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Perhaps the Best Biscuits Ever?

September 5, 2007 by Nicole 52 Comments

Herbed Cheese Biscuits

I think so.

It was my first night back in my own kitchen but thanks to jet lag, I was far from ready to put a lot of effort into dinner. I put my husband in charge of grilling some meat and I managed to make a decent-tasting side dish out of some canned beans, frozen vegetables and rice.

But what I really wanted was something warm from the oven, dripping with butter.

I started flipping through my latest cookbook, a gift my cousin brought me from a recent trip to Wisconsin, called Best of the Best from Wisconsin. I would have been satisfied with any of the quick muffins or corn bread recipes I found but I realized we had no eggs. Then I found a variety of quick and easy beer bread recipes that sounded good, but we had no beer.

That’s when I saw it: a recipe for Cheese Drop Biscuits. Quick. Easy. Cheesy. It was exactly what I needed and I had all five ingredients on hand!

Then I started thinking about the Sour Cream, Cheddar and Chive Biscuit recipe that I had been planning on revamping for quite some time. Next thing I knew, the five ingredients had turned into ten, the cheese drop biscuits were now sour cream, herb and and cheese rolled biscuits, and my kitchen smelled so good I’m surprised the neighbors weren’t knocking on my door.

A new Pinch My Salt recipe was born!

Even though the ingredient list doubled in size, these still go together in minutes. In fact, if you aren’t careful, the biscuits will be ready to go before your oven is even finished preheating!

I decided to add a combination of herbs to my biscuits rather than sticking with just chives and this turned out to be a very good idea! Any combination of herbs would work great, I just happened to grab some dried basil and marjoram this time around.

These are some of the most tender and flavorful biscuits I’ve ever tasted. The best part was that they tasted even better the next day! I never like to eat leftover biscuits so this was a wonderful discovery for me. Granted, these are not the healthiest things I’ve ever made–there’s a reason they taste so good! But it’s ok to splurge sometimes, right? You only live once!

  • Herbed Cheese Biscuits
  • 2 C. flour
  • 2 t. baking powder
  • 1/2 t. baking soda
  • 1/2 t. mustard powder
  • 1 T. chopped fresh herbs or 1 t. dried*
  • 4 T. butter
  • 1 C. shredded cheese (whatever kind you prefer)
  • 3/4 C. sour cream
  • 1/4 C. milk
  • 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, mustard powder and herbs.
  • 3. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the pieces of butter are the size of peas. Stir in shredded cheese.
  • 4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together sour cream and milk. Add sour cream mixture to the dry mixture. Stir until just combined.
  • 5. Turn dough out onto a well-floured counter and knead a few times with floured hands. Pat dough out with your hands to about one-inch thickness. Cut biscuits using a biscuit cutter or cut into desired shapes with a knife.
  • 6. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
  • *You may use any combination of herbs you want. I like to use 1/2 T. fresh chives along with some dried herbs like 1/2 t. basil and 1/2 t. marjoram. The amounts listed are just guidelines. Experiment and have fun!

I still haven’t tried the original recipe from the Wisconsin cookbook but here it is in case you’re curious:

Cheese Drop Biscuits

2 C. flour
2 t. baking powder
4 T. butter
1 C. grated cheese
1 C. milk

Sift flour and baking powder; cut in remaining ingredients. Mix and drop by teaspoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes.

Source: Best of the Best from Wisconsin Cookbook

Related Recipes:

  • Sour Cream, Cheddar and Chive Biscuits

Around the Web:

  • Biscuits from Homesick Texan
  • Impulsive Late Night Biscuits from The Amateur Gourmet
  • Buttermilk Biscuits with Goat Cheese and Chives from Simply Recipes

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Filed Under: Adventures in Baking, Breads, Herbs and Spices, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Curt says

    September 5, 2007 at 7:04 pm

    They sound and look good, but the real test for a biscuit... How are they with sausage gravy??? :)(I was expecting something peachy!)
    Reply
  2. deb says

