Peach and honey biscuits recipe
Summer peaches and honey harvests combine in flaky biscuits.
Three summers ago, I planted three peach trees in our front yard around a no-dig pond I installed for my bees. All 3 trees produced peaches this year for the first time. Fortunately, I chose early-, mid-, and late-maturing trees, so I’ve had a gentle transition between peak harvests. The production in this first fruiting year makes me brace myself for summers to come. I froze many peaches for smoothies, started making peach-tomato salads with balsamic (thanks to Sola Café in Raleigh for introducing me to this amazing combination), ate many fresh with blackberries that ripen at the same time (what I call summer’s milk-and-cookies combo), made peach-ginger froyo (which I shared in a recent post about beekeeping in the summer, and combined peaches with my honey harvest in biscuits.
My only exposure to biscuits before I moved to North Carolina nearly 17 years ago was their rare occurrence at restaurants, or even more rare appearance at home if my parents popped open a can of Pillsbury biscuits to drop on a pan and bake. I never liked any of them. Biscuits didn’t have the clout in New York (where I grew up) like they do in the South. I’m not sure at what point I tasted a real southern biscuit, but once I did, I learned what I had been missing.
Recently, I learned that my favorite biscuit partners—butter and honey—were missing out on their friend the peach. Today I’m sharing my biscuit recipes—yes, you’re getting a bonus recipe. Sometimes I’ll have a craving for biscuits, but then realize I don’t have enough milk to bake them. Over the years I’ve found various milk-free biscuit recipes and adjusted them into my own.
Both of these recipes get used in my kitchen every few weeks with seasonal variations. I bake them with no added fruit, seasonal fruit, or cheese—so add your own creative twists and replace the peaches inspired by your own cravings. This week I discovered blueberry bushes on a corner of our property, so I’m baking blueberry biscuits next.
I shared these biscuits in my Instagram stories a few weeks ago and I received several requests for the recipe. Glad to provide the recipe here. Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted all of the glorious pictures I took of these biscuits. The ones pictures are the no-milk recipe and with blueberries instead of peaches. Bake your own to see and taste the goodness.
Peach and honey biscuits (with milk)
Yields approximately 6 biscuits
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (allow for an additional 1/4 cup if the dough is too wet)
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup cold lard*
½ cup milk
1 tbsp honey + more for enjoying on the biscuits
1 diced peach, skin removed
1 tbsp melted butter + more for enjoying on the biscuits
*I choose to bake biscuits with lard because of the health benefits of lard produced from pastured pigs. I made our lard from the Idaho pasture pigs I raised over the past year. Before our own pig leaf fat was available, I sourced leaf fat from a local farm. I’ve also baked this recipe with butter in lieu of lard and they’re both delicious.
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the lard and use a butter knife or pastry blender/cutter to break the lard down into pebble-sized pieces within the flour.
Add milk and honey and mix with a large spoon. Once ingredients are mostly combined, get your hands dirty. Work the dough into a large, smooth ball. Flatten the ball, add the peaches, then fold the dough over. Continue this a few times to fully incorporate the peaches.
Spread and press the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ½” thick. Use a canning ring or mug to cut circles from the dough.
Layer 2 dough circles on top of each other to make a biscuit. No need to press them together. Place in a cast iron skillet. (I use an 8” skillet and this recipe fills it completely.)
Once all biscuits are in the skillet, pour melted butter over them and immediately place the skillet in a pre-heated oven at 425F for 18-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Split and add your favorite combinations—mine is a schmear of butter with drizzled honey. My second favorite addition is Fiddlehead Farm’s strawberry & honeysuckle jelly.
Bonus recipe: Peach and honey biscuits (with no milk)
Yields approximately 6 biscuits
1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
½ tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup cold lard
½ cup cold water (I’ve also substituted cashew milk.)
1 tbsp honey + more for enjoying on the biscuits
1 diced peach, skin removed
1 tbsp melted butter + more for enjoying on the biscuits
Follow the same steps as the earlier recipe, but with these ingredients and ratios.