We made biscuits to go with our tomato soup for dinner tonight. This recipe, adapted slightly from one in Marion Cunningham's The Supper Book, is simple and fun and very kid-friendly. We've made it with whatever cheese (or mixture thereof) we have on hand -- Cheddar is the most obviously cheesy, with not only the golden specks throughout but the cheesiest flavor, while other kinds such as jack, which we used tonight, or Parmesan, give the biscuits a pleasant savoriness. They are moist enough not to need butter, either.
Feel free to cut the biscuits into rounds, as in the original, or pat into a circle and make simple wedges -- the dough will stand up to a good deal of pushing around, and still bake up nice and light. Use less salt if the cheese you have is on the salty side.
Daddy hung around the oven door, sniffing like a bloodhound....
Cheese Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt, more or less
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup (about 3 oz.) Cheddar or other cheese, grated
1/2 cup butter (substitute margarine OR vegetable shortening), cut into chunks
2/3 cup milk
Preheat oven to 425° F.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. With a pastry blender or two knives, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the cheese. Add the milk all at once, and stir with a fork or your hands until the dough holds together.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and knead 10 times. Pat the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick, and cut into 8 wedges. Transfer the wedges to an ungreased baking sheet so that the edges of the biscuits almost touch.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm.
Makes 8 biscuits. Preparation time, about 10 minutes; total time, about 30 minutes.
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