Abrupt endings

I have stopped eating sugar, for two months. And it is not nearly as difficult as I previously anticipated.

I've done this before. But only for one month. I woke up one day, realized I was eating dessert twice a day, every day, and me and three friends stopped with sugar. We looked at the processed sugar in our diets and said, "enough, Sugar, enough. For far too long you have controlled our digestive systems, our general energy, our metabolisms and our mood swings. We leave you to the business of destroying the lives of others!'

Well, we didn't quite say that. I'm in a dramatic mood this morning. But something similar definitely went down.

Anyway, this time, it was sort of the same story. I've been eating cupcakes. A lot of cupcakes. I love them! That's my justification. They're cute. They have the perfect frosting to cake ratio. They remind me of Valentine's Day, because unlike so many couples in the world today, they are a perfect match. Made in heaven, some might say. Think about the versatility of the cupcake... Alright, I'm done.

So this time, when I stopped sugar (exactly eight days ago), I expected the same process as last time. Before, I craved sugar so badly I could hardly go on. And let's be honest here, I ate a plethora of fruit, which is still sugar. And the cravings were terrible. By the time I got to the end of the four weeks, 12 pounds lighter, much more energetic, and all around healthier, I tried to slowly reintroduce sugar to my diet. In two weeks, I was back to exactly the same place I had been before. Apparently, what I'm doing now should help me quit sugar for good. You know, I was thinking about how I want to be a baker. Specifically wedding cakes, but I'd really like to sell people other delicious baked goods as well. Which is kind of the same thing as saying I want to make people sick. I'm still trying to reconcile that.

In the mean time, I've just been baking and eating a lot of biscuits. The good news is, I've finally got down a recipe I like. It turns out magnificent every time. I have taken to baking them for friends instead of various cakes and cookies. They are always light and flaky, buttery, and they bake up with a golden, crisp top that glistens with butter. With bread flour, they're a little more substantial, better to sink your teeth in to. With all-purpose flour, they're lighter, fluffier. Both yield an unbelievably flaky biscuit, provided you don't over-work them. There is no bad news about biscuits.

Here is the recipe, just for you.

Bacon, Leek, Parmesan Biscuits
Makes 10-12

Preheat oven to 450º

2 cups AP or bread flour (depending on what texture you want. I like bread flour better.)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 pieces bacon, chopped, cooked until lightly crisp
1 leek, thinly sliced, light green and white parts only
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk lightly. Cut the cold, cold butter into small cubes, toss in to the flour to coat. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are roughly the size of small peas and the mixture is thoroughly combined. At this point, add the bacon, leeks, cheese and pepper. Mix, with your hands, until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until a wet dough forms. On a counter lightly sprinkled with flour, turn out the dough. Sprinkle it with flour, lightly knead it a few times. This should take no longer than 30 seconds and 4 turns. Pat the dough out to a little less than half an inch. Using a cup or biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits. Listen carefully: if you want your biscuits to rise, never, EVER, twist the cup on the way down. You'll seal the edges, all around, like a seam. Your biscuits will not turn out light and flaky if you do this. So don't. Now, carry on. Place the biscuits on a lightly floured sheet pan, close together, and bake for about 12 minutes. When the biscuits are flaky and buttery, with a light golden top, they're done. Eat them at room temperature. They require no additional topping, but are good dipped in a little honey.