And just like that, next Thursday is Thanksgiving. A two-week lockdown has turned into 9 months and if there was ever a year to eat your feelings (be it stress, anxiety, or sheer panic), it’s this year. In case you’re still looking for a buttery, cheesy carb to accompany your meal next week (or if you’re like me and are always in search of buttery, flaky goodness), let me introduce you to my Cheesy Flaky Biscuits with Cilantro Serrano Butter and Honey.
There’s such comfort in biscuits. I find the process to be so therapeutic. For that short moment, nothing matters except for your hands working the butter into the flour, the act of rolling and folding the dough to create layers, and the gentle brush of buttermilk over the chilled little squares of dough. There’s such satisfaction in seeing the layers you so thoughtfully created rise and reveal themselves in the oven. Perhaps the only thing more comforting than baking biscuits, is that first bite while they’re still warm out of the oven.
These biscuits have everything I’ve ever wanted in a biscuit— a crisp yet tender exterior, a moist interior, and a hefty amount of cheese and butter. The cheese on the bottom gets brown and toasty while the cheese on the inside melts perfectly. If you pull the layers apart while still warm, you can actually see the little cheese pulls throughout. The biscuits are seriously good by themselves (so good that I’ve made four batches), but even better with the slight heat and zip of the cilantro serrano butter and the sweet contrast that a light drizzle of honey provides.
Making a whole Thanksgiving meal is hard enough. As always, I’m here to give you all the info you need to ease some of that stress. Follow along for the step-by-step and all my tips and tricks below or skip to the bottom for the recipe.
And don't forget— wear a mask, stay 6 feet apart, eat way too much stuffing, and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Talk to you in December!
Some notes before beginning—
It’s important to keep the butter, buttermilk, and even the cheese as cold as possible. I like to pre-cube my butter and measure both the buttermilk and cheese and keep all three ingredients in the fridge right up until I need them.
The buttermilk can be replaced with a whole milk/vinegar combination. Whisk together 3/4 cup of whole milk with 2 1/4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar. Let stand, in the fridge, for five minutes.
Begin by whisking together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Working quickly, toss the butter in the flour to coat.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that the butter be cold. Just like in the pie dough for my apple hand pies, the cold bits of butter throughout the dough along with the lamination method are what will help to create flaky, layers. When the cold butter hits the hot oven, any water in the butter turns to steam. This steam then creates pockets of air in the dough. Those air pockets help to create those pull-apart layers.
Use your fingertips to rub and squish the butter into the dry ingredients (left visual) until the butter is broken down into chunks about half of their original size, roughly 1/4-inch bits (right visual).
Don’t work the butter in too much. You still want to see visible chunks. Be sure to utilize the visuals here if you’re unsure.
Add the shredded cheese to the butter/flour mixture and quickly toss to disperse throughout.
Create a well in the middle of the butter/flour/cheese mixture. Add the buttermilk to the well.
Use a fork to mix in the buttermilk until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass. There will still be some dry bits. That’s ok.
Turn the shaggy mass of dough and any remaining bits from the bowl out onto a floured surface. Working quickly so that the butter doesn’t get too soft, gather and pat the dough to form a somewhat cohesive slab.
Dust a rolling pin with flour and gently roll the slab into a rectangle about 9-inches by 12-inches with the long side facing you.
To help maintain straight edges and a uniform shape, I like to use my bench scraper to square the sides off.
To create layers, we’re going to fold the dough. Fold the right third of the dough over the middle, either using your hands or with the assistance of a bench/bowl scraper (as pictured in the first and second photos below). Fold the left third of the dough over that (as seen in the third visual below). The dough should be in the shape of a narrow rectangle with the short side facing you. This is the first trifold.
Alternatively, you can fold the left side first and then the right side over. I tend to start with the right side out of habit because that’s my dominant hand, but you'll get the same results no matter what side you start with.
Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that the longer edge is once again facing you. Gather any loose, dry bits and press them onto the top surface of the dough. These dry bits will incorporate as you fold the dough.
Repeat the rolling out into a 9-inch by 12-inch rectangle, folding, and rotating 3 more times. Be sure to flour your surface and rolling pin as needed.
Once trifolded 4 times total, the dough should once again be in the shape of a narrow rectangle. Roll the dough out to a square shape, about 3/4-inch to 1-inch tall.
Transfer the whole slab of dough, either on the cutting board or on a parchment-lined sheet, to the freezer. Freeze the slab for about 15 minutes to firm up any butter that may have softened in the dough. This will make cutting the biscuits easier.
After 15 minutes, the dough should be cool and firm, but not so firm that it cannot be easily cut with a sharp knife. Cut the slab into 9 squares.
Some people trim the outer edges of the slab and then cut the dough to help expose the layers and allow for even lift in the oven on all four sides. I love the uniform look of this and if you want to you totally can. For waste purposes, I don’t.
