The Only 2 Ingredients You Need For Quick Biscuits

While I admit to being somewhat of a skeptic regarding two-ingredient recipes, there are some that are actually pretty legit. The mimosa, a classic cocktail, is nothing but sparkling wine and orange juice, while a can of frosting and a bag of white chocolate chips makes pretty good vanilla fudge. Even though I'm no fan of Ritz crackers, I'll admit they're totally transformed when dipped in chocolate and can even make a decent Thin Mint knockoff if that chocolate is mint-flavored. Yet another two-ingredient recipe that seems to be a keeper is one for biscuits made with nothing more than cream and flour. The trick is, the flour needs to be self-rising. If all you've got is all-purpose flour, this becomes a four-ingredient recipe, since you'll need to add baking powder and salt.

To make the biscuits, mix 2 cups of flour with 1 ¼ cups of heavy cream. (If using all-purpose flour, add a tablespoon of baking powder and one-and-a-half teaspoons of salt). The beauty of this recipe is that you can use canned coconut cream (not the sweetened stuff) or any other plant-based heavy cream substitute for a vegan version. You can either roll out and cut the biscuit dough or simply scoop it up and drop it on a baking sheet, portioning it to make either 16 small biscuits or eight large ones. If you want to make the biscuits look extra pretty, brush more cream over the tops before baking them at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 minutes.

If you're an all-purpose flour fan like I am (who has room for an extra bag?), you've already busted the two-ingredient cap for this recipe. In that case, why not go ahead and add a few more ingredients? If you're eating the biscuits plain, you may find that an extra teaspoon of salt improves the flavor. For a sweeter biscuit, skip the salt and add 2 tablespoons of sugar. A teaspoon of vanilla wouldn't be amiss with the sweet biscuits while half a teaspoon or so of garlic or onion powder or other dried herbs or spices could pep up the savory ones.

You can also embellish these biscuits with a few well-chosen mix-ins. A cup of shredded cheddar cheese would be a great place to start, although you could use other semi-hard cheeses such as Swiss or pepper Jack if you prefer. A quarter cup of sliced green onions, either on their own or in combination with cheese, could add some savory snap, while half a cup of crumbled bacon would most likely be a welcome addition. In fact, with bacon, you could straddle the line between sweet and savory biscuits by stirring in a few tablespoons of maple syrup. (Keep an eye on the liquid, since you might need to add a little more flour or reduce the amount of cream to compensate). A few more unexpected, but nonetheless tasty, biscuit enhancers could include the zest of a lime along with a tablespoon of its juice or a tablespoon of spicy-sweet sriracha.