I have a love/hate relationship with biscuits. When I come across biscuits that are buttery, tender and flaky (as these are), yes please. But, as I've experienced one too many times, the somewhat fickle nature of biscuits (and not taking care to make them with a few rules of thumb in mind) means I've bitten into something more like dry, tasteless hardtack. I'd rather just eat flour directly out of the bag, so I usually avoid taking my chances altogether.

Enter the above batch of winning biscuits. In this recipe, our chefs reach for butter over shortening for added flavor along with two leavening agents to maximize lift with the buttermilk. They then add fresh, minced rosemary, which infuses the dough and really takes these quick breads to a special place. For best results, keep your butter and buttermilk cold until the last minute, and don't overwork the dough (just mix enough until shaggy, a bit tacky and you can bring it together). Lastly, dip your biscuit cutter in a little flour before cutting each biscuit and cut by pressing directly down into the dough rather of twisting, which can seal the edges and prevent layers and rise in the oven.

Make these anytime you want a rich, flaky biscuit-we especially recommend serving them alongside a warm, comforting bowl of our Chicken Pot Pie Soup.

Rosemary Biscuits
From our Nordstrom Family Table Cookbook
(Makes 6 biscuits)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 tablespoons melted
3/4 cup cold buttermilk

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the rosemary and boil just until the rosemary turns a brighter green, about 1 minute. Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Drain again and pat completely dry with paper towels. (This helps the rosemary retain its color after baking.)

Sift the 2 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl. Stir in the rosemary. Add the cubed 6 tablespoons butter and toss to coat. Use a pastry blender or two knives in a crisscross manner to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter. Gradually stir in the buttermilk until the mixture clumps together. Gather up into a ball. The dough should be moist and slightly sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead once or twice to form a ball. Dust the top of the dough with flour and roll out about 1 inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut into 4 biscuits. Gather the dough scraps, gently form into a rectangle, and cut out 2 more biscuits. Transfer to a baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with the 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Bake until the biscuits are well risen and golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Serve warm.

Our Rosemary Biscuits served alongside our Chicken Pot Pie Soup.

-Jeff Powell