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These tall, flaky, Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits are melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. They'll have you quite smitten, at the first bite!
Growing up in the Midwest, I was never a biscuit aficionado. There was a good reason; the only biscuits I ever tasted were the kind that popped out of a tube. You know, the ones found in the dairy section of every local grocery store. They were nothing like these tall, flaky, Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits that will melt in your mouth and have you smitten with the first bite!
All that changed when Scott and I moved to North Carolina in the early 80's. At first, we laughed when we discovered that, in the South, there were entire restaurants devoted just to biscuits! How crazy is that, we thought. But the laugh was on us, because when we tasted our first southern biscuits (at a fast food chain, of all places!), we loved them. We had to (literally) eat our words. The biscuits were tall, flaky, super light and incredibly delicious.
My mom was a big bread maker so I was familiar with yeast baking, but not biscuit making. I tried the "biscuit thing" a couple times over the years, but the results were not stellar (at all). I began to think that perhaps you needed a bit of southern lineage to a be a good little biscuit maker.
Easier, quicker and just as delicious!
But a few years ago, I discovered an amazing technique created by the smart folks over at Cooks Illustrated. They figured out a way to simplify biscuit making that blew me away the first time I tried it.
The traditional biscuit technique calls for combining flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt, then “cutting” in cold butter with a knife, a pastry cutter or between your fingers. The liquid is then added and everything is gently combined. If done correctly, the tiny pieces of butter are evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture, giving classic buttermilk biscuits their lightness, flakiness and layers of peelable, buttery deliciousness. This might not seem like a difficult task, but it was one I just couldn't seem to master.
The Cook’s Illustrated technique is totally different… and ridiculously easy! The first time I tried it, I squealed a little when I opened the oven door to check my biscuits. Tall, golden, beautiful biscuits greeted my eyes and I've had the same results every time since. These days, I'm feeling like a bona fide southern girl, finally a legitimate biscuit maker!
What's the technique? So easy! Just place a cup of buttermilk (one of the secrets of delicious biscuits) in the freezer for a few minutes while you melt butter in the microwave. Let the melted butter cool while stirring together the dry ingredients. The melted butter is then combined with the super cold buttermilk. This is where the magic begins!
When the warm butter hits the cold liquid, small, buttery globules form. When this buttermilk mixture is added to the dry flour mixture and it’s all stirred together, you’ll notice tiny pieces of pale yellow butter dotting the simple dough. Yup, it will look just as if you spent the time to cut them in!
I shared this technique several years ago in this post called Ridiculously Easy Buttermilk Biscuits.
Since then I've gotten many emails and comments from happy readers who have become expert biscuit makers too. Here are a few I received just in the past couple weeks:
In my family, I am the biscuit baker. Everyone asks me to bring biscuits to family events. I tried your recipe yesterday for Thanksgiving – oh, my! I have a new recipe. What a hit!
These biscuits are genius!!!! I have tried making biscuits twice in the past (using other recipes) and they have not risen at all…more like hockey pucks than biscuits and I followed the recipes exactly. However, when I tried your recipe today, the biscuits turned out fantastic!
I have made these a few times and I am amazed at how much easier the buttermilk and butter method is compared to cutting in butter which I never really liked doing. Definitely the easiest recipe for biscuits I ever used, excellent!!
One of my favorite comments came from a reader in Holland:
Hello Chris,
I did the same thing you did; I got up and ran to the kitchen after reading your recipe/method!
With one difference: I’m Dutch, live in the Netherlands and it happened to be 4 a çlock in the night and I couldn’t sleep… So I had an early breakfast… Thank you thank you for sharing this recipe.
Here in Holland people are not familiar with biscuits and we don’t eat bread with our supper unless we eat chili or soup… but I after eating them in the States AND watching “the Waltons” a lot I always wanted to make them. They Always turn out tough or dry! I altered your recipe a little... I only put in one teaspoon of Sugar and perhaps a little extra buttermilk because it seemed to dry at first. And I was afraid of kneading it too much, so I just picked up the dough, put it on some flour and formed a disk and cut them out.
They are fantastic! never ate anything like it! Such a crispy thin crust and almost cake-like on the inside… Now I know what was meant when someone said to Olivia Walton: these biscuits melt in the mouth!! Best wishes from Christine
Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits, brand new clothes for an old classic!
For these Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits, I decided to adapt the original recipe to include cheddar cheese and finely sliced chives. Oh my! Another delicious biscuit, perfect for serving with soups, salads and/or just about any main entree. It's just as easy as the original recipe, the cheese and chives are simply added with the dry ingredients. Just like in the original recipe the final step is a brush of butter just as the fragrant biscuits emerge from the oven.
