There’s a moment in Blooming Into Life when I knew Colleen’s story needed something soft to land on. She’s deep into a detox diet, all green juices and rigid rules, and the page felt a little cold. What it needed was warmth — the kind that rises out of a 450-degree oven and fills a kitchen with the smell of butter and buttermilk. So I balanced all that discipline with a batch of Mary Ann’s biscuits.
Mary Ann is Colleen’s mother, and nurturing spirit shows up most clearly in her cooking. Her kitchen is the heart of her home, and these famous family biscuits are the heart of her kitchen. In honor of Mary Ann — and as a special treat for you — I’m sharing her recipe today.
A Recipe Passed Down Through Generations
This is one of those treasured family recipes, handed down from my great aunt. She was a devoted farm wife, and her memory — along with my grandmothers’ — inspired Mary Ann’s character. Mary Ann upholds the same tradition those women lived by: gathering the family around the table for a homemade meal, just as my great aunt and grandmothers always did.
The dedication of the women in my family, and their quiet commitment to keeping traditions alive from one generation to the next, was a significant inspiration for Mary Ann. She’s a tribute to the strong, caring women in my own life — my two grandmothers and two great-grandmothers, all of whom I was lucky enough to know.
When you make these biscuits, you’re carrying a little piece of that lineage into your own kitchen. That’s the part I love most.
Why You’ll Love These Biscuits
The best news? These are buttermilk drop biscuits, which means no rolling and no cutting required. You simply mix the dough, scoop it onto a baking sheet, and they’re ready for the oven. Even the most novice baker can whip up a batch in no time.
My own family can’t get enough of them. They’re perfect for breakfast, dinner, or a comforting snack on a quiet afternoon with a good book. They’re wonderful for a cozy family meal — and they’re endlessly adaptable. Dust the tops with a little sugar before baking and you’ve got the base for a quick berry shortcake.
Which brings me to a happy pairing.
Perfect With my Homemade Strawberry Jam
If you read my recent post on homemade strawberry jam, you already know where I’m going with this. A warm biscuit split open and slathered with bright, glossy strawberry jam is one of summer’s simplest pleasures. The jam threads its way through all three of my Criss Creek novels, and these biscuits feel like its natural companion — humble, homemade, and made for sharing.
Make a batch of jam, bake a batch of biscuits, and you’ve got a spread that would make Mary Ann proud.
I hope you enjoy making (and eating!) these as much as Mary Ann and I do.
Mary Ann’s Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Prep: 10 minutes • Bake: 11–13 minutes • Makes: about 12 biscuits
Ingredients
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup cold buttermilk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted butter
• 1 egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- Pour in the buttermilk and melted butter, and stir until a dough forms.
- Using an ice cream scoop, drop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water, then gently brush the tops of the biscuits.
- Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the centers are set.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy warm with your favorite toppings — strawberry jam highly recommended.
Cook’s note: For a quick berry shortcake, dust the tops with a little granulated sugar before baking.
These biscuits belong to Mary Ann, one of the women at the heart of my novel Blooming Into Life. If you’d like to spend more time in her kitchen, you can receive a free preview by filling out the form below.