Cheddar biscuits

Perfect for a Packer party

My friend Rebecca told me about these biscuits, and when I asked her how they held up as leftovers she told me she didn't know - she'd never had any. I took that as a great sign. These little biscuits are amazing - borderline addicting, though I think my family would tell you there's nothing borderline about it. 

To make these biscuits Rebecca's way, add chives right into the batter and triple the cheese. I was only daring enough to double the cheese - the original recipe calls for 1 cup of shredded cheddar and I added 2. And while I totally spaced on the chives, I did have some parsley in the fridge. So I chopped it up and sprinkled it on top of the hot, butter-brushed biscuits. That's when the color combo hit me and I realized I'd found the perfect treat for a Packer party.

- - - - - - - 

CHEDDAR BISCUITS 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
BATTER
1 and 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt or garlic salt (I used garlic)
1/2 tsp baking powder
5 TBS butter, frozen or nearly frozen
1 cup milk 
1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

BUTTER TOPPING
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 clove minced garlic
finely chopped parsley or chives

WHAT YOU'LL DO:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Grate in frozen butter and toss together until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk and shredded cheese and stir until just combined (don't over-mix!). Drop spoonfuls of batter onto an ungreased baking sheet.

2. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden. While biscuits bake, melt butter and mix in minced garlic. Brush garlic butter over the hot baked biscuits, then sprinkle each with chopped parsley or chives immediately after brushing with butter (this ensures that the herbs will stick to the top of the biscuits). 

- - - - - - - 

A few notes on these biscuits: If you're taking these to a party, double the recipe. If it's going to be a really huge party, you might even want to triple it. The amount shown in the photo above is a doubled recipe; each biscuit is about the size of a golf ball.

To mix the butter into the flour, try pulsing cubed, frozen butter with the flour mixture in a food processor. I might try this next time. For my first attempt, I did use frozen butter and grated it into the flour mixture - but I had to stick the butter back in the freezer for a few minutes mid-grating (it got too melty). 

Finally, the baking time will vary depending on your oven and how big you make the biscuits. As I said before, I made rather bite-sized biscuits so I'd have enough to take to a party.