Easter Morning Biscuits

Easter Morning Biscuits

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp.pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp. orange juice

Dough: Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Using a mixer, combine butter, 1/3 cup honey and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. With mixer running, add eggs, 1 at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Add milk, vanilla and 2 tbsp. orange juice; beat on medium speed until combined. Gradually add flour mixture and beat for 1 more minute until all flour is incorporated and a soft dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

 Bake biscuits: Heat oven to 350º F. In a small bowl, combine remaining honey and orange juice, stir glaze until smooth; set aside. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces and form each into either an S-shaped serpentine shape or a twist.

For serpentine shapes, roll each dough piece into a "rope" approximately 8" long, bend rope into an S, and coil each end. To form twists, fold 8" rope in half and twist ends of each side over each other 3 times. Place biscuits on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.

Remove biscuits from oven, brush with orange glaze, and continue to bake until golden -- about 15 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with coffee or hot tea.
Makes 16 servings.