So, you’ve probably read my lazy woman’s guide to making Cheddar Bay biscuits like you can get at Red Lobster. Don’t get me wrong… These are truly delicious and so easy to make. However, there are times when you want something a little more substantial to go with say pasta or soup.
For years, I would try to make biscuits and they would be a flat, lumpy, heavy mess. I just could not get the formula right, no matter how many different recipes I tried. Then, one day I was watching Food Network and a bakery owner was making pie crust. She was explaining the science behind folding the flour into little pats of butter and how the butter heats and creates these lovely air pockets that makes the crust light and flaky.
It was like a light bulb literally went off in my brain. I had never added butter to my biscuit mix. That was the missing link. I began experimenting and now my biscuits are truly delicious works of art that any bread lover would envy. Even though I’m not supposed to be eating them because they are so carby, sometimes I can’t help myself. The key to this recipe is to use a ton of cheddar cheese. It will look like to much when you add it in, but trust me it isn’
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour if you only have self-rising on hand, reduce baking powder by 50%
- 1 1/3 Tablespoons baking powder
- 2 1/4 teaspoons Splenda you can sub in sugar
- 1/4 heaping teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil high, high quality or it will have a funny taste - can sub canola
- 1/2 stick cold butter
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup milk I like whole for biscuits, but you can sub in what you want
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Mix together flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
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Cut butter into 1/2 inch squares (just get close) and mix into flour with your hands. Don't overwork the mixture, but make sure you mix the butter until it looks like corn meal. The only way to do this is with a pastry tool or by squeezing the flour into the butter over and over, but gently.
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Add EVOO.
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Add milk and mix completely. Again, be gentle. You don't want to overwork the dough.
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Add cheddar cheese and fold into dough. Be gentle. Don't over mix. It's okay if not all the cheese is on the inside. This will just create a beautiful golden crust on your biscuits.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
I like to take a pastry brush and brush a mixture of melted butter with minced garlic (1 clove) and about a Tablespoon of parsley. It creates a buttery, cheesy, garlic taste that is so good.
