It's been a year since my last post! I guess I've been pretty busy. Between a new job, new apartment, new puppy, and commuting to Toronto on weekends... well, I've had my hands full! I'm hoping (once again) to keep up with this blog as I get back into baking (and cooking) and share my latest creations with you.
Without further ado.... Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits!
At the moment, as I am typing up this recipe and the biscuits are cooling, my puppy Indiana is sitting at the counter, staring at the biscuits, and whining because he wants one. They smell amazing! I took this recipe from Ina Garten (here) and adapted it to make small, bite-sized biscuits with a few tweaks. I much prefer small, bite sized biscuits as a snack and to share with others, but if you would prefer a larger biscuit for a meal you can adapt the recipe with ease.
I used a two-inch biscuit cutter (the smallest one in a set of three) which I purchased from the bulk food store in town. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, you can use a cookie cutter, a small juice glass or even a shot glass if it's wide enough. You could also roll the dough into a square (like Ina does) and cut the dough into squares with a knife. It's up to you!
You want to make sure you roll them thick enough, but not so thick that they burn on the outside and don't fully cook on the inside. The larger the biscuit, the thicker it will need to be, and the longer it will take them to fully bake. You can play around with size and thickness by cooking one at a time if you are unsure. I omitted the egg wash from the original recipe, but if you want the tops to have a nice shiny finish, feel free to brush the tops of the biscuits with a little lightly beaten egg before baking. I also added dried parsley to give the biscuits a little colour and some nice flecks throughout. It doesn't affect the flavour at all so feel free to omit if you want a basic look.
Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 tablespoons dried parsley (optional)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 6 oz.) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 34-36 two-inch biscuits
Start by grating the cheese into a small glass bowl. Place 2 cups of flour in a large glass bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the flour and toss with the grated cheese. This will prevent the small pieces of cheese from clumping together when you add it to the dough, and you get even amounts of cheese throughout. Set the cheese aside. To the large bowl of flour, add the baking powder, salt, and parsley. Mix thoroughly.
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 34-36 two-inch biscuits
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Start by grating the cheese into a small glass bowl. Place 2 cups of flour in a large glass bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the flour and toss with the grated cheese. This will prevent the small pieces of cheese from clumping together when you add it to the dough, and you get even amounts of cheese throughout. Set the cheese aside. To the large bowl of flour, add the baking powder, salt, and parsley. Mix thoroughly.
With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the cold butter chunks
until the butter is the size of peas and the mixture is coarse. The butter and flour will not fully combine, but this is the desired effect for a flaky biscuit!
Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small glass measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon, only until moistened. Stir in the cheese and mix as best you can.
Switch from the wooden spoon to your hands to help the ingredients mix. Once the dough begins to come together, dump out onto a well-floured surface. Knead very lightly about 5-10 times, but no more. Too much kneading will cause the butter to warm up, which will result in a less flaky pastry in the end... cold butter = flaky pastry!
Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small glass measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon, only until moistened. Stir in the cheese and mix as best you can.
Switch from the wooden spoon to your hands to help the ingredients mix. Once the dough begins to come together, dump out onto a well-floured surface. Knead very lightly about 5-10 times, but no more. Too much kneading will cause the butter to warm up, which will result in a less flaky pastry in the end... cold butter = flaky pastry!
For a two-inch biscuit, roll the
dough to about 1/2-inch thick. For a larger three-inch biscuit, you will want to roll the dough to about 1-inch thick. Again, this can be played around with depending on the size of the biscuit you want. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
Using the biscuit cutter, press down on the dough and lift straight up. The biscuit should come out with the cutter, and you can easily drop it right onto the sheet pan. The biscuits will rise a bit, but not grow much in size, so you can squeeze a whole bunch on one pan. Make sure to leave 1/2- to 1-inch space between for good measure. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm, with or without butter.
Enjoy, and watch them disappear!
Using the biscuit cutter, press down on the dough and lift straight up. The biscuit should come out with the cutter, and you can easily drop it right onto the sheet pan. The biscuits will rise a bit, but not grow much in size, so you can squeeze a whole bunch on one pan. Make sure to leave 1/2- to 1-inch space between for good measure. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm, with or without butter.
Enjoy, and watch them disappear!