Pick up some cheddar cheese and a bunch of fresh chives next time you're grocery shopping. If you're like me, you might want to run to the store right now! It will take less than 15 minutes to throw these amazing Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits together. Your kitchen will smell incredible, and you too might find yourself squealing a bit when you open the oven door!
Cafe Tips for making these Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits
- You can use packaged shredded cheese or shred your own. Either way, make sure it's finely shredded. The biscuits will come out prettier that way.
- If purchasing fresh chives at the grocery store, you may find them in nice big bunches in the produce section. Most of the time however, they'll be sold with other herbs in little plastic packages. One package should be fine. If it's not quite ¼ cup, as the recipe calls for, you'll still have delicious results.
- Don’t have any buttermilk? It's easy to make your own. Place 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup. Fill with milk to measure 1 cup and stir well. Allow mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. The mixture may curdle a bit, that’s okay! Use in recipes in lieu of buttermilk.
- Biscuits can be cut with aluminum cans, overturned glasses, and even Mason jar rings, but using these types of cutters (with rounded edges) can compress the sides of the dough and lead to misshapen biscuits. For tall, beautiful biscuits, use a sharp rimmed cutter. I really like the ones that have a little handle to hold on to (see picture below).
- You can make these Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits any size you want. Miniature ones are really nice for a dinner party, but if you're making breakfast or lunch sandwiches, larger biscuits are nice. I love these sturdy but reasonably priced biscuit cutters that come in a set of four, allowing you to choose any size you want.
- Don’t skip chilling the buttermilk (step 2). It's one of the secrets to good success in this recipe. If the buttermilk is not really cold, the little butter globules won’t form.
- If you add the melted butter to the cold buttermilk and you don't see the little butter globules, your buttermilk may not have been cold enough. You can remedy this by placing the mixture in the freezer for another 5-10 minutes, then stir again and you should see the magic globules.
- I made the original Ridiculously Easy Buttermilk Biscuits several years ago while visiting my daughter in London. I learned the all-purpose flour (Plain flour) in Britain is a bit different and it seemed that I needed more, probably closer to 2 ¼ cups.
- These Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits freeze well. If freezing for later use, underbake them by a few minutes, then cool completely. Then place the biscuits on a sheet pan or a plate. Freeze till frozen, then transfer biscuits to a ziplock bag or air-tight storage container.
- If I’m feeling a bit pinched for time or just plain lazy, I’ll just pat the dough into a 6-inch circle and use a bench scraper to cut the dough into wedges. I either put these wedges on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or in a 9-inch cake pan lined with parchment.
These tall, flaky, Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits are melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. They'll have you quite smitten at the first bite!
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
- 8 tablespoons butter plus one more for brushing
- 2 cups all-purpose flour more for counter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup finely sliced fresh chives extra for garnish, if desired
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Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.
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Measure 1 cup of buttermilk and place the cup in the freezer while prepping other ingredients (you want it to be in the freezer about 10 minutes).
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Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a paper towel over the top and heat on high for 30 seconds. If not completely melted, return to microwave for 10-second intervals till melted. Set aside to cool a bit while prepping other ingredients.
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Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in large bowl. Add cheese and chives. Stir to combine.
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After buttermilk has been chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes, combine it with the melted butter. Stir with a fork until butter forms small clumps or globules.
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Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with a sturdy spatula just until all flour is incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of the bowl. The dough should be stiff and not super wet. If the dough is wet, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring to combine, until dough is fairly stiff.
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Generously spread flour over your work surface. Dump biscuit dough from bowl onto prepared work surface and turn to coat all surfaces with flour. Knead on counter 5-6 times (about 20-30 seconds). Flip over on work surface to coat with flour then pat into a 6-inch square. It should be 1 ½-2-inches in height.
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Cut as many biscuits as you can with a biscuit cutter (this will depend on what size cutter you use). Place biscuits on the prepared sheet pan. Knead scraps a few times till they hold together, then pat into a small circle and cut more biscuits. Transfer last biscuits to the sheet pan, spacing about 1 ½ inches apart. (See Café Tips in post for an even easier cutting technique).
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Place in oven and bake until tops are a medium golden brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Start checking after about 8 minutes, as every oven is different.
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Melt remaining tablespoon of butter and brush tops of hot biscuits with melted butter. Sprinkle with more finely sliced fresh chives. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated via Serious Eats.
