Cheddar Garlic Biscuits (Drop-Biscuit Method)

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

The short-range weather forecast is: c-c-c-cold. The days of thermal socks, wool sweaters, and snow pants are finally here. It's the perfect time to fire-up the oven and bake some cheddar garlic biscuits to warm the kitchen and warm your bones. Keep reading to get the recipe.

What's a Drop-Biscuit?

Biscuits, or more specifically 'drop-biscuits', are similarly prepared to 'quick-breads'. (See my recipe for Quick & Easy Corn Muffins for an example.) Both methods require the dry ingredients and wet ingredients to be mixed separately, then the wet are poured into the dry to make a batter. However, there are a few differences as well. The 'quick-bread' batter is portioned into muffin tins (or poured into a sided-pan) to bake. With drop biscuits, the batter is not as thin, and is more like a very wet dough. The dough is 'dropped' onto a baking sheet using spoons or scoops, and the biscuits bake in a free-form shape.

There is one more difference with this drop-biscuit recipe- it has an extra step.  Instead of the fat being mixed with the liquid ingredients, cold-cubed butter is 'cut-in' to the dry ingredients before any liquid is added. Now, fat is very important in baking. Besides adding flavour, fats can also provide tenderness, flakiness, moisture, crispness, and/or help extend shelf-life. In these cheddar garlic biscuits, the butter will help the biscuits stay tender and crumbly giving them their signature cratered surface. The butter in the dough also helps the biscuits bake up crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. Enough with the dough-talk, let's bake some biscuits.

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits- Recipe

Makes 12 Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose unbleached flour
1 T baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder + 1/4 t for brushing
1/4 t baking soda
4 T cold, cubed unsalted butter + 2 T for brushing
3/4 c finely grated cheddar cheese
3/4 c buttermilk
1/2 t dried parsley flakes

Ingredients to make cheddar garlic biscuits.

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, 1/4 t garlic powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Using two knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingers, 'cut' 4 T of the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. ('Cutting' means slicing or breaking apart the butter into smaller and smaller pieces, while coating with the flour in between each 'cut'.) Stir in cheese.

Mixing the biscuit dough.

2. Pour milk into center of the dry ingredients and gently stir the mixture until the dough is evenly moistened. It will be quite thick but wet.

Portioned biscuit dough on a parchment lined baking sheet.

3. Using large spoons, drop biscuit dough about 2 Tablespoon in size, onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway for even baking.

4. While biscuits are baking, prepare butter glaze by melting remaining 2 T of butter and mixing it with 1/4 t garlic powder and the parsley flakes. Set aside.

Light, golden colour on fully baked biscuits.

5. Biscuits are fully baked when exterior is lightly golden brown and/or a  toothpick inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean of dough. Brush hot biscuits with garlic butter glaze and serve immediately. Great with soup, salad, or cut in half for a breakfast sandwich.

Variations

Like the corn muffin recipe, this recipe is a base formula. Feel free to experiment with flavours and garnishes.

• Add 1/4 c bacon lardons (fancy word for chopped & cooked bacon), 1/4 c chopped green onions and 1 tsp of paprika.

• Substitute mozzarella for cheddar, use lard instead of butter, use fresh chopped garlic instead of dried.
•  Add 1/4 c corn kernals, monteray jack for cheddar, and cilantro for parsley.

• You could also make this a sweet biscuit by adding 2 T of sugar, decreasing the salt to 1/2 t, and eliminating garlic and cheddar. Add your favourite dried or frozen (but drained of excess liquid) fruit.