Coarsely ground black pepper and thinly sliced scallions make these flaky and tender biscuits a true crowd pleaser. Serve with softened butter and/or honey for drizzling.

Black Pepper Biscuits with Scallions
Makes: 9 biscuits

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for topping
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup cold half and half, plus more for brushing
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for topping
Honey, for serving

1) Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2) Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, kosher salt and black pepper in a large bowl until combined. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut in the butter until the butter resembles small peas coated in flour, about 5 minutes, depending on the temperature of the butter. Stir in the half and half and scallions until the dough just comes together and becomes a shaggy ball. Turn out the dough ball onto a flour-dusted work surface and shape into an 8 by 8-inch square. Fold in half, then once more so it’s now a quarter of the original size (this will give the biscuits nice layers). Pat out the dough once more into an 8 by 8-inch square, then cut into 9 equal pieces.

3) Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with more half and half. Sprinkle each with flaky sea salt and more black pepper. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with butter and/or honey.

*Cook’s Note: It’s important to work the dough as little as possible when making biscuits so they come out moist and flaky. You want the mixture to have cold, pea-size pieces of butter throughout the dough; this will ensure you have the most tender biscuits possible.