Kick-Ass Cheesy Biscuits

A long time ago, Glen combined a handful of recipes to come up with his famous biscuits. He named them Kick-Ass Biscuits. It's abbreviated K-A Biscuits on the scrap of paper he scribbled the recipe on.

It's taken me six years to figure out how to make biscuits as good as Glen does. But I've finally done it. (A lot of it came down to the differences in how each of us measures flour.)

Then I did what I always end up doing to recipes: I tweaked it. I added cheese to Glen's biscuit recipe. Lots of cheese. The resulting Kick-Ass Cheesy Biscuits are so delicious. They really are worthy of their naughty name. They're also pretty darn easy to whip up when you're short on time. And nothing makes a meal seem special like warm, homemade biscuits.

Start by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. The recipe below includes flour measurements in both cups and grams, because I've learned that everyone measures flour differently. I stir the flour up in the canister with a butter knife, scoop the flour, and level with the knife.

Then slice the butter into pieces and toss with the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender until the butter is pea-sized.

Stir the cheese into the flour-butter mixture. You can shred your cheese yourself or use pre-shredded cheese. I use pre-shredded cheese because it saves time and means fewer dishes to wash.

Beat the egg lightly. (I use the same measuring cup for the flour, cheese, egg, and milk. Fewer dishes, again!) Dump the egg into the bowl, then pour in the milk. I stir the egg and milk together a little on the surface of the flour, then start mixing it all together.

The dough is half-mixed in the picture above. I forgot to take a picture when the dough was completely mixed. My little helpers took over mixing for awhile and I got distracted (imagine that!). The dough will be very stiff before all the flour is incorporated. I use a cutting motion at the end to mix in the last of the flour. You can use your hands to knead it in, too.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and shape it into a ball. Then, use your hands to gently press the dough out into a 1-inch oval. Add more flour to your surface and hands as needed.

Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter – or a drinking glass – cut biscuits from the dough. Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. I can usually fit all 12 or 13 biscuits on a 12-inch by 15-inch baking sheet.

Slide the pan of biscuits into the oven for 12 to 14 minutes. I rotate the pan after 10 minutes to make sure the biscuits brown evenly. Take them out when the tops are golden brown.

Kick-Ass Cheesy Biscuits

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 12 - 14 minutes
Makes: 12 - 13 3-inch biscuits

Ingredients

2½ cups all-purpose flour [350 grams]
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, cold [½ cup]
2 cups finely shredded colby-monterey jack cheese [200 grams | approx. 7 ounces]
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk

Directions

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.

Slice cold butter into 8 - 10 pieces, add butter pieces to flour mixture, and toss to combine.

Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until pea-sized.

Add shredded cheese to flour-butter mixture and stir until cheese is coated with flour.

Beat egg lightly in measuring cup, then add to flour mixture. Pour milk into flour mixture as well. Stir with fork until wet and dry ingredients are fully combined, cutting through dough as needed or kneading with hands at end. Dough will be very stiff.

Turn dough out onto well-floured surface. Using well-floured hands, shape dough into ball and then gently press dough out into 1-inch thick oval.

Cut biscuits from dough using floured, 3-inch round biscuit cutter and place on ungreased baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart.

Gather scraps of dough together and shape into ball, press out, and cut biscuits. Repeat until all dough is used.

Bake biscuits until tops are golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes.

Serve with butter and jam. (Yes, jam! Cheesy biscuits are delicious with jam!) Or eat them right off the pan. Or make them into bacon-egg-and-cheese biscuit sandwiches. Or... the possibilities are endless. We eat these with supper as often as we eat them with breakfast.

P.S. There should really be a big glass of milk in this picture, too. You're going to want to wash these babies down with ice cold milk.