Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

It's been awhile. Not that I haven't been cooking, I just haven't done much in the way of photographing what I cook. I fell off the regular blog updating wagon after a major snowstorm in October that knocked out power to parts of my state for over a week and cancelled/postponed Halloween. Then stupid daylight savings time kicked in. Curses! It gets dark around 4:30 in the afternoon which doesn't give me much available light.

Guess it's time to break out the artificial lighting and beat the ol' seasonal affective disorder in the process. I hope to update with a few seasonal yummies soon, but in the meantime these are one of my favorite recipes for super flaky, cheesy, scrumptious biscuits. 

I love making biscuits because they're so easy to throw together, but satisfying like a warm loaf of bread. These are great as a holiday side or just to whip up beside a nice bowl of soup on a chilly evening. The key is to not overwork the dough. Fold/knead the dough only until it just holds together in a solid mass, and hold yourself back from adding extra liquid unless totally necessary.

 

Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes 6-8 biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup very cold butter, cubed

1/2 cup high quality sharp cheddar, shredded

3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 425. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers (alternatively, you can use a food processor if you have one) cut in the butter until a coarse meal forms. Add the cheese and toss to incorporate. Stir in the buttermilk slowly, just until all the flour is moistened and the crumbs hold together if you pinch a bit between your fingers. You may use less than the 3/4 cup of buttermilk to achieve this.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by folding the mixture over itself in half and flattening. Repeat 5-10 times, or until it holds together in a fairly solid mass. Pat into a 1 inch thick round and cut into biscuits using a 2 to 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Any excess dough can be folded back together and cut into additional biscuits. Place biscuits about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 14-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Best eaten fresh and warm with a good schmear of butter!