Pimento Cheese Biscuits

Here is a Pimento Cheese Biscuit served along side Chicken and Zucchini Salad.

By TheRunawaySpoon via Food52.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 8

I have such fond memories of eating sandwiches made with homemade pimento cheese by my grandmother when I was a girl.  My favorite brown-bag school lunch was a pimento cheese sandwich made with pimento cheese that Mother bought at Dalton’s Grocery Store on the neighborhood corner. So, when I found this recipe for Pimento Cheese Biscuits, I had to give it a try.  They are fantastic!  These came together quickly because I used my food processor, but they can also be made using a mixer (original recipe.)  (I’ll put those directions at the bottom**.)  Serve these with your favorite soup or salad.  With a little sliced ham or chicken, they’d also make great little sandwiches for a party.  All the ingredients can be found at our local community-owned grocery store, Lost River Market & Deli.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

¾ cups cold butter

½ cup well shaken, cold buttermilk, plus a little for brushing

1 egg

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

4 ounces jar diced pimentos, drained and patted dry

1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

Sea salt for sprinkling (I added a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper too.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Toss the cheese with a little flour, and do the same to the pimentos. This step keeps the cheese and pimentos from clumping together so they blend throughout the dough.  Set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and garlic powder in the bowl (with blade) of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times to mix the dry ingredients.  Cut the butter into small cubes and drop them in the flour. Pulse several times to blend the butter and flour until the butter is the size of small peas. You want some butter blended in, but the visible small pieces of butter help make the biscuits fluffy.  Measure the buttermilk in a measuring jug, crack in the egg, add the Worcestershire sauce, and beat it with a fork until the egg is well blended. While the food processor is running, slowly add the buttermilk and blend just until everything is moist. Add the pimentos and cheese and pulse just until everything just starts to come together.  Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and gently bring it all together, kneading just a few times. Handle with care and don’t overwork the dough, or the biscuits will get tough. A few pimentos may stick to the board or fall out, just stick ‘em back in. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 6 by 10 inches, using the back of a large knife or bench scraper to square off the ends. Flour the knife or scraper and cut the dough into eight squares. (Do not twist the knife, bench scraper or biscuit cutter!!) Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, lightly brush the tops with a little buttermilk and sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake the biscuits for 15 – 20 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Serve warm, or wrap tightly and store in an airtight container, gently reheat before serving.

**Directions for Mixer:  Put the flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and garlic powder in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir together with a fork. Cut the butter into small cubes and drop them in the flour. Using the paddle attachment, blend the butter and flour on low speed until the butter is the size of small BBs. You want some butter blended in, but the visible small pieces of butter help make the biscuits fluffy.

Measure the buttermilk in a measuring jug, crack in the egg, add the Worcestershire sauce, and beat it with a fork until the egg is well blended. Keep the mixer on low, dump in the buttermilk and blend just until everything is moist. Toss the cheese with a little flour, and do the same to the pimentos. This step keeps the cheese and pimentos from clumping together so they blend throughout the dough. Drop them both in the mixer and, still on low, beat until everything just starts to come together.