Cheesy Drop Biscuits + Cider Variation

I've been on the hunt for a biscuit recipe that would be similar to Red Lobster biscuits. Have you had them? I mean, I haven't been to that restaurant in many years . . . but I still remember those amazing biscuits. They're far too salty. But the texture? Yeah, that's what I wanted to find.

Then I tried this recipe from Food & Wine.

Success!

Over time, I've tweaked it to meet my tastes and what we usually have in the pantry. I've added shredded cheese and even experimented with adding different flavors, as you'll see below. This biscuit recipe is a real winner and comes together fast.

CHEESY DROP BISCUITS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 6 tablespoons Earth Balance or salted butter -- cold! 
• 3/4 cup soy, almond, or cow's milk*
• 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

* I've used the same amount of water and even APPLE CIDER for extra flair. When I used the cider, I also used a special maple cheddar in place of regular cheddar cheese. The biscuits were so delicious -- sweet and savory.

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Spritz a baking sheet with oil or line with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, Parmesan, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Drop the tablespoons of butter into the dry ingredients and then mix with your hands until mixture is crumbly.
4. Add in the shredded cheese and pour in the milk. Mix until just combined (doesn't need to be uniform).
5. Drop dough in 1/4 cup amounts onto your baking sheet.
6. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until golden.

ENJOY!

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Spinach + Cheddar “Buttermilk” Biscuits

You guys know I’m a biscuit fiend. (What gave it away? These 10,000 biscuit recipes?) I made this delicious slow cooker soup yesterday (I’ll post that recipe soon, too), and I always serve soup with biscuits, cornbread, or some other bready bread bread on the side. It’s just, like, a requirement. An essential part of the meal. Not to be skipped. Ever.

Especially now!

SPINACH + CHEDDAR “BUTTERMILK” BISCUITS

What you’ll need . . . 

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 4 tablespoons Earth Balance (or salted butter)
• 1-1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1-3 tablespoons water
• 1 cup finely chopped spinach (I used baby spinach)*
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

* I think basil or any other “soft” greens would work great too!


Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Cut in your Earth Balance or butter -- I simply used my hands to blend until the mixture resembled coarse meal.
4. Toss in the Greek yogurt, spinach, and cheddar cheese. Mix with a spatula (or your hands) until everything is moistened. You may need to add another couple tablespoons of water so everything sticks together (but isn’t sticky).
5. Then flour a work surface and take your ball of dough and flatten it with the palm of your hand. It should be around 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
6. Take the ring of a Ball jar (standard size) and cut out your biscuits. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container in your fridge for several days.

FYI: This recipe makes 12-15 of these guys.

RELATED RECIPES

• Whole Wheat "Buttermilk" Biscuits
• Vegan Chocolate Biscuits
• Black Pepper + Basil Biscuits
• Yogurt Drop Biscuits
• Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
• Back Pocket Biscuits
• Cheesy Beer Biscuits
• Cheesy Old Bay Biscuits
• Spiced Applesauce Biscuits

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Back Pocket Biscuits

Happy Friday, friends! Thanks for all your insightful comments on the Garbage Bowl post -- part II about our composting process will be coming next week. On another homesteading note: I had no idea so many of you have backyard chickens. I'm not sure what the rules + regulations are in our new area, but I'd love to learn more about your process and experiences raising and caring for chickens in more urban and suburban settings.

Onto today's post. I'd like to s art giving some of my fall meal tips as the summer -- sadly -- draws to a close. This way, you'll be armed with all my secrets when school is back in session, vacations are only memories, and the weather starts getting nippy. First on that list? Having some quick and easy "back pocket" biscuit recipes in your memory bank.

// BACK POCKET BISCUITS

• Biscuits go with a wide variety of meals. Most notably soups and stews benefit from a little side bread action. In fact, one of my most frequently cooked meals involved Pumpkin Chili and basic "buttermilk" biscuits. I write that in quotes because I make ours with Earth Balance or olive oil and usually (homemade) almond milk.
• They're also incredibly versatile and can be made sweet or savory, cheesy or veggie, etc. Baking powder is what gives them a quick and powerful rise, which is why there's no need to wait long hours from mixing to baking.
• As for tools of the trade, it's quite simple. I use a bowl, a spatula, some dusting flour, and -- the KEY -- a standard Ball jar lid ring to do the cutting. If you'd like to make jumbo biscuits, the larger rings work well, too. But of all my tools, it's the most important.
• As for toppings, I often go with standard butter or Earth Balance. For breakfast I sometimes toast biscuits and top with peanut butter or broil with cheese. Biscuits are so adaptable, they can turn into anything you want them to be pretty quickly.

// RECIPES

What you see in the photos are the Yogurt Drop Biscuits. I'd say I make those most often with the Whole Wheat "Buttermilk" being a close second. Whatever you do, feel free to explore these recipes. Add in your own ingredients from cheeses to different purees (for example, the Applesauce Biscuits could easily be made savory by substituting the applesauce with sweet potato or other veggie puree).

• Whole Wheat "Buttermilk" Biscuits
• Vegan Chocolate Biscuits
• Black Pepper + Basil Biscuits
• Yogurt Drop Biscuits
• Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
• Cheesy Beer Biscuits
• Cheesy Old Bay Biscuits
• Spiced Applesauce Biscuits

And today on Writing Chapter Three, I'm telling you guys all about turning 31 (plus how my first year in the 30s went). I have fewer friends these days, my baby fever has reached new heights, and all sorts of other things are running around in this mind of mine. If you're in the same boat, be sure to check it out!

