These Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits are light and fluffy, but also filled with awesome flavor. They’ve got a bit of heat from red jalapeno, and they’re deeply savory from the addition of cheddar and fresh chives. Bake them up for breakfast with a fried egg and bacon, or serve them alongside your favorite soup or chili. Get baking, kids.
I hate wasting. I keep ill-fitting clothes and unflattering makeup for ages because I can’t bear to throw things away when they’re perfectly usable. There are probably some very out of date condiments in my fridge. Oh, and lots of half-empty bottles of flavored spirits used in a few cocktails and forgotten. None of it is going anywhere until it gets used. Otherwise, you might as well throw your money in the garbage.
This refusal to waste is exactly why I usually make square biscuits. It’s so much more practical. When you cut biscuits into a round shape, there’s always scraps of dough left behind. Yes, you can reform and cut again, but you can never use it all. If you want to use up all your biscuit dough, simply pat the dough into a rectangle and instead of using a round cutter, use a pizza cutter to cut it into square or rectangles. Nothing gets left behind. You get to eat every last bit. There are probably some minor scientific flaws in this plan. It’s never held me back.
These particular Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits bake up light and fluffy with lots of layers and a crisp outer texture. The heat from the jalapeno is subtle and builds as you get through your biscuit. They’re at their best when eaten fresh out of the oven with plenty of salted butter. My husband likes to take the heat to another level with a drizzle of honey habanero sauce. You do you.
This recipe comes from that genius Joy Wilson’s first book, The Joy the Baker Cookbook. She really knows her way around a biscuit, and these ones turned out beautifully. We start by mixing dry ingredients together in a big bowl, squishing in lots of cold butter with our bare hands, tossing in the jalapenos, cheddar, and chives, then finally stirring in some buttermilk to bring it all together. Lightly knead the shaggy dough together on the counter. Then we cut it into delicious squares, and bake it in a super hot oven until fluffy and golden. Biscuits take a little practice, but we’ll all get there.
Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits are where it’s at. Make them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Never stop. It’s gonna be awesome.
Cheddar Jalepeno Biscuits
Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium12
biscuits30
minutes15
minutesCheddar Jalapeno Biscuits are light and fluffy with a subtle heat.
Ingredients
3 cups all purpose or plain flour
1 tablespoon caster sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 egg
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons chopped chives
6 ounces cold unsalted butter, chopped into cubes
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C) and line a couple of baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk gently to make sure everything is well-combined.
- Prep the rest of your ingredients before you’re up to your elbows in biscuit dough. Whisk together the buttermilk and egg in a bowl or measuring jug and set aside. Chop your jalapenos and chives and shred your cheese. You can combine these three ingredients together now, if you like, since it’s all going in the dough at the same time later.
- Now that we have everything ready to go, we’re going to get right into it. Add your butter cubes to your dry ingredients, and, with very clean hands, start rubbing the butter and flour together. Basically, we’re pinching the butter cubes and rubbing the flour into it. Keep going until your pieces of butter are more the size of oats or like aquarium gravel.
- Next, stur in the jalapeno, cheddar and chives. Then make a well with this mixture and add your buttermilk and egg mixture into the middle of this. Stir the buttermilk into the flour until you have a shaggy mixture.
- Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about three to five minutes until it just comes together. Pat the dough out to a rough rectangle that’s about 1-1/2 inches thick. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 roughly equal rectangles.
- Transfer your biscuits to your baking sheets and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until fluffy and golden. Allow them to cool enough that you don’t burn yourself, then dig in while they’re still hot.
Love biscuits? Try these Self-Rising Biscuits. For something a little extra, go for Brown Sugar Bacon Biscuits. They’re both super awesome.
