully incorporated, return the custard to the pan and return the pan to the heat. Stir constantly for 1-4 minutes until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Pour through the strainer into the bowl over the ice. Stir until cool, cover, and refrigerate. Spoon over dessert, warm or cool.
* The recipe SAYS 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup whipping cream, but my fridge said “Milk? I haven’t seen milk in years.” So 1 cup of whipping cream it was, and it turned out perfectly!
** I let it sit while I read this somewhat confusing recipe a few times, perhaps 8 minutes or so? The basil flavour was there, but not too strong.
