Spiced Pecan Drop Biscuits

These aren’t your average breakfast biscuit. Four warm spices, chopped pecans, dark raisins, and buttermilk turn a basic drop biscuit into something that smells like the holidays when it comes out of the oven.

The spice blend is generous: a full tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons of freshly grated nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Mixed into the dry ingredients, they flavor the biscuit from the inside out rather than just sitting on top as a dusting.

The combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour is deliberate. Cake flour has less protein, so it lightens the crumb and keeps these from getting dense despite all the add-ins. Cream of tartar works alongside the baking powder and soda to give extra lift to a dough that’s weighed down with nuts and fruit.

Cut the shortening into the flour with two knives or your fingertips, then fold in the buttermilk with just a few strokes. Overmixing is the fastest way to ruin a biscuit.

Kitchen Tips

• Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons. Don’t try to shape or smooth them. Rough, craggy tops bake up with more crispy surface area
• Freshly grated nutmeg makes a big difference over pre-ground. The flavor is sharper and more aromatic
• These bake fast at 425°F (218°C). Check at 12 minutes if your oven runs hot
• Serve warm with butter or cream cheese

Variations

• Swap raisins for dried cranberries for a tarter, more colorful biscuit
• Use walnuts instead of pecans for a milder nut flavor
• Drizzle with a simple vanilla glaze while still warm for a sweeter pastry-style biscuit