Yeah, those cheddar biscuits.
I'm taking a red eye to Boston tonight to spend a whole entire week in real summer weather, with enough heat and humidity for warm nights, and maybe even a thunderstorm if I'm really lucky! There will be work, but first there will be family and Boo and Red Sox and Dunkin' Donuts and Ghostbusters and, embarrassingly, probably some Pokemon hunting. I'm hoping for some of my favorite bagels and a cannoli or two from Mike's and maybe more donuts if I have time (and find the hotel gym).
What there will definitely not be, at least not while I'm hanging with my sister, is any of New England's most famous food, in whole, roll, or any other form because Claire has grown into a bit of a shellfish allergy and I'm not so cruel as to taunt her with crustaceans. However, I can taunt her and everyone else with pictures of these biscuits, a pretty spot on recreation of perhaps America's most famous lobster side dish (which we all know is the real reason to go to a certain chain seafood restaurant anyway).
I have to say, these are pretty close to the original, and I'd venture to claim even better, because I will go on the record that these are some of the best biscuits I've ever had, period (and I've had a lot of biscuits). The cheddar and the garlic butter are amazing, of course, but the real beauty of these biscuits is the tender crumb and their perfect, fluffy, flakiness. I used a technique from Serious Eats that appealed to my lazy side, as it promised perfect biscuits from using exactly 0 tablespoons of butter and replacing it with heavy cream. I was slightly skeptical, but, oh my, these are good. The butterfat from the cream saturates the dough and helps it bake up tender and moist. The addition of a good pile of cheddar cheese only helps the final result, and then, adding even more butterfat with the garlic butter topping takes it even further into the sublime. Your arteries might scream at you while you make these, but don't worry, they will shut up after the first bite. Besides, we're skipping the lobster, remember, so we have a cholesterol deficit to fill!
Cheddar Garlic Biscuits
Biscuit method adapted from Serious Eats
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 6 oz shredded cheddar (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tbs baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the garlic butter:
- 3 tbs unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbs chopped parsley
- pinch of salt
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne. Stir in the shredded cheddar, then add the cream and stir to combine.
- When mixture is combined but still a little dry and shaggy looking, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and finish combining with your hands. Fold into a large mass and press it to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can, then recombine the dough scraps and cut out more. I got about 10 biscuits. Place the rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the garlic powder, parsley, and salt. When garlic powder is dissolved, brush the butter mixture over the biscuits then bake until puffed and golden, about 15-18 minutes. Serve warm.