SUGAR LUMP BISCUITS

Martha's Sugar Lump Biscuits recipe
(Makes 15 biscuits)
2½ cups self-rising flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) top-quality unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces, chilled, plus 2 tablespoons, melted
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
15 sugar cubes

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Position oven rack to the middle position. Heat the oven to 450.

In a medium bowl, using a fork, combine the flour, sugar and lemon zest. Using a pastry blender, two forks or fingertips, cut the chilled butter into the flour until the butter is in very tiny pieces and evenly dispersed. Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork to form a tacky dough.

Dust the work surface with the all-purpose flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Briefly and gently knead the dough until it is no longer shaggy. Pat the dough into a 9x7" rectangle. Fold the dough in half; roll and pat again until the dough is a ¾-inch-thick rectangle. Very lightly dust the dough with the unbleached flour. Cut 2-inch biscuits from the dough. Cut each biscuit as close together as possible, then very gently pat the scraps back into a ¾-inch-thick piece and cut out as many biscuits as possible. Place the biscuits on the lined baking sheet with the edges just touching.

For each biscuit, dip one sugar cube into the lemon juice and poke it down into the center of the biscuit until the top of the cube is even with the dough on top. Bake the biscuits for 12-15 minutes or until the sugar bubbles and the biscuits are risen and baked to a deep golden brown. Remove the biscuits form the oven and brush the tops with melted butter. Serve warm.