Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - optional
1 TBSP sugar
5 oz cold unsalted butter, cubed (9 tablespoons)
5 oz grated sharp cheese
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425*. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, cayenne pepper, and sugar. Add cold butter and rub into flour mixture with fingertips to achieve a coarse cornmeal texture. Add in cheese.

Make a well in the flour, add milk, work gently with a fork until dough pulls together.

Put onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for several minutes. Roll 1/2" thick. Cut biscuits with a 2" round floured cutter. Place on lightly floured cookie sheet and bake 12 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

*D: So...you've never made homemade biscuits before? Feeling...overwhelmed? Nervous? Scared? Intimidated?

Don't.

This is just about the EASIEST recipe in the history of easy recipes. I made this for the first time when I was first married (a million years ago). It was so easy, I've never looked for another biscuit recipe. You don't even need a mixer to make this. You use your fingers and then a fork. Easy. Seriously. Another thing I love is that I usually have every ingredient on hand. Biscuits are one of those foods that people are so impressed when you make them, but they're so easy you feel a little guilty accepting the praise.

Not too guilty though. You did, after all, do everything by hand.

Ok, so I have never added the cayenne pepper. I probably should just to see how the flavor is. Half a tsp is a good small amount, so if you're feeling spicy - get it? Spicy...ok. - add it in and tell me how it tastes.

I make this recipe for biscuits and gravy. When I do that, I omit the cheddar, but usually throw in some Parmesan just for kicks.

The butter measurement is a little whack. What's up with 5 oz of butter?! That is 9 tablespoons, meaning an entire stick of butter and a little sliver of another stick. It is easier to chop it up into small cubes before adding it to the flour. But when I made this last night, I forgot to chop so I just had a little more rubbing to do with my finger tips. No biggie. Also, 5 ounces of cheese? That's 5/8 of a cup. So, either make it a half or 3/4 depending on how much you love cheese. And I never have sharp on hand, so I make it with mild. I also sprinkled it on top before baking. I like cheese.

For fun you can add food coloring to the dough (I've done it for St. Patrick's day) or cut the biscuits with cookie cutters for fun shapes. Pin It