Musical pairing – Country Strong by Gwyneth Paltrow
I would have to say that one of the perks of being a food blogger is having the opportunity to be surrounded by so many fabulous home-cooks as well as meeting some mighty fine chefs – and let me just tell you, these people bring their A-game to the blogging world! Last fall I met Chef Virginia Willis who is just as gracious as a Southerner can be. I had been reading her blog for a while and I subscribed to her newsletter so when this Country Ham Cheddar Biscuit recipe showed up in my email, I knew we’d be making them.
Let’s just say that biscuits I’ve made in the past could have been classified as weapons of mass destruction – dry, crumbly and no height to them whatsoever. And there were times when all the butter, jam and/or gravy couldn’t save them.
But in my quest to conquer my biscuit-making skills, I’ve learned that making the perfect biscuit is as much about technique as it is having a terrific recipe and quality ingredients. Handling the dough as little as possible and making sure your ingredients are cold is key. The dough should actually feel somewhat soft and tender in your hands and rolling or patting the dough into 3/4 or 1-inch thickness will create a nice fluffy height.
These biscuits are everything a great biscuit should be – golden brown on the outside and buttery, tender and full of delicious flavor on the inside with bits of chopped country ham and shredded cheddar cheese in every bite; I added about 1 Tablespoon of chopped chives because I love the mild onion flavor as well as the color they add.
The Professor and I made these to go with Virginia’s ‘Oeufs en Cocotte’ which is just a fancy way of saying, ‘Egg Casserole’ or in our case, ‘Eggs in Mini Cast Iron Skillets’! I added the photo above just to tease you . . . I’ll share that recipe in a future post. Now seriously . . . tell me you don’t want biscuits and eggs for breakfast . . .
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MINI COUNTRY HAM CHEDDAR BISCUITS
Virginia Willis
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INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for the board and rolling out
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (1.25 ounces)
1/3 cup finely diced country ham (1.75 ounces)
1/2 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
2 large eggs, beaten
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METHOD:
Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour with the baking powder, salt, and pepper. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until it’s the size of large peas. Stir in the cheese and ham and make a well in the center. In a small measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Pour the liquid into the well and quickly stir until the dough is moistened. (Alternatively, it may also be made in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Once the butter has been added and is the size of peas, pulse in the cheese and ham. Then, pour in the buttermilk mixture and pulse to combine. The dough will pull from the sides of the bowl.)
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it holds together. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out 3/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds of dough with a 1 1/2 -inch round cutter dipped in flour; press the cutter straight down without twisting so the biscuits will rise evenly when baked. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. If the biscuits are baked close together the sides will be moist. If the biscuits are baked further apart, the sides will be crisp.
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Gently press the remaining scraps together and cut out more biscuits. (These are more worked and will be a little tougher and likely not as pretty, but they still taste good!) Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet and using a pasty brush, lightly brush the tops with buttermilk. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden brown and risen. Serve hot.
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lovely biscuits looks like you conquered them
They look great. How much fun is Southern Saturdays? Thank you Virginia.
These make every one of us wish we grew up in the South!! Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe!!
You have absolutely cracked the southern biscuit code here, Debra. Gorgeous, such a great combination of flavors, so perfectly light and flaky, and so reminiscent of the ones my Grandma Liller used to make. Must try (“try” being the operative word here)!
The biscuits look perfect!
I MOST definitely want biscuits & eggs for breakfast. what AM I saying? I want them right now and it’s 3:53 p.m.!!!
The baker at our farmers market makes a ham & cheese biscuit that we love but can’t get in the winter so I might have to surprise Matt with these at home!
Hi Deb-You tease! Those eggs! Those biscuits look incredible! I just recentlly found Virginia on Twitter. I have to explore her recipes more because this sample here is making me hungry:)
Lovely biscuits and a lovely post. Thanks for the tip to handle the dough as little as possible.
OK, these biscuits look fabulous, but i MUST get my hands on those mini skillets – Pronto!
Oh me oh my…!! Now you have me absolutely CRAVING these! How am I supposed to concentrate on WORK?! ;o) Love the mini skillets too and look forward to the egg recipe!
Now I have to push my husband out of the kitchen and make these! He is officially our biscuit-maker, while I prepare the sausage gravy. These look irresistible, and no gravy should come near them:) Hey, Saturday is not that far away!
They look gorgeous! I’d love one right now with a cup of tea 🙂
Now this looks like a feast fit for a southern king or queen! Those mini cast iron skillet are adorable, and those biscuits? TOO TEMPTING! Thank you for sharing your delicious treats with me. As always, your words and photographs bring brightness to my day.
Despite looking rather light, I’m sure those biscuits pack a powerful punch. Such flavor! Great post!
Now those are biscuits!! From the photos and recipe, I know exactly how these are going to taste – phenomenal!!! Perfect on their own but they would be great with soup, salad or as a little sandwich … I have got to stop… I am making myself really hungry!!!
Oh, these look simply scrumptious. My husband is the biscuit maker in our family and he can turn them out high and light. I’m sure he will love this recipe. Thank you!
Ham and cheese biscuits? Yes, please. Trust me, I have made some sad biscuits in the past, but these look like biscuit perfection!
I have a confession to make. And, as a through-and-through Southerner this truly pains me, but…I. Cannot. Make. A. Biscuit. Could not if my life depended on it. I can’t tell you how many horrible, dry crumbly messes daring to call themselves biscuits have come out of my oven in the past. My grandmother made the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten and I can picture her method from start to finish, but sadly I simply cannot duplicate it. Maybe I’ll give yours a try. Maybe there’s still hope for me to produce an edible biscuit?
What pretty little biscuits. They look so light and airy!
I’m guessing the report of WMD’s in your kitchen is somewhat exaggerated! But these biscuits do look wonderful. I’d like one to go with my leftover chili today!
These look fabulous! I adore biscuits, so I’m adding them to my list to make ASAP!
I need to make both of these. I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for the next recipe!
Doggone these look fab. Gimme, gimme!
What a great way to start out the week! Nothin’ like a hearty country breakfast to start off the day. I like the shape, too.
Those mini cast iron skillets are ADORABLE! Thanks so much for sharing. Looking forward to the egg casserole recipe.
Great recipe, Debra. Love the square shape…they look like perfect mouthfuls!
I haven’t had breakfast yet…you are such a tease! This all looks fabulous! It’s so true about making biscuits. There’s an art to them as well as scones. If it’s Virginia’s recipe, it’s got to be good! She is awesome.
Fabulous!!! Love this one!
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These are BEAUTIFUL! Thanks so much for participating in Southern Saturdays with Virginia and shooting these DELICIOUS photographs! YAY!!! Best VA
Debra, these look absolutely, positively PERFECT!!
I would kill for one right now. YUM 🙂
You know what? Now I DO want biscuits and eggs for breakfast! Those look super wonderful, Deb. When I get home, I really need to work on making biscuits. I haven’t done so in years, and honestly, is there anything more Southern?