Breakfast biscuits

Sometimes you just need a biscuit, plain and simple.

Well, maybe not plain, but simple. Blame it on living with a woman from the South while growing up but biscuits for breakfast is a guilty pleasure that everyone should enjoy when it gets a little cold outside. It’s the kind of comfort food that starts the day off right.

And, let’s face it, adding bacon to pretty much anything makes it extra delicious. So for breakfast this morning we’re making bacon and cheddar cheese biscuits courtesy of thekitchen.com.

This recipe should make 18 small or 10 large biscuits. If you have a small family, you may want to cut the recipe in half. Or, you could enjoy delicious biscuits throughout the day…

Cook 6 slices of thick-cut bacon in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Fry bacon until just crispy; then allow bacon to drain on a paper towel. Pour all but one tablespoon of bacon fat into a jar to store.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 cut of cake flour (or you can substitute ¾ cup all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch), 2 teaspoons baking powder, a ½ teaspoon of baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons of sugar and 2/4 teaspoons of salt. Pulse several times to combine the ingredients. You’ll then cut a frozen stick of butter into large chunks with a large knife. Add these pieces to the food processor. Pulse the food processor 8 to 10 times until the meal is finely ground.

Pour the mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Dice the bacon then add it to the mix. Also add 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ cup minced chives and 1 cup of buttermilk.

Gently mix using a spatula or fork until there is no more dry flour visible.

Now it’s time to get your hands dirty. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and dump the dough on top. Sprinkle a bit more flour on top and use your hand to pat the dough into a circle about ½ to 1 inch think depending on how think you want your biscuits. You can use a biscuit cutter, circular cookie cutter or even the top of a drinking glass to cut out biscuit shapes.

Put the biscuit circles into the skillet in which you cooked the bacon. Brush the tops of the biscuits with some of the reserve bacon fat or a bit of melted butter then back at 450 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

The toothpick test – poking a toothpick into the center of a biscuit in hopes of it coming out clean – is also a good standby.

Let the biscuits cool for five minutes. For breakfast, serve with eggs. For dinner, it’s a great side for a good ol’ fashioned country-inspired meal. Or, these are delicious treats on the go. Just store leftovers in a sealed container for up to a few days.