Speaking of boats, this is our last day at the shore! Ahhh!

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Chocolate Biscuits // Vegan for V-Day

Think those Black Pepper + Basil Biscuits look good?

It gets better . . .

CHOCOLATE BISCUITS
Perfect for Valentine's Day breakfast!

What you'll need . . .

• 2-1/2 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup soy or almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Then pour in the wet ingredients and mix until dough forms. Knead a few times until everything is moistened. 
4. If dough is too wet/sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Sometimes measurements don't work perfectly, especially this time of year. It all depends on your flour (I used King Arthur), cocoa powder (I used Nestle), and the humidity.
5. Lightly flour a work surface (or use a layer of plastic wrap above/below dough) and roll with a pin or flatten with your palm the dough until it is around 1 inch thick. 
6. Using a round cookie cutter (I used a Ball jar lid ring), cut dough into 12 biscuits.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until biscuits are lightly browned. Be careful not to over-bake or they will get dry.
8. Let cool a few minutes before serving warm.

Have I convinced you to bake biscuits yet?

Or perhaps another one of our many Valentine's Day recipes?

// MORE BISCUITS

• Black Pepper + Basil Biscuits
• Yogurt Drop Biscuits
• Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
• Cheesy Beer Biscuits
• Cheesy Old Bay Biscuits
• Spiced Applesauce Biscuits

ALSO: Don't forget to enter our Taste of Nature snack bar #giveaway!

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Black Pepper + Basil Olive Oil Biscuits

I've tweaked my biscuit recipe, and now I can't get enough! I've made variations of this batch three times in the past week, one of which is  sweet chocolate dessert biscuit -- so get ready for that recipe tomorrow! I love biscuits because they are simple enough to make and require only a few, inexpensive ingredients.

Plus, they go great with breakfast, lunch, and a Miso Split Pea Soup dinner. 

BLACK PEPPER + BASIL OLIVE OIL BISCUITS 

What you'll need . . . 

• 2-1/2 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup soy or almond milk

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper, and dried basil.
3. Then pour in the wet ingredients and mix until dough forms. Knead a few times until everything is moistened.
4. Lightly flour a work surface and roll with a pin or flatten with your palm the dough until it is around 1 inch thick. 
5. Using a round cookie cutter (I used a Ball jar lid ring), cut dough into 12 biscuits.
6. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until biscuits are lightly browned. Be careful not to over-bake or they will get dry.
7. Let cool a few minutes before serving warm.

// MORE BISCUITS

• Yogurt Drop Biscuits
• Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
• Cheesy Beer Biscuits
• Cheesy Old Bay Biscuits
• Spiced Applesauce Biscuits

// HENNA HAIR COLOR

I know some of you who don't normally read Writing Chapter Three said you are interested: I colored my hair with Henna and made a little video documenting the experience. I doubt I'll go back to chemical box dyes again. I love how it turned out!


And a big thanks to RedEnvelope for sending me this gorgeous monogrammed birthstone pendant necklace (in Ada's November birthstone -- maybe someday I'll pass it along to her!). I've been smitten with RE since I first got a catalog way back in college, and I now have several pieces of their jewelry in my collection. Whether you're shopping for a friend or yourself, their Favorites for Her is a great place to scope out pretty gifts. 

RedEnvelope sent me this necklace. I was not compensated otherwise. My opinions are my own.

ALSO: Don't forget to enter our Taste of Nature snack bar #giveaway!

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Cheesy Beer Biscuits

Bread. Cheese. Beer. I feel like everywhere I look, people are avoiding this triple-threat like it's the plague. Now, back up. I'm not meaning to diminish how gluten, alcohol, and dairy can pose problems for some. There are legitimate, serious medical and/or dietary/ethical issues tied to each. (And I am editing this to add that those people who made educated choices about staying away from these foods aren't lumped in with what I explain next.)

I know many, however, who blindly refuse to acknowledge these foods simply to lose weight. (Whether or not they admit that motivation is another matter entirely. For another day.)

I just . . . can't. Well. WON'T cut out these foods for that reason alone. They're too delicious. Especially at this time of year. And this mini-biscuit has them all up in its business.

Bread. Cheese. Beer. BISCUITS!

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1 cup unbleached bread flour 
• Pinch salt 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance or butter, cold and chopped into small pieces 
• 3/4 cup dark beer (I used an oatmeal stout from a local brewer) 
• 1/2 (or more) cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese 

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spritz the cups of a mini muffin tin with olive oil. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and baking powder.
3. Then add in your bits of butter or Earth Balance. Mix together the dry ingredients and butter with your fingertips (or pulse in a food processor, if you wish) until it resembles coarse meal.
4. Then add in the cheese. Pour in the beer and mix together until everything is just moistened. Do not over-mix.
5. Portion out the batter into all the cups of the mini muffin tin. Then bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

I'll save you a double-take. This is the same photo as above, just without the text. It's the best one I got of the bunch, so there! Anyway, I understand if you aren't into bread, cheese, and/or beer. It's OK.

You can use dairy-free cheese.
You can sub in almond milk/soy milk/regular milk for beer.
You can experiment with your favorite wheat-free/gluten-free flours.
You may also replace the butter with olive oil.

And if you make any of these modifications and like what you make, let me know!

On the other hand, if you'd like to make these straight-up -- I hope they turn out well for you. We served them with a heaping helping of roasted butternut squash, onions, green peppers, and garlic.


Did you all do your homework this weekend? How did it turn out? And here's some snapshots of our weekend over on Writing Chapter Three.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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