There is nothing as delicious as a biscuit right out of the oven. Smothered in room temperature butter, there really is nothing finer. And this adaptation of one of Ina Garten’s recipes makes some of the best biscuits I have ever tasted. The combination of cheddar cheese and fresh chives is just amazing. And these biscuits are really easy to make. And there’s no fancy rolling them out, cutting them with a biscuit cutter, smooshing the remaining dough back together, rolling it out, cutting out more biscuits, etc. etc. You just plop the dough on a floured surface, pat the dough out, and cut it into 8 rectangular pieces with a sharp knife. Then drop the biscuits on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake them until they are lightly browned. Absolutely fool proof. And the greatest part. They are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A fun story about biscuits.

In a former life I had a father-in-law who loved to make breakfast. His wife was an excellent cook, and she prepared the other 2 meals each day, but breakfast was always my father-in-law’s responsibility. And when we visited, he and I had a running “battle” over who made the better biscuits. Because in his world, biscuits were always a part of breakfast. So when at their home, he would allow me to make the morning biscuits every other day. Well it became a running joke. Because regardless of who made the biscuits that morning, they were always the best biscuits any of us had ever tasted. Of course there was always a lot of kibitzing while the biscuits were being made, but that was half the fun. And of course, the end result was biscuits! Every morning! Yum!   

So if you too are a biscuit lover, please try this recipe. And thank you again Ina for “the bones” of yet another wonderful recipe. You are my hero!

• 2 c. + 1 T.  unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1½ tsp. kosher salt
• 12 T. (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• ½ c. cold buttermilk
• 2 lg. eggs, divided
• ¼ c. chopped fresh chives
• 1 c. grated extra-sharp cheddar
• 1 T. milk or water

Place the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and one of the eggs in a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the chives with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Add the cheddar and loosely coat the cheese with the flour. With the mixer still on low, add the cheese/chive mixture to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough into a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the remaining egg and the milk. Brush the tops with the egg/milk mixture. (If you like, you can add a little grated cheddar also.) Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.