Orange Biscuits

These orange biscuits take the standard buttermilk biscuit and treat it like a tiny cinnamon roll. Roll the dough into a sheet, paint with butter and an orange-juice-and-sugar mixture, sprinkle with orange zest, then roll up jelly-roll style and slice into spirals. Each one bakes into a sweet-orange pinwheel.

The technique is a clever middle ground between traditional drop biscuits and full-on cinnamon rolls. You get the buttery, layered tenderness of biscuits with the sticky-sweet appeal of a sweet roll, in less than half the time it takes to make either from scratch.

Don’t overknead the dough. Biscuits depend on gentle handling for tender, layered results. Pat into a half-inch sheet rather than rolling aggressively, and use a light hand throughout. Overworked dough turns tough.

Grate the orange zest carefully, avoiding the bitter white pith. A microplane is the right tool. Pith makes any orange-flavored bake taste medicinal.

Pro Tips

• Cover and rest the cut biscuits for 10 minutes before baking, as the recipe specifies. This relaxes the gluten and lets the biscuits rise more uniformly.
• Use a hot oven (450°F / 230°C). The high heat creates steam that puffs the layers and gives the tops their golden, slightly crisp finish.
• Place the slices cut-side down in the pan so the spirals stay tight and visible after baking.

Variations

• Drizzle a powdered-sugar-and-orange-juice glaze over the warm biscuits for sweeter, stickier results.
• Swap lemon zest and juice for a brighter, sharper citrus version.
• Add a tablespoon of dried cranberries or finely chopped pecans to the filling for textural contrast.