BUNNY BISCUITS WITH HAM

Prep: 20 min Bake: 12 min 
Cost per Serving: 50 cents

These flaky "bunnies" can be served without the fixin's too. 
Planning Tip: Can be made up to 1 day ahead.

BISCUIT DOUGH  

2 cups all-purpose flour  
2 teaspoons baking powder  
1/2 teaspoon baking soda  
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold butter or margarine, cut in 
small pieces  
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening  
3/4 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt plus 
1/4 cup milk
 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted  
 Mustard-Maple Butter (recipe follows)  
 4 slices baked Virginia ham (6 ounces), cut in quarters 
 2 cups rinsed watercress sprigs
 
1. Heat oven to 450 F. Have a baking sheet ready. 

2. To make dough in food processor: Process flour, baking powder and baking soda to
mix. Add butter and shortening. Process on/off until coarse crumbs form. With motor
running, add buttermilk. Process just until dough leaves sides of bowl. By hand: In a
medium-size bowl, mix flour, baking powder and baking soda until blended. Cut in
butter and shortening with pastry blender, or work it in with fingertips until lumps are
no larger than small peas. Stir in buttermilk with a fork until mixture clumps together.
Press dough into a ball.

3. On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a
10x6-inch rectangle. With long edge facing you, fold in both short ends so they meet in
center (see Cooking Lesson, below). Fold dough in half (as if you were closing a book)
forming a packet 4 layers thick. Again roll dough into a 10x6-inch rectangle.

4. With a floured 2 1/2-inch bunny-shaped cutter (or other simple 2 1/2-inch cutter), cut
dough in one downward motion. Place biscuits 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking
sheet. Brush tops with melted butter. Gently press scraps together, reroll and cut more
biscuits.

5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until biscuits are lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack.
While still warm, split biscuits with a sharp knife. Let cool, then store airtight up to 1
day. 6. To assemble: Spread cut sides of each biscuit with Mustard-Maple Butter. Fill each
biscuit with a piece of ham and some watercress.

* Makes 16, 8 servings. Per serving: 360 cal, 10 g pro, 27 g car, 24 g fat, 52 mg chol with
butter, 13 mg chol with margarine, 769 mg sod. Exchanges: 1 3/4 starch/bread, 2/3 lean
meat, 4 1/4 fat

MUSTARD-MAPLE BUTTER

With a whisk or fork, beat 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter or margarine, at room temperature,
1/4 cup grainy mustard and 1 tablespoon maple-flavored pancake syrup until well
blended. Refrigerate up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature to use.

COOKING LESSON:

Biscuit Dough These biscuits are extra flaky because the unusual folding and rolling
process layers the butter throughout the dough.

1. After you've rolled the dough into a 10x6-inch rectangle, fold over the shorter (6-inch)
sides until they just touch in the middle.

2. Then fold dough over again, in half, as shown. Use the lightest touch possible when
rolling and folding the dough. If overworked, the biscuits will turn out tough and
chewy.

3. Roll the dough to 10x6 inches again. Dip cutter in flour and cut biscuits. Biscuits from
the first cutting rise more evenly, so cut close together and get as many as you can. Place
on ungreased baking sheet. Gather together scraps, lightly reroll and cut. (Bake
remaining scraps as they are; kids love them with jam for a snack.)