Recipe: Cheddar Chive and Jalapeno Biscuits

 Cheddar Chive and Jalapeno Biscuits

 (From JOY THE BAKER by Joy Wilson. Copyright © 2012 Joy Wilson. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.)

makes 10 to 12 biscuits

Biscuits don’t care if you decide to sleep in on a Saturday instead of going to an early-morning yoga class. They don’t mind if you drank too much wine last night or if you have morning breath. Biscuits won’t love you less if you spill coffee on the morning paper and it doesn’t faze them if you gobble down five of their biscuit friends at breakfast. Biscuits are silent, perfect, nonjudgmental, buttery breakfast friends.

These are deliciously fluffy buttermilk biscuits. Adding cheese, chives, and jalapeños makes them all the more enticing. They are perfect with a fried egg, delicious with salted butter, and pretty dang good just plain.

The spice from the jalapeño is hiding in the seeds. If you want a spiceless biscuit, just scrape out all the seeds before chopping. Be sure to wash your hands after you handle peppers. You don’t want the spice to sneak its way to your eyes or nose.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

41⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

3⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3⁄4 teaspoon salt

3⁄4 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for topping

1 egg

3⁄4 cup cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

1 medium jalapeño, seeds partially removed, diced small

3 tablespoons diced chives

3⁄4 cup (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

Coarse sea salt for topping

Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parch­ment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg.

Toss together the cheddar cheese, jalapeño, and chives. Set aside.

Add butter to the flour mixture. With your fingers or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour, breaking the small cubes into smaller bits. Once the butter is well incorporated into the flour mixture, the flour will resemble coarse meal. Some chunks will be the size of small pebbles, others will be the size of oat flakes.

Toss the cheese mixture into the flour mixture. Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture and add the but­termilk mixture all at once. Toss together with a fork making sure that all of the flour bits are moistened by the buttermilk. Mixture will be shaggy. Dump the biscuit dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, just to bring it together into a 11⁄2-inch-thick circle.

Cut biscuits into squares or use a 21⁄2-inch circle biscuit cutter to cut rounds. If you don’t have a round biscuit cutter, you can use a knife to cut the dough into 12 small squares. Gather dough scraps, knead lightly, and cut out more biscuits until batter is gone. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheets, brush with buttermilk, sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Biscuits are best the day they’re made, but can be wrapped, stored at room temperature, and served the next day as well.