Cheese and Garlic Biscuits

Round about these parts, we don't have many fancy restaurants.  Fact is, our little town is so small our children are excited to have pizza from the gas station in town.  No joke.  That's my disclaimer so I can justify that 'out to eat' generally means a chain restaurant for us, and that's big time.  I'm sure you can guess which chain restaurant carries cheese and garlic biscuits.  Not that we take our family of six to that restaurant.  We stopped that after we grew from a family of four, back when two of those four were under 5 and could share one kids meal and eat off our plates.  

That doesn't mean my family should be denied the pleasure of the chain restaurant's very popular side item.  Particularly when it's so easy to make, goes so well with soup and anything off the grill, and is a favorite among one of our favorites--bread.

This picture, or pictures just like it, may begin to seem familiar to you.  It seems many of the items I blog about start just this way:  flour, baking powder, salt and butter.

So pretty as the sun starts to go down in my kitchen, and so easy to change to mealy crumbs in about five pulses of my handy-dandy food processor.  The cheddar can be tossed in and pulsed a few times, too.

  A new bowl, some buttermilk, and walla.  Biscuit batter.

This is so easy to make because it doesn't require rolling or cutting like traditional biscuits, and it doesn't have yeast so it doesn't require a rise time.  Instant gratification...or at least gratification in like 25 minutes.  These just get scooped onto parchment paper-covered pans and popped in the oven.

And as if they didn't have enough fat in them, they get brushed with garlic butter when they come out.

Your house will smell savory and buttery.  Your family will be waiting at the table.  They may bring you flowers and promise to do the dusting and clean the bathrooms if you will make more.  

Ok, maybe not that.  But I bet they'll fight over who gets the last one, and they'll ask you to make them again.  High praise around here.  But of course, you remember my crowd--we think convenience store pizza is good, too.  Guess you'll have to try them to find out.

Cheese and Garlic Biscuits
Adapted from Cheese Garlic Biscuits II
Makes about 18 biscuits

2.5 c bread flour
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 c. butter
1.5 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1.5 c. buttermilk
3 T butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, baking powder and butter until the the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Pulse in the shredded cheese.  Transfer to a large bowl, and pour in the buttermilk.  With a large spoon or spatula, mix the milk in just until combined with the dry ingredients.  Don't beat, or over-mix.  Line two baking pans with parchment paper or stick-resistant foil.  Drop very large spoonfuls of the batter on each pan--approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup each.  Bake for 12-14 minutes.  As the biscuits are baking, combine softened butter and garlic powder until very well incorporated.  Remove the biscuits from the oven.  Butter the top of each biscuit with the garlic butter.  Enjoy!