Claire Van Allen says
Made these biscuits to bring to a dinner party (with the Arugula blueberry salad, the almonds were so easy to make and really good) and they were great. Always love your recipes.
Elizabeth says
Hi Chris,
I find I can never go wrong making one of your bread recipes. Biscuits are excellent! Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Elizabeth. I'm so happy you enjoyed them!
Wesley says
Has anyone made this recipe, then stored in the refrigerator for a day? I'd like to make the dough the day before my family party. Gives me more time be social 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Wesley, you actually can do this. Just cover them well with plastic wrap so they don't dry out.
Brenda says
Biscuits have 3 minutes left in oven. The recipe worked up nicely. I made scalloped potatoe and baked veggie soup to go with it.
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy! Wish I was there 🙂 Let us know how you like them.
Brenda says
Okay. They are delicious. Thanks for this recipe.
Tracey Romain says
Hi Chris, I just made these biscuits and they are full of flavour have a tender crumb. Delicious! Thank you for all the time and effort you put into this blog. It is the gift that keeps on giving. Have a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2018
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Tracey! I'm so happy you enjoyed them! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas too!
Kathy says
These are perfection!!! Made them twice in two days - first thing Grandson said on 2nd day "do you have any of those biscuits left?"😊 Theses are my fav biscuit hands down. Thank you sooo much.
Kathy
Chris Scheuer says
Haha, I love it!! Thanks, Kathy!
Vicki Bensinger says
These look so good Chris can’t wait to make themnn
Harriet Wilks says
I have NEVER made a flaky, delicious biscuit- until you shared this technique. In all my 59 years, I have not made a biscuit comparable to this. Thank you!!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay!!!! You and me both Harriet! 🙂
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Thanks for sharing the technique Chris! These look amazing and I bet they taste just as good!
cheri says
Weii I am definitely going to have to try that trick Chris, this look amazing!!!!! Pinned!
John/Kitchen Riffs says
I know that trick about chilling the buttermilk but haven't tried it -- I need to! Because, well, gosh, your biscuits look wonderful! Just gorgeous -- great recipe. And pictures. 🙂 Thanks!
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert says
Oh yes - I could get into a few of these with a bowl of stew or soup - they must be fantastic. Love cheddar and chives!
Kathleen says
I made the regular biscuits and were wonderful! Am making the cheddar/chive ones tonight.
Thanks for great recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Your welcome Kathleen, enjoy!!
Adina says
The pictures are amazing, showing so clearly the structure of the biscuits and that melting butter! I can almost taste them!
Donna Jo says
I will be making these for Christmas dinner! They look so good! I'll have to use the method of making ahead of time and under baking, as I have to pick up a family member who can no longer drive for dinner at my house. How much would you recommend under baking?
I'm definitely doing a test run on these over the weekend before I make them for the holiday. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Donna Jo, I would underbake them for about 5 minutes or just until they're pale golden brown, then cool and freeze. When you're ready to serve, let them thaw then finish baking at 350 for 5-10 minutes until a nice golden brown. I am taking these to a party on Friday night. I'm going to try this week freezing the cutout but unbaked biscuits and then baking them just before serving. I'll let you know how that goes. If it works, that would be a great way for you to go also.
Donna Jo says
I tried another biscuit recipe that way - putting them together , cutting and freezing. I baked them a short time before dinner, adding a little baking time. I'm interested in how yours work out. Your recipe sounds so good!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
I love this method of biscuit making and these cheddar and chive are just so perfect next to our Winter soups and stews!
Sandra L Garth says
The chives are a game changer. I made your Ridiculously Easy Biscuits back in the fall. That was about the time my ovens decided to have temper tantrums. I'm looking forward to trying both versions when Santa brings me a new oven.
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
So dreamy, Chris! These biscuits look irresistible!
Liz says
Yeah, in Iowa we got those canned biscuits, too. Must say, yours look a heck of a lot better!!!
Susan says
They look SO good, Chris! Pinning!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
mmm..my mouth is watering and I will definitely take your advice and get some chives and cheddar on my next supermarket visit. Thanks, Chris.
Madonna says
Chris, I have made your biscuits, but I put parmesan and rosemary in them. Addictive.
Years ago on way to a horse show we stopped at a place in southern Missouri. They throw rolls at you. Hilariously funny, I have never had food thrown at me. I am more prone to quieter places nowadays. 🙂
Monique says
I have made these! Spot on! And your pics..WOW:)
Jenna says
A Christmas present this is Chris! Thank you!!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
You had me at that melting butter shot...mmmmmmmmm!