Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Biscuits? Did you say biscuits?

By popular demand: Jalapeno biscuits (with cheddar cheese and beer)


I admit it freely: I love biscuits.

When Norm Abrahms, on the carpentry shows, talks about biscuits, I start to feel hungry, even though I know he's talking about a skinny little piece of wood.

I love biscuits, and this recipe is a favorite of my husband's. It's from the LA Times (June 15, 2005). We were sitting having coffee in Palm Springs (a winding down after working at a furniture show in Pasadena), when we opened the newspaper and found biscuits!

Now, when I make them, I remember that lovely morning.

But enough about sun and the Times. Without further ado:

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter (cut into little cubes)
2 jalapenos (seeded and minced)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (sharpness to your taste)
about 1/2 cup of pale beer

Mix the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter. Stir in the jalapenos and cheese. Stir in the beer. (I always need more than 1/2 cup, usually closer to 2/3 cup.

Knead the dough briefly and then pat it out on a lightly floured surface and wield your favorite biscuit cutter or reasonably sized water tumbler. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 13-15 minutes. If you're really thirsty, drink the rest of the beer while you wait.

Enjoy!

2 comments:

Joy Leftow said...

yummy - I want them right now.
think you could substitute fine whole wheat flour instead?

Joannie Stangeland said...

I think that you could use part whole wheat pastry flour and part unbleached white flour or whole wheat flour. If you use all whole wheat flour, they might be kind of leaden. If you use all whole wheat pastry flour, they might be too crumbly.

And if you do use some whole wheat flour, you might need to add more beer.