Cheddar Rosemary Biscuits

I have a slight love or maybe addiction for biscuits. Pillowy soft on the inside a slight golden brown crust on the outside and light and fluffy all the way through. Okay, I’ll admit it I know I need help. Tonight I made minestrone soup and I really wanted biscuits but wanted them to have an Italian flavor to them. However, I also wanted cheddar biscuits. It was an internal conflict I would quickly resolve with the creation of a new kind of biscuit.

Cheddar Rosemary Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup (1 stick) cold butter – cubed (cut into cute little squares)
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• ½ tsp dry rosemary
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup finely shredded cheese (use the small grates on the cheese grater)

Combine the milk and the lemon juice and let sit. I measure the milk and then put the lemon juice in the cup and let it sit. This is how you “make” buttermilk. I don’t buy buttermilk anymore because I can never seem to use it fast enough. Anyway…

In the bowl of your food processor (if you don’t have one don’t worry, I can walk you through this) put the dry ingredients and the cubed butter. Make sure you have the blade in place first. Pulse everything together until it resembles course crumbs. Pour the mix into a mixing bowl. Add the cheese and mix it in evenly.

Okay if you don’t have a food processor, skip what you read above and just put everything into the mixing bowl.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture by using a pastry blender or two forks.

Make sure everything is well mixed now.

Add the cheese and mix it in evenly.

Then pour in the milk and with a fork gently incorporate it into the dry mixture. Mix just enough to make everything wet and hold together. Do not over work the dough or you will not get light and fluffy.

With a large cookie scoop also called a #20 disher, scoop the dough and put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (If you don’t have parchment paper you really should get some, it makes all baked goods cook better on the bottom and the clean up is so easy.)

Make sure you space them apart a bit to account for them rising a spreading a bit. Place them into a 350 degree oven (You did turn it on before you started, right?) allowing them to bake for about 12 to 15 minutes. Check them at 10 minutes to help you gauge how long they need to stay in there. This makes 12 light and fluffy golden pillows of yumminess.

If you want more, this recipe does double easily. Or you can mix everything but the milk mixture ahead of time and put it in the fridge and make them the next day in no time.