    September 5, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    These look great! I'm intrigued by the inclusion of mustard powder. I think you're onto something grand.
    Reply
  3. Nicole says

    September 5, 2007 at 7:59 pm

    Curt: I tricked you with the peach photos on Flickr! I took those for fun because I saw the peaches sitting on the counter as I was taking this photo. I LOVE biscuits and gravy but these are pretty good on their own!Deb: Thanks! It seems like I've been throwing a little mustard powder in everything these days! I think it did add a little something special to these biscuits though :-)
    Reply
  4. Deborah says

    September 5, 2007 at 8:14 pm

    I was just looking for some type of roll or biscuit recipe to make with dinner tonight, and nothing was sounding good until I read this!! This is perfect!
    Reply
  5. Nicole says

    September 5, 2007 at 9:00 pm

    Deborah: Glad I could help!
    Reply
  6. Joe says

    September 5, 2007 at 9:35 pm

    Oh, man. I saw the photos of the biscuits while perusing the volcano images, and have been hungry ever since. Those look great.
    Reply
  7. Nicole says

    September 5, 2007 at 10:16 pm

    Joe: Yes they were really good! Just polished off the last one, actually ;-)
    Reply
  8. Anh says

    September 5, 2007 at 10:40 pm

    This is a lovely scone (as we call it here in Oz). I love the herb that you have added. Perfect!
    Reply
  9. Ruby Berry says

    September 5, 2007 at 10:58 pm

    Cheese infused biscuits, that's what I'm talking about baby! They look YUMMY! Easy enough and I'm sure I have all the ingredients. Plus, it's cool again here so I can use my oven again! Thanks!
    Reply
  10. Nicole says

    September 5, 2007 at 11:01 pm

    Anh: Thanks! Scones are basically the same as biscuits anyway, just we usually call the savory ones biscuits and the sweet ones scones. Although that isn't always true either :-)

    Ruby: Glad to hear it's cooling down there! It's nice here, too. That 106 degree weather was killing me before I left there!

    Reply
  11. scott says

    September 5, 2007 at 11:32 pm

    You've sold on these biscuits, and that was just the lead in... the recipe just confirmed it... perfect to have on hand for a big (or quick on the go) breakfast! (Or with the chowder I'm having right now!)
    Reply
  12. Lydia says

    September 5, 2007 at 11:42 pm

    Those do sound like the best biscuits ever! Pretty much anything baked with cheese would be okay with me!
    Reply
  13. Kevin says

    September 6, 2007 at 1:48 am

    These sounds really good. Sour cream, cheese, mustard and herbs... mmm...
    Reply
  14. Terry B says

    September 6, 2007 at 2:09 am

    Nicole! You're back in the kitchen in a big way. These sound fabulous, better than the original recipe, in fact. I think herbes de Provence would be fabulous in these, by the way.
    Reply
  15. Nicole says

    September 6, 2007 at 10:17 am

    Scott: You're right, these would be great just about anytime!Lydia: I'm a pretty big fan of anything baked with cheese, too!Kevin: Thanks! Hope you get a chance to try them :-)Terry: Yes, they were definitely better than the original recipe! I think you're right about the herbes de Provence.
    Reply
  16. carmen says

    September 6, 2007 at 12:07 pm

    Have ya'll ever heard of White Lilly Flour? My grandmother made the best buttermilk biscuits I've ever had. A few years ago I started experimenting with biscuit recipes and they never came out nearly as great as hers. My mother told me granny had used White Lily flour. I tried to find it and couldn't in any grocery, wholefoods etc. It is apparently even in Wal Marts in the deep South where I grew up but nowhere west of the Mississippi. I finially found it on line at Chef's. I actually order $100.00 worth at a time to get free shipping. I can't say enough about the difference in it and other flours.
    Reply
  17. Nicole says

