Cheddar Chive Biscuits

There’s something about biscuits that are so comforting, whether you grew up with them or not. These biscuits are buttery, flakey, and bonus- easy to make. Treat yourself this weekend with golden nuggets of delight.

Equipment:

• Scale (if using- you should! )

• Bench scraper or knife for cutting dough

• Large bowl

• Cookie or biscuit cutter (2-3 inches works best- I made smaller biscuits here, but prefer a bit bigger)

• Baking sheet

• Cooling rack

  
  Makes- 6-8 biscuits
  

BISCUITS WITH A TWIST

I consider myself more of a biscuit purist, but sometimes, it’s fun to switch it up.

Products used:

Links provided below-

1. King Arthur All Purpose Flour- Any bread flour will do, King Arthur is just my preference. If you only have all purpose, go ahead and use it instead

2. Violife Plant Butter  or Miyoko’s  Butter - These are my fave, but use whatever brand you prefer. If you can’t find unsalted butter of ahead and used salted, but you may have to reduce the salt amount a little (different butters have different levels of saltiness so it’s hard to say exactly). But you can play around with it to see what works best for you.

3. Follow Your Heart Cheddar- I wouldn’t say this is my definite favorite vegan cheese ( I quite like Violife ) but FYH is typically an easy one to find.

Notes:

Measuring- Listen… just go ahead and get a scale! They’re cheap and the most accurate for baking. I use them to develop my recipes and do the best I can to convert to the cup measurements out of courtesy to those who don’t have one, but trust me, if you like to bake- it will be the best $20 dollars you spend to improve your recipes. If you still refuse, make sure that you use the scoop and level method to measure out your flour to avoid using more than the recipe calls for.

INGREDIENTS:

• 480 g (4 C ) all-purpose flour

• 1 T baking powder

• ½ tsp. baking soda

• 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt

• 170 g unsalted vegan butter, cold

• 300 ml (1 ¼  C) plant milk, cold

• 1 T vinegar

• ¾  C vegan cheddar cheese

• 3 T chives, finely chopped

Prep:

• Add vinegar to milk and chill

• Cube butter and set in the fridge until ready to use

• Shred cheese if using a block

• Finely chop rinsed and dried chives

toss in cold butter

gently toss in cheese and chives

add cold milk

form a log of dough

cut dough in half

stack dough

gently press dough halves together

cut out biscuits

arrange dough "shoulder to shoulder"

tall flakey biscuits

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425° F/ 218° C

1. Add vinegar to milk, then set in the fridge to keep cold- mixing vinegar with milk makes a sort of vegan buttermilk situation that adds tang and depth of flavor.

2. In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk.

3. Add cold cubed butter and toss in flour, then smoosh cubes in the flour with your hands until you have walnut-sized butter pieces that are all coated in flour (don’t over mix- if butter starts to get warm, place the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up and then continue mixing together).

4. Add in cheese and chives and lightly toss with your hands.

5. Make a little well at the bottom of the bowl and pour in cold milk (start with 1 cup and add more if needed) gently toss to coat the flour, taking care not to mix again- the dough should be moist, but not too moist that it can’t be handled.

6. Turn the dough out onto a flat surface covered in flour, then gently press together to form a log of dough- about 2-3 inches thick.

7. Fold the dough in half, then pat it down. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough log in half and stack one half on the other. Pat down again- repeat 3 or 4 more times.

8. On the last fold and cut, make sure the dough is 3/4 to 1 inch thick.

9. Flour a round dough or cookie cutter and press straight down through the dough (don’t twist and turn or that seals up the edges) * you can also make square biscuits if you don’t have a cutter *

10. Press together dough scraps back into a log for cutting. Repeat until dough is gone.

11. Place dough rounds on a lined or buttered cookie sheet, right next to each other or “shoulder to shoulder” (this helps the biscuits to have a better rise) and place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm up the butter in the dough again- this also helps with flakiness.

    TOP TIP- store biscuits overnight in a covered container in the freezer or refrigerator and bake off in the morning!

12. Remove from freezer and place cookie sheet on the middle rack (alternatively, you can bake in a cast iron pan) and bake 20-22 minutes or until tops and bottoms of biscuits are golden brown.

13. Brush with melted butter when biscuits come out of the oven, then let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack or a bowl lined with a towel to serve.

14. Serve warm with butter- pairs well with grits, tofu scramble, vegan fried chicken or make a breakfast sandwich.

15. Enjoy!