spicy cheddar biscuits
A couple weeks ago my husband told me he didn't want to "waste his calories" on more of my cookies. Ouch! He's definitely not a fan of sweets . . . whereas I could eat an entire jar of Nutella in one sitting. And then polish off a few cookies, etc.
OK. I might not be quite that bad, but you've read my blog. You see the stuff I eat on a weekly basis. It's sugary. And I like it that way.
Today's recipe is for bakers who prefer the savory side of things. <3
I suppose Red Lobster is responsible for my obsession with cheesy biscuits. When I was younger, those little pre-dinner treats (their version -- which is loaded with cheese, LOTS of butter, salt, etc.) were all I could (well, would) eat there besides salad . . . which I hate.
Enjoy this healthier version (adapted from Martha Stewart's Spicy Cheese Biscuits -- The Baking Handbook).
SPICY CHEDDAR BISCUITS
(dedicated to my husband)
What you'll need . . .
- 2-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika, plus more for dusting
- Freshly-ground pepper (to taste -- I used quite a bit)
- 6 tablespoons Earth Balance (or unsalted butter -- and if you go the butter route, add 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt)
- 1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
- 1-1/2 cups soy milk (regular flavor)
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
Method . . .
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt (if you're using butter), sugar, paprika, and pepper.
- Using a pastry blender, cut the Earth Balance or butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal with a few larger clumps remaining. For this step, I simply cut pieces of Earth Balance into the flour mixture and mixed until I achieved the right consistency -- with my hands.
- Stir in the cheese with a fork.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy milk and corn starch. Add this liquid mixture to the flour mixture using a rubber spatula.
- Stir until the dough JUST comes together. It will be slightly sticky, and you may even need to add a bit more flour -- I added another 1/4 cup. Just try to stop mixing once everything is just incorporated. It's a fine line for sure.
- Using a 1/2-cup measure, scoop mounds of dough about 1-1/2 inches apart on a lightly-greased baking sheet.
- Lightly dust each biscuit with more paprika.
- Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until golden brown -- 15 to 20 minutes. Mine took the full 20.
- Cool biscuits on a wire rack.
Still craving something sweet? Well, my friend Laura (from Earth Muffin Bakes) used her half of our chocolate chunk from last weekend (see my vegan pain au chocolat post).
She made these absolutely gorgeous Baked Chocolate Doughnuts. Go check them out!
Subscribe to METHOD today -- just click here!