    September 6, 2007 at 12:38 pm

    Carmen,Yes, I have heard that using White Lily flour makes all the difference in biscuits. I am from the west coast so I have never actually used it but I do know that White Lily flour has a lower protein content than other 'all-purpose' white flours and that is what makes the difference in tenderness in biscuits, pie crusts and quick breads. I have read that a good substitute if you can't get white lily flour is to mix all-purpose flour with some instant flour (such as Wondra), I think the ratio is 2 parts all-purpose to 1 part instant flour. I don't bother with this because being from California, I'm just not that picky about my biscuits (I'm sure if I knew what "real" biscuits tasted, I would be a convert!). Thanks for letting us know that White Lily flour is available online through Chef's. I love that site!
    Reply
  18. Mallow says

    September 6, 2007 at 5:43 pm

    Yikes - those look dangerously good!
    Reply
  19. Heather says

    September 6, 2007 at 6:06 pm

    I have been lurking for a while, but the biscuits did it! I am going to try these for sure - thanks for the recipe. Heather
    Reply
  20. Katiez says

    September 6, 2007 at 7:35 pm

    Biscuits that taste good the next day? These I have to try! Got the recipe, thank you very much...
    Reply
  21. Rain says

    September 9, 2007 at 4:46 pm

    I'm definitely going to give these biscuits a try. I love biscuits and these look delicious. Glad to hear they taste great the next day too as we always have leftovers and most biscuits don't taste all that good when they've been sitting around. These look yummy!
    Reply
  22. Nicole says

    September 9, 2007 at 6:21 pm

    Mallow: Thanks!Heather: I hope you do try them! Let us know what you think!Katiez: I know, biscuits are one of those things that just aren't that great reheated. But I thought these were good the next day--both cold and reheated!Rain: Please let me know what you think if you end up making these. Thanks for stopping by!
    Reply
  23. Rain says

    September 11, 2007 at 5:11 am

    Yes...the best biscuits ever! I'm surprised there were any leftover but we did manage to not eat some of them so we'll be trying them out tomorrow. Thanks for a great recipe for biscuits. One of my great pleasures in life is a good biscuit - I'd rather have that than a donut.
    Reply
  24. Pam says

    September 11, 2007 at 10:35 am

    I am a biscuit fanatic and these will be made this weekend! Yum I can't wait!! Thanks :-)
    Reply
  25. amanda says

    September 15, 2007 at 5:27 pm

    these really do look like some superb biscuit! i am true southern biscuit lover and would happily gobble down several of these! they look great nicole!
    Reply
  26. Mariangela says

    September 23, 2007 at 6:32 pm

    Amazing! We used Giusto's Organic Unbleached All-Family Wheat Flour (their version of all-purpose) and the crumb and texture were perfect. We used white cheddar (looks like you used yellow?) and didn't have mustard powder but will use it next time. Delicious with a poached egg!
    Reply
  27. Nicole says

    September 24, 2007 at 9:29 am

    Rain: I hope you enjoyed them the following day, too! I thought they tasted pretty good the next day, something that is very unusual for a biscuit! It must have something to do with the sour cream.Pam: I hope you were able to make them!Amanda: Thanks! Coming from you, I'll definitely take that as a compliment!Mariangela: Yeah! I'm glad you finally got to make these. I'm sure they were wonderful with white cheddar. I think I actually used some colby jack because that's what I had on hand. I would usually opt for an extra sharp cheddar in something like this :-) I've never heard of that type of flour, I'm going to look it up now.
    Reply
  28. Eric says

    November 18, 2007 at 7:22 pm

    These look and sound wonderful! I love to make a huge Thanksgiving feast for my family every year; I frequently invite a few friends, too. I wanted something a bit special for the biscuits this year. This looks like just what I wanted! Thank you for telling us about these, I'll be making them in just a few days! :)
    Reply
  29. Mimosa says

    April 19, 2008 at 1:27 pm

    I went up to visit my fiance at college and his caffeteria had these wonderful cheesy herb biscuits, but I didn't get a chance to ask for the name. This recipe sounded exactly like what I was looking for, but they turned out even better! I would have to agree on the mustard powder doing the trick. These were delicious.
    Reply
  30. Gretchen says

