Gruyère and Chive Biscuits

These biscuits are everything. Not only are they the perfect balance of cheesy, flaky, and salty (*swoon*), but also because they are such a versatile bake that you can enjoy in so many different ways. Whether you make them as a side for your holiday table, use them to make the best bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, or simply as a vessel to hold as much whipped salted butter as your heart desires (my personal favorite), these are an absolute treat every single time. With the holidays just around the corner, I encourage you to make a double batch of these, so you can freeze any leftover, unbaked dough and have fresh biscuits to bake in a flash whenever friends and family come around. Or, you could save them for yourself (which would be incredibly valid). Whatever you choose to do, I know you’ll enjoy them, and I hope they become a part of your holiday traditions, like they have become for mine.

Gruyére and Chive Biscuits

*makes 9 large biscuits

Ingredients

For the dough:

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

1 cup grated gruyère cheese (you could replace it with cheddar)

1 stick salted butter, cubed and very cold

1 cup buttermilk, cold from the fridge

2 tbsp honey

Eggwash (1 small egg + 1 tbsp water), for painting the biscuits before baking

For the honey butter:

3 tbsp salted butter,

1 1/2 tbsp honey

Flaky salt

Instructions

1) Preheat your oven to 420 F (215 C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (you can also use a Silpat), and set aside.

2) To a large bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and chopped chives. Whisk until evenly incorporated, then add in the grated gruyère and whisk again.

3) Take your very cold cubes of butter and dump them into your flour mixture. Working quickly so as to not melt the butter with the warmth of your hands, toss the butter cubes in the flour so they’re evenly coated. Then, using the pads of your fingers, squeeze the butter cubes so that they are flattened into small sheets. Repeat this process, holding the butter cubes in your middle and index finger, and pressing your thumb across these so as to flatten it (kind of like snapping your fingers). Once you’ve finished, the butter cubes should be flattened into flakes, and the mixture should not have any big cubes of butter.

4) Add your buttermilk and honey and using a spoon, a spatula, or a fork, toss the mixture together gently, until it just begins to come together and there are still some floury bits. Do not overwork it! You want the dough to be shaggy at this stage, with wet spots as well as floury ones.

5) Dump your dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently begin to bring it together using your hands. You don’t want to knead it, just make it into a cohesive mound. Then, using your hands, flatten the dough into a thick square as best as you can. Cut it in half, layer one half on top of the other, and pat together again. This will help you create layers and flakiness in your biscuits. Repeat this process 6 times. If your dough starts to get too warm or soft, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes and then continue where you left off.

6) Once you’re done repeating the layering process, shape your dough into a square that is about 1 inch thick. Trim the edges with a sharp knife if you want a more picture-perfect biscuit. Cut your dough into 9 even squares. (Alternatively, you can punch out circles using a round biscuit cutter, re-roll the scraps, and cut out more biscuits until you run out of dough. Just keep in mind that the re-rolled biscuits may not be as flaky and as pretty as the ones you cut out first).

7) Place your cut biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until the tops are a beautiful golden brown and they have puffed up. Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan 5 minutes before .

8) While they bake, make the honey butter topping. Add the salted butter to a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Once melted, add the honey and whisk until emulsified. Add a small pinch of flakey salt. As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the tops with the honey butter liberally. Finish with an additional sprinkle of flaky salt. Enjoy warm.