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Sunday, February 19, 2012

Whole Wheat Honey and Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

Whole Wheat Honey and Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
I'm having an affair.  With goat cheese.  In all forms.  The soft, creamy spreadable mild version is my perfect warm salad mate.  The herb-laced version loves to perch atop my crackers and crusty bread.  And aside from the crumbles that make their way directly into my mouth...the harder, tangier version has budged its way into my pestos, my eggs, and now my biscuits.  Goat cheese wears the pants in this relationship.

You see, we've always enjoyed ourselves when we've spent time together in the past, but lately?  We're inseparable.  I feel a tugging in my chest when it's not around.  I find myself looking up anxiously when I see a movement in my peripheral vision.  It's like a weight being lifted when after anxiously pawing my way past the cheddar...the mozzarella...the parmesan...and the queso fresco and see my goat cheese calmly winking at me.  We're talking googly eyes.
Whole Wheat Honey and Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
And when I was flipping my way madly casually through the new Joy the Baker Cookbook and noticed the words whole wheat combined with honey and goat cheese?  That was all she wrote.  I knew I needed to wake up to these the following morning.  I mean, goat cheese would obviously be staying over anyway, so...

These biscuits were really unlike any I've ever tried before.  They're not regular old biscuits.  Not that I'm knocking regular old biscuits.  I like regular old biscuits.  But these particular biscuits were tender and tangy and savory with a hint of sweet all wrapped up in a neat little package.  Forking them open and laying on a hit of butter while they're still steaming...and then drizzling them with honey?  Lovely.  Wanna know what's even lovelier?  A plate of eggs that have been softly scrambled with a bit of heavy cream and finished with sliced scallions and...you guessed it...goat cheese.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and eat alongside one of these biscuits while it's still warm.  Breakfast Bliss.
Whole Wheat Honey and Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

Whole Wheat Honey & Goat Cheese Biscuits
Tender whole wheat biscuits infused with honey and tangy bits of goat cheese.
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by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 14-16 minutes
Keywords: bake breakfast bread vegetarian cheese buttermilk flour

Ingredients (8-10 biscuits)
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons / 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold & cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 1 cup buttermilk, cold
  • 2 tablespoons honey
extras:
  • 1-2 tablespoons butter, for pan
  • honey, to finish
Instructions
Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400° F. Place a large (10 or 12-inch) cast-iron skillet in the oven as it preheats.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Quickly incorporate the cold butter and goat cheese using your fingers, until it resembles a coarse meal. Some chunks will be bigger than others. That's okay. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Whisk the buttermilk and honey together. Pour into the well you formed and use a fork to blend the wet and dry ingredients together. mix until all the flour is incorporated (no dry flour should remain). Set aside.

Carefully remove skillet from oven and add the tablespoon of butter. Swirl it around the bottom and sides of the pan until it is melted.

Spoon batter by 1/4-cupful (see note) onto skillet. You can fit about 6 in a 10" skillet and 8 in a 12" skillet. There should be about an inch of space between each biscuit. (So yes, do this in batches...or use two cast-iron skillets together...adding the same amount of butter to the second batch/skillet).

Slide back into oven and bake for 14-16 minutes, until golden and tops appear dry and slightly firm. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. (Repeat with remaining batter if not using a second skillet.)
For a glossy finish, brush the biscuits with slightly warm honey. Serve immediately (best) or wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Personally, these were perfection served alongside softly scrambled eggs made with cream, scallions, and goat cheese.

Note:
Spray a 1/4-cup measure with cooking spray and then scoop out batter and flip onto skillet. Works like a charm.

-slightly adapted from The Joy the Baker Cookbook
Whole Wheat Honey and Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
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This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef.com.

Have you checked out my interview 9 Questions with Joy the Baker yet?