    June 2, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    I can't wait to make these biscuits, but what flour is best to use? Is a regular all-purpose flour ok?
    Reply
  31. lorchick says

    October 4, 2008 at 7:35 pm

    i am totally going to make these at 9:30 at night and EAT THEM. it's my birthday so calories aren't real today. TRUE FACT.
    Reply
  32. lorchick says

    October 24, 2008 at 10:28 am

    i have a printout of this recipe sitting on my fridge and make them at least once a week. my husband loves them soooo much and requests them all the time. And I bring them to/make them for dinner parties and people are always in love with them! great recipe, and fun to make variations of.
    Reply
  33. Rain says

    October 27, 2008 at 4:15 pm

    Still loving these biscuits!! Thanks for the recipe :)
    Reply
  34. Virginia says

    January 16, 2009 at 5:51 pm

    These are baking in my oven right now! They came together so fast (which was just what I needed). I can't wait till they're ready!
    Reply
  35. SallyBR says

    April 3, 2009 at 7:14 am

    April 2007 to April 2009.For TWO years I've had this recipe on my "to try soon" folder.well, better late than never. They were awesome! Made them small like yours seem to be in the photo, and served as a side delicacy with chiliso so good!Thank you
    Reply
  36. Putri Jayanthi says

    April 15, 2009 at 1:35 am

    looks delicious. =9 and nice blog. :D
    Reply
  37. Anastasia says

    April 25, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    Made these last night. I had been looking for an herb biscuit since moving from Durham, NC to the West coast. I really wanted a recipe to imitate the unbelievable herb biscuits at Foster's Market http://www.fostersmarket.com/. Thanks so much! These did the trick. The only variation I made--and this was to imitate the Foster's biscuits--was to add coarsely chopped scallions instead of chives. So wonderful!
    Reply
  38. Mamaliga says

    December 4, 2009 at 8:52 am

    Nicole!I made these for this Thanksgiving! I found a recipe by Peter Reinhardt in a recent Bon Appetit issue that sounds very close to yours (except the mustard powder, and he is using fresh herbs). He called them 'Cheese & Herbs Poppers' -They turned out insanely good!And heck - the next day you can re-heat them in the microwave oven and they are like fresh!Gabi @ Mamaliga.com
    Reply
  39. Kris says

    December 16, 2010 at 8:48 pm

    Made these the other night to go with Irish beef stew. They came together really quickly and puffed up beautifully in the oven. The only thing I'd add next time is maybe 1/4-1/2 tsp of salt. I was surprised to see no salt in the recipe, but figured that they'd be savory enough from the butter & cheese. With just a wee bit, I think they'll be absolutely perfect next time. Definitely saving the recipe! Also, I can confirm that they are awesome the next day. We made egg & cheese breakfast sandwiches with them. :)
    Reply
  40. Veronica says

    January 19, 2011 at 8:06 pm

    Hey, I have never made biscuits from scratch before so I tried the easier one from the "Wisconsin" recipe. In the end, itself was a bit bland, so I melted some butter, put in salt pepper and garlic powder, brushed it on the biscuits and rebaked for 5 more minutes.Any ideas as to where I could change the base dough to a bit more flavorful?They turned out very good as sides with spaghetti though. :)
    Reply
  41. Marlene says

    November 20, 2011 at 3:19 pm

    I made these for the third time just now and they turned out to be the best batch I've made yet! I'd love to say that I would use them for meals tomorrow but I doubt there will be any left. :)
    Reply
  42. Emly says

    November 23, 2011 at 10:17 am

    How many biscuits does this recipe make?
    Reply
  43. Will says

    November 12, 2012 at 8:44 am

    Added 2T sugar & 1t salt..dropped the cheese
    Reply
  44. Bz says

    October 1, 2013 at 4:11 pm

    Truly easy and yummy. Makes only 1 doz/ Very dry recipe, needs to be worked on the counter so it comes together. Forgot the mustard. Super tasty.
    Reply

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