Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Cooking Utensils
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Medium-sized grater
- Wooden spoon
- Chopping knife
- Cutting board
When is the last time you made a drop biscuit? If you have to think about it then it has been way too long. Our jalapeño cheddar drop biscuit recipe will have you cooking drop biscuits like nobodies business.
Let’s begin! We’ve tested different cheeses and peppers, and we have come to the conclusion that jalapeños and cheddar cheese are best served in a drop biscuit.
Before you start here are some helpful cooking hints. First make sure your butter is COLD. Put your butter in the freezer for 15 or 20 minutes and then grate it. COLD butter keeps your jalapeño cheddar biscuits flaky and light. Second always use WHOLE milk. You can substitute half and half or heavy whipping cream for whole milk, but make sure you cut the heavy whipping cream in half and use water for the other half. You can even use a little water in place of the half and half if you don’t have enough half and half.
Now let’s talk about jalapeños for this jalapeño cheese drop biscuit. Have you ever wondered why some jalapeños lack spice and others create a raging fire inside your mouth?
How to Select Jalapeños
Some jalapeños develop light colored lines lengthwise in their skins as they age. These are like stretch marks or stress marks and they indicate how much stress the plant endured.
Infrequent watering causes the soil to get dry and therefore causing the plant stress. And stress appears to be a determining factor with regards to the hotness of a pepper. More stress lines equals a hotter jalapeño.
Young peppers tend to be smooth, which means less stressed and milder taste. Older peppers have more light colored lines, which means more stressed and hotter taste.
In conclusion use smooth peppers for a mild jalapeño taste and choose peppers with light colored lines for a spicy jalapeño taste. If you are still unsure you can sample a couple jalapeños at home. Use at least 2 jalapeños for your jalapeño cheddar drop biscuits.
Recipe
- 1 or 2 jalapeños, diced
- 2 cups flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup chilled butter
- 1 ¼ C whole milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (We like to use aged cheddar cheese.)
- Preheat oven to 450.
Cooking Instructions
- Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and Jalapeños in a bowl.
- With a medium-sized grater grate the butter into the dry ingredients. Mix with wooden spoon or your hands, just until combined. Don’t over mix.
- Add milk and stir until combined.
- Place dough in freezer for 10 minutes. This is an important step to solidify the butter so they will rise better.
- Drop by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Preparing recipes for a specific meal continues to be our favorite part of cooking. In addition we love to experiment with ingredients. There are times when we look at each other and say, “let’s not make that recipe again.” Then there are times when we smile and nod and say, “that’s a recipe we need to share.”
In conclusion we want to share our discoveries so you can enjoy our kitchen cuisines, especially our jalapeño cheddar drop biscuits.
Try our prosciutto and gruyere cheese pinwheels for a fabulous appetizer and pair it with a crisp white wine.