Cast Iron Big and Fluffy Orange-Tarragon Biscuits

Why This Recipe Works

A good biscuit should be easy to make and able to hold its own alongside a bowl of stew or a plate of eggs. For simplicity, we aimed to go from one bowl to one pan, no fussy rolling or cutting required. We started with a simple ingredient list, with one unusual detail: We used both butter and shortening in our biscuits. The butter was important because it imparted flavor, plus as it melted during baking, it created small pockets of air in the biscuits, leading to a light, fluffy texture. Shortening helped make the dough cohesive and tender. These big biscuits were dropped right into a greased cast-iron skillet, which distributed the heat of the oven evenly to ensure a crisp bottom and nicely browned crust. A little butter brushed on the tops of the unbaked biscuits really brought out their rich flavor. To elevate these biscuits beyond basic breadbasket fare, we incorporated a mixture of light herbs and fresh citrus zest for two flavor options: lemon and dill or orange and tarragon.