Rosemary, Cheddar and Black Pepper Biscuits

Sunday mornings & warm biscuits… the two are just a match made in heaven.

There are few things more soothing to me than the quiet of the morning. It’s my favourite time of day to bake. It’s the time of day when I move slowly through my kitchen…

I gather my ingredients; I measure and I whisk; I pinch the butter and the flour in between my fingers; I drizzle in the buttermilk; I fold my biscuit layers; I brush the tops with butter, and I slide my pan into my warmed oven; I set my timer, and I wait…

I wait, albeit somewhat impatiently, for them to be ready… I clean my dishes to pass the time, and before I know it, I can smell them – the smell of warm butter and fresh rosemary floating out from my oven… It’s a wonderful feeling.

These biscuits are crisp on the outside, and oh so buttery, tender and flakey on the inside. So flavourful, and comforting – They are the perfect addition to your Sunday morning.

Happy Baking lovelies.

Rosemary, Cheddar and Black Pepper Biscuits

Things you need…

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp cornmeal
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup butter, cubed
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fresh rosmary, minced

Topping
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp flaked sea salt
1/2 cup grated cheese

How to make…

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, rosemary, pepper and salt. Add in the cold cubed butter and gently toss to coat all the pieces in the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until pea sized bits remain. Add in the grated cheddar cheese gently toss to evenly distribute.

Drizzle the buttermilk over the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently toss the wet ingredients with the dry until a ragged dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and fold the dough over on itself 4-5 times to create those flaky biscuit layers.

Roll or pat the dough out to 1 inch thick rough circle & use a knife to slice the dough into 8 equal triangles.

Place the biscuits onto your baking sheet leaving 1 inch between each biscuit. Brush the tops with melted butter.

Bake for 16 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle the tops with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Place back in the oven and continue to bake for another 2-4 minutes or or until the biscuits are golden brown in colour.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

I prefer these served warm, so if you want to re-heat them, simply toast one on a baking sheet in the oven at 350F for 5 minutes.