Cheddar Bacon Biscuits

So I was surfing the net looking for a fried chicken recipe to make for dinner when I landed on A Feast for the Eye's blog.  To Read More, Click On The Recipe Title.
 Debby had posted a Cook's Illustrated 's Easier Fried Chicken recipe that sounded so much better than the recipe I had, that I wanted to make it.  It was FABULOUS!!!    My husband and I both agreed , this was it...THE RECIPE, for the best fried chicken we have ever had.  That day my mind was totally on finding a fried chicken recipe, but I did notice that Debby had a recipe for Bacon & Cheddar Biscuits with Maple Chipolte Butter that she made along with the fried chicken. I tucked the vision of those biscuits away in my head till I was ready to make them. When I was ready, I went back and looked at the recipe.  I decided I'd try adding cheddar cheese and bacon to the recipe I use for buttermilk biscuits.


Debby's recipe used self rising flour, mine is made with regular flour.  What ever your preference in flour is, you can make these biscuits.  These biscuits caused quite a stir in my house.  They are going to be made regularly and with pleasure.  Thank you Debby!  I love the way your mind works!  Stop over at Debbie's blog, A Feast for the Eyes and check out her Easier Fried Chicken recipe and her Cheddar Bacon Biscuits along with all the other goodies she has!  
   


The recipe I adapted to make these biscuits is a Neeley's Family recipe,  it makes wonderful Buttermilk Biscuits.  Let's get ready to make biscuits.   First, put a stick of butter in the freezer , you want it to freeze so you can grate it. It'll be so much easier to incorporate the butter into the flour when it's grated.  Debby's tip, it works like a charm.  I put my hand held metal grater I was using in the freezer as well.  While your waiting for the butter to freeze, fry about 6 slices of bacon and crumble it.  Next, grate a cup of cheddar cheese, refrigerate it until your ready to use it.




When you're ready to make the biscuits, sift the flour , baking soda, baking powder and salt together.



Add the grated butter to the sifted dry ingredients.



Work the butter into the flour with either a pastry blender or use your fingers until you have , what looks like, coarse crumbs.  Add the buttermilk, cheddar cheese and bacon to the flour and mix.  I have always used my hands to do this step, but you can use a spoon.



While the dough still looks rough, flop it out onto a lightly floured board.  Gather it together , pat slightly and fold it onto it's self .  Pat again, and fold again. I had never done this step when making regular biscuits.  But as Debby stated in her post, it makes layers in your biscuits. 



Shape the dough into a rectangle about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. Normally at this point I would get my biscuit cutter out and start cutting biscuits with it, this time I decided to use a knife.



This recipe has always given me six biscuits.  I took two of the biscuits and cut them in half to make smaller ones.  My appetite isn't as big as my husband's.



Put the biscuits on a foil lined baking sheet and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes.  Using the foil ensures your biscuits won't freeze to the baking pan.  After 20 minutes, you can either bake the biscuits or freeze the biscuits for future use.  I do a little of both.  Bake a couple, freeze a couple.  I make this recipe and freeze the whole batch so I have them whenever I need them.  It works great.  To bake from the freezer, set the biscuit out for about ten minutes, then bake according to the recipe. 



I wrap the biscuits up in plastic wrap to get them ready for the freezer.  Thank you Debby for the genius idea and the terrific very helpful hints to making Cheddar Bacon Biscuits!





To print recipe , click here.



Cheddar Bacon Biscuits
Neely's Family Recipe ( Adapted)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons ice cold butter
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese  ( my addition)
• 6 Slices Bacon, crumbled (my addition)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

 Grate butter and put on a plate in the freezer.
Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until it looks like coarse sand.  ( I used my hands) Add the buttermilk, bacon and cheese, work with your hands to combine. Turn out onto a floured surface and gently bring together. Gently press the dough into a rectangle, fold it over onto it's self.  Do this twice to make layers in your dough. Pat your dough out until it is between 1/2 and 3/4-inch thick.
Use a round cutter that has been floured to cut the biscuits. You can also cut the biscuits with a knife. Place in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.Remove biscuits from freezer and place on parchment paper on a baking sheet so they are touching each other. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.