Cheddar Garlic Cornmeal Biscuits: A Recipe

These homemade biscuits are a favorite supper menu item at our house. I especially like to serve them alongside baked sweet potatoes and chicken gravy. They also pair well with pasta dishes, and are generally a great addition to any home-style meal. My husband really likes these. "Biscuits? Oh goody!" he exclaims when he sees me stirring up a batch.

These biscuits have a delectable combination of flavors. I started out by adding just a little garlic, but it was hardly noticeable in the finished product, so I added more garlic powder each time until I found just the right measurement. I love the addition of cheese, which provides a bit of color as well as flavor. And the cornmeal gives the biscuits a heartier flavor and texture without being too much like cornbread.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup flour (I use 1 cup white flour + 1/3 cup whole wheat flour)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (other yellow shredded cheese blends work well too)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, cornmeal, salt, and garlic powder. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender to make coarse crumbs. Add the milk and stir it in with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened. Do not over-stir. Finally, fold in the cheese. The mixture will be slightly sticky.

Use a large ice cream/cookie scoop to measure out the biscuit dough onto a large, lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 26 to 28 minutes. This recipe yields 10 good-sized biscuits.

Southern Gal Biscuits

These are great for eating with gravy, or slathered with butter and jam.

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cream of tartar. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender to form coarse crumbs. Add milk and egg. Stir to a stiff dough.

You can ether make drop biscuits and use a large ice cream/cookie scoop to measure out the dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet, or roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness (no thinner; a bit thicker is better) and cut circles with a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms of the biscuits are golden brown. This recipe yields 10-12 biscuits.

The drop biscuits tend to have a more crumbly texture when cut open, so if I am planning to serve these biscuits with butter and jam I usually roll them out and cut into circles.

Enjoy your biscuits made from scratch!