Here are the biscuits that I brought to Alexis and Nick to go along with their Carrot Ginger Soup. Biscuits are the kind of thing that once you get a knack for it, are easy to make, and also completely adaptable. For this recipe, you could add chives or green onions, maybe some crumbled bacon, or just switch up the type of cheese. I made these at Thanksgiving and they got gobbled, and I think I’m going to make them for Easter dinner too.

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

Source: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 sticks cold butter, diced

1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken

1 cold egg

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk or water

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender (or two knives) until the butter is the size of peas.
  2. Combine buttermilk and egg in a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add this to the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula only until moistened.
  3. In another small bowl, mix the cheddar with a small handful of flour until it’s coated, then add to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.
  4. Dump out onto a well-floured surface, and knead lightly about six times. Roll or pat the dough out until it’s about 1″ thick. Cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass.
  5. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with flaky sea salt (optional) and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through.

Note: When I made these at Thanksgiving, I actually found there was too much butter, and it oozed everywhere on my baking sheet. This time I experimented by using only 1 1/4 sticks, and instead needed a little more buttermilk to make the dough come together, which worked well.