Cheddar Chive Biscuits
When I used to live in DC, our neighborhood coffee shop was known for their baked cheddar chive biscuits. Like clockwork, every morning at 8:00 am they would take trays of these out of the oven, and the smell alone was good enough to make everyone in the neighborhood detour on their morning commute to grab one. Since moving back from California, I’ve tried all sorts of recipes to try to recreate them, but this is the first one I’ve found that even comes close.
These biscuits are flakey, buttery, soft, warm, and melt in your mouth, with the softest hint of onion from sweet green chives at the end of each bite. They’re the perfect pairing with soup or a weekend brunch with the girls, or on the dinner table for Thanksgiving dinner. Trust me–you won’t be sorry! Everyone has to indulge every once in a while, right?
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or 2 teaspoons dried chives
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter (for brushing)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt until evenly distributed. Sprinkle over butter cubes, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to break up the butter into pea-sized chunks.
Add cheddar and chives and toss until evenly incorporated.
Drizzle over buttermilk and stir with a fork until evenly moistened. Press dough together into a loose ball with your hands.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Press into a rectangle, then fold in half lengthwise, then fold into quarters. Pat dough out into a rectangle a second time, then fold in half and then and fold into quarters once more.
Pat out into a rectangle approximately 1-inch thick. Using a circular cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut into rounds (when cutting, press the cutter straight down and lift it straight up – don’t twist or you might ruin the lovely layers).
Arrange biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving an inch or two of space between them. Any remaining dough scraps can be gathered together and pressed out again, although keep in mind this second batch won’t be quite as tall as the first.
Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and brush generously with melted butter. Serve warm.
