Blue Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits

A couple of months ago I was making a recipe that called for a few ounces of blue cheese and wouldn't you know it; when I went to the store I forgot to get the blue cheese. I ended up at Costco later that day and being too lazy to go back to the grocery store, I wound up with a Costco-sized bag of blue cheese crumbles. Of course my recipe only called for a couple of ounces so there was LOTS left over. I popped the bag in the freezer hoping it would keep longer there and set out to find more recipes that use blue cheese. News Flash, there aren't a lot! I've made blue cheese dressing (which my kids informed me they don't like) and blue cheese stuffed dates. Pretty yummy but not something for the regular day to day rotation of foods. Well this weekend I need to create some sort of appetizer so my mind immediately went to the blue cheese. Here's what I came up with: Blue Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits. The ultimate plan is to use them to make some sort of finger sandwich, maybe with some roast beef and cherry preserves. Hmmm, I'll have to think on that, but for now, here are the biscuits.

Blue Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits

Here's what you need: All purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pepper, shortening, blue cheese (See how big that bag is!) and buttermilk.

Mix together the four, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then cut in the shortening. You can use a couple of forks or this handy tool called a "pastry cutter". You want to get all the shortening worked in until the mixture has the look of coarse cornmeal. Work quickly because you don't want the shortening to melt.

Next add the blue cheese and cut in again only this time not so finely. 

Leave some visible chunks of cheese.

Sprinkle in the pepper. The recipe calls for a lot because I wanted these biscuits to have a spicy "punch" to them. If you're not too into pepper you can back off on it or leave it out all together. I'm in to pepper these days so I liked it. 

Use your judgement.

Now pour in the buttermilk and stir it around until it comes together as a dough and cleans the side of the bowl.

It will be pretty sticky and wet but that's OK, you'll end up with very tender and flakey biscuits. 

Just make sure you don't mix too much. Just until it all comes together.

Plop it out onto a well floured cutting board, sprinkle more flour on top and toss it around until you can form it into a ball. Keep that surface well floured but don't overwork the dough. NO KNEADING! Form it into a disk and roll out with a well floured rolling pin.

Then cut your biscuits into whatever shape you like. I rolled my dough a little thicker than 1/4 inch because I wanted them to be on the "crispy" side, feel free to go a little thicker (1/2 inch or so) for a softer biscuit center. I also used a 2-inch cutter because I wanted to use them to make finger sandwiches. Use a bigger cutter if you like bigger biscuits.

Lay them out on a baking sheet either greased or lined with parchment or a Silpat mat. I LOVE the Silpat mat. If you do a lot of baking you'll find them invaluable.

Now into the oven, preheated to 450°F, for 8 to 10 minutes. I went the full 10 because, again, I wanted crispy biscuits. These would be great with any beef dish, tangy and peppery, or just alone for lunch with just a bit of butter. 

Enjoy!

Becky

Blue Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits

2 C. All Purpose Flour

1/4 t. Baking Soda

3 t. Baking Powder

1/2 t. Salt

1/2 C. Shortening

4 oz. (approx. 1C.) Crumbled Blue Cheese

1/2 t. Pepper

1 C. Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F.

In a large bowl, combine four, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Cut in shortening until mixture resembles course meal.

Add blue cheese cutting in but leaving some distinguishable bits of blue cheese.

Sprinkle in pepper and toss around to combine.

Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until mixture leaves sides of bowl and forms a soft moist dough.

Turn out onto a well floured surface and toss dough until no longer sticky. Form into a disk and roll out to little over 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch round cutter and place on a greased cookie sheet (best option is to use a silpat mat).

Bake at 450°F for 8-10 minutes until tops are light brown.

Makes about 30 2-inch biscuits.