Not Your Average (Garlic Cheddar) Biscuit Recipe
By Posie Harwood
If the grocery store isn’t your favorite place, it should be. We’re sleuthing for the best back-of-the-box recipes and each week we’ll share our latest find.
Today: Never say no to light, lofty, cheese-laced garlic biscuits.
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Oh, what’s that? You don’t need another biscuit recipe? Stop that. Take it back. You won’t protest the addition of this biscuit recipe to your already crowded collection—because your mouth will be full of a buttery, flaky, garlicky biscuit that’s oozing with cheddar.
And even if you haven’t baked many biscuits before, this is a very good place to start. It’s far from ordinary, packed as it is with garlic powder and cheese, but it’s also extremely simple to make and takes about 20 minutes once you get the recipe down.
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I found it on the back of the Davis Baking Powder can, and I’ve adapted it only slightly. The original recipe calls for shortening, which I switched to butter. I prefer using only butter in biscuits: It gives them a richer flavor and a flakier texture.
Keep in mind that butter is more difficult to work with—if you don’t start with very cold ingredients and take caution not to overwork the dough, it will warm up and make the biscuits leaden and dense. A light, gentle touch is key!
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You can use regular milk or buttermilk for the liquid. I used regular milk, because cheese and garlic are the predominant flavors. The light tang that comes from using buttermilk is more evident in plain biscuits.
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These biscuits smell so incredibly good that you won’t want to leave your kitchen while they’re baking. The garlic powder isn’t overpowering, but it does make these more interesting than any other cheese biscuit I’ve tasted (and I’ve tasted more than my fair share).
I can’t imagine something more perfect to bring to a picnic, or dinner party, or really any gathering where you’re trying to win friends and lovers and hearts and minds.
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
Adapted from Davis Baking Powder
Makes 12 medium biscuits
2 ¾ cups flour
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1. Preheat your oven to 425° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, garlic powder, and baking powder.
3. Cut in the cold butter using a fork or pastry cutter. The mixture should have pea-sized lumps.
4. Stir in the cheddar cheese with a fork and pour in the milk. Stir until the dough is a shaggy, wet mess. Once it mostly comes together, use your hands to fold in the dry bits that haven’t been incorporated. You want to be very gentle and use your hands as little as possible. Focus on folding the dough over onto itself until it mostly comes together.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a 1 ½-inch-thick disc. Using a sharp biscuit cutter, a round cookie butter, or a cup, cut out circles. Place the dough circles onto your lined baking sheets and brush the tops with melted butter.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just barely golden brown. Let cool, then EAT.
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Photos by Posie Harwood.