Transfer the squares of dough to a parchment-lined sheet, spacing as evenly as possible. Brush the chilled biscuits with more buttermilk.
Bake the biscuits on the middle rack at 425 degrees f until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, about 17 minutes.
If you happen to roll your dough to less than 3/4-inch thick, you might want to check your biscuits closer to the 14-minute mark.
Brush the hot biscuits with more softened butter. This is optional, but I just think that if you’re going to have a biscuit, you might as well go big or go home.
While the biscuits are baking, make the cilantro serrano butter.
Pulse the cilantro, serrano, garlic, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper in a mini food processor until the ingredients are combined and finely chopped.
You can seed the serrano if desired. If you don’t have serranos, a jalapeño of comparable size can be substituted. If you don’t like any sort of spice, you can 100% leave the serrano out. This butter is pretty customizable.
Add the softened butter and pulse several more times until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the butter and everything is thoroughly combined.
This small quantity won't process in a regular sized food processor. If you don't have a mini processor, you can absolutely make the butter by hand. Finely chop the cilantro and serrano and grate the clove of garlic. Mix together the finely chopped cilantro and serrano, the grated garlic, salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and the softened butter in a small bowl until combined.
Serve the biscuits while still hot with a smear of the cilantro serrano butter and a light drizzle of honey.
The biscuits can be stored in an airtight container or resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to a week...but I doubt they'll last that long. The butter can be stored in an airtight container or transferred to plastic wrap, formed into a log, and wrapped tightly for up to a week.
Yield: 9 biscuits
Ingredients
For the Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
3/4 cup cold buttermilk, well shaken, plus some for brushing (see notes)
For Finishing
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Honey, for serving (optional)
For the Butter
1/4 cup packed cilantro (leaves and stems)
1 serrano, stem removed (seeded if desired)
1 small clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
Method
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Working quickly, toss the butter in the flour to coat. Use your fingertips to rub and squish the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is broken down into chunks about half of their original size (roughly 1/4-inch bits). Add the shredded cheese to the butter/flour mixture and quickly toss to coat and disperse throughout.
Create a well in the middle of the butter/flour/cheese mixture. Add the buttermilk to the well. Use a fork to mix in the buttermilk until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass.
Turn the shaggy mass of dough and any remaining bits from the bowl out onto a floured surface. Working quickly so that the butter doesn’t get too soft, pat and roll the dough (using a floured rolling pin) into a rectangle about 9-inches by 12-inches with the long side facing you. Fold the right third of the dough over the middle and the left third of the dough over that. The dough should be in the shape of a narrow rectangle with the short side facing you. This is the first trifold. Alternatively, you can fold the left and then the right side over; I start with the right because I tend to lead with my dominant hand. Either works. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that the longer edge is once again facing you. Repeat the rolling out into a 9-inch by 12-inch rectangle, folding, and rotating 3 more times. Flour your surface and rolling pin as needed.
Once trifolded 4 times total, the dough should once again be in the shape of a narrow rectangle. Roll the dough out into a square, about 3/4-inch to 1-inch tall. Transfer the whole slab of dough either on the cutting board or on the parchment-lined sheet to the freezer. Freeze the slab for about 15 minutes to firm up any butter that may have softened in the dough.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees f with a rack in the middle while the dough chills.
After 15 minutes, the dough should be cool and firm, but not so firm that it cannot be easily cut with a sharp knife. Cut the slab into 9 squares. Transfer the squares of dough to the parchment-lined sheet, spacing as evenly as possible.
Brush the chilled biscuits with more buttermilk. Bake the biscuits on the middle rack at 425 degrees f until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, about 17 minutes. Brush the hot biscuits with the tablespoon of softened butter.
While the biscuits are baking, make the cilantro serrano butter.
Pulse the cilantro, serrano (seeded if desired), garlic, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper in a mini food processor until the ingredients are combined and finely chopped. Add the softened butter and pulse several more times until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the butter and everything is thoroughly combined.
Alternatively, you can make the butter by hand. Finely chop the cilantro and serrano and grate the clove of garlic. Mix together the finely chopped cilantro and serrano, the grated garlic, salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and the softened butter in a small bowl until combined.
Serve the biscuits while still hot with a smear of the cilantro serrano butter and a light drizzle of honey.
Storing
The biscuits can be stored in an airtight container or resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. The butter can be stored in an airtight container or transferred to plastic wrap, formed into a log, and wrapped tightly for up to a week.
Notes
It’s important to keep the butter, buttermilk, and even the cheese as cold as possible. I like to pre-cube my butter and measure both the buttermilk and cheese and keep all three ingredients in the fridge right up until I need them.
The buttermilk can be replaced with a whole milk/vinegar combination. Whisk together 3/4 cup of whole milk with 2 1/4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar. Let stand, in the fridge, for five minutes.
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