This undated photo provided by America's Test Kitchen in February 2019 shows Buttermilk Drop Biscuits in Brookline, Mass. This recipe appears in ÒThe Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs.Ó (Joe Keller/America's Test Kitchen via AP)

By AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN

These plain biscuits can be dressed up with any flavorful, relatively dry ingredient, such as herbs, scallions, cheese, dried fruit, or spices. For variations on the recipe, see below. Follow this recipe with your kids.

BUTTERMILK DROP BISCUITS

Servings: 10-12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling time

Prepare Ingredients:

¯2 cups all-purpose flour

¯2 teaspoons baking powder

¯1/2 teaspoon baking soda

¯1 teaspoon sugar

¯3/4 teaspoon salt

¯1 cup buttermilk

¯8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (see page 12 for how to melt butter)

¯Vegetable oil spray

Gather Cooking Equipment:

¯Rimmed baking sheet

¯Parchment paper

¯Large bowl

¯Whisk

¯Liquid measuring cup

¯Fork

¯Rubber spatula

¯1/4-cup dry measuring cup

¯Butter knife

¯Oven mitts

¯Cooling rack

Start Cooking!

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until combined. In liquid measuring cup, use fork to stir buttermilk and melted butter until butter forms small clumps.

Add buttermilk mixture to bowl with flour mixture. Use rubber spatula to stir until just combined.

Spray inside of 1/4-cup dry measuring cup with vegetable oil spray. Use greased measuring cup to scoop batter and use butter knife to scrape off extra batter. Drop scoops onto baking sheet to make 10 to 12 biscuits (leave space between biscuits and respray measuring cup as needed).

Place baking sheet in oven and bake biscuits until tops are golden brown 12 to 14 minutes. Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven (ask an adult for help). Place baking sheet on cooling rack. Let biscuits cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Cheesy Drop Biscuits: When mixing in bowl, stir 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or mild cheddar cheese and º cup grated Parmesan cheese into flour mixture.

Herby Drop Biscuits: When mixing in bowl, stir 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme into flour mixture.

Nutrition information per serving: 191 calories; 91 calories from fat; 10 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 27 mg cholesterol; 375 mg sodium; 21 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 3 g protein.