Maple Biscuits

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cold butter

1/3 cup milk

Directions:

Pour the melted butter and maple syrup into a 9-inch cake pan, swirling it around to mix well. Toss the flour, baking powder, and salt together, then cut in the cold butter, mixing, with your fingertips until the texture is like soft bread crumbs.

Stir in the milk. Turn the dough out and knead it gently about 6 turns - just enough for it to hold together. Either pat the dough or roll it out to a 1/2-inch thickness, then cut it into 9 rounds.

Arrange the rounds in the cake pan on top of the maple-butter mixture, and bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are lightly browned and the syrup is bubbling up around them. Serve hot from the pan and eat them all - they don't keep. A dollop of whipped cream might not hurt either!

Adapted from "The LL Bean Book of New New England Cookery"

Serves 9.