3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 425 F. and lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Into a bowl sift together flour and baking powder. With a fork stir in sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons pepper, and table salt. Add cream and stir to form a soft dough. On a lightly floured surface with floured hands knead dough gently 8 times.

Melt butter and cool.

Pat out dough into a 9-inch square (about 1/2 inch thick). With a rectangular cutter (about 2 3/4 by 1 3/4 inches) dipped in flour or with a sharp knife cut out as many rectangles as possible. Dip tops of biscuits in butter and arrange, buttered sides up, 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet. Gather scraps into a ball. Pat out dough and make more biscuits in same manner. Sprinkle biscuits with coarse salt and remaining 1/2 tablespoon pepper.

Bake biscuits in middle of oven until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Biscuits may be made 6 hours ahead and cooled completely before being kept, wrapped well, at room temperature. Just before serving, reheat biscuits in a 350 F. oven until just warm, about 5 minutes.