ham and cheddar drop biscuits
I meant to post this from home (The Nut, CA), but realized too late that my parents do not have photo software that can convert raw image files. For me, the holidays are a chance to escape to blindingly sunny southern California, say hi to my very large extended family, and drink beer in a high school friend’s garage. Every year, my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. (and this year, future in-laws!) all come over on Christmas Eve. It’s a pot luck, more or less, with everything from Chinese noodle dishes to pastries from a local Cuban bakery to yellow chicken curry. My mom always makes her famous spare ribs, and I usually pull something together at the last minute (while causing my mom to fret that her only child, now 27, still has no grasp of time management). Along with fresh guacamole, I whipped up some bite-sized savory biscuits. They taste excellent fresh out of the oven (but that didn’t stop me from eating all the stale leftovers for breakfast the next day).
makes about 60 (if I remember correctly)
1 cup butter (2 sticks), very cold
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
4 oz ham, diced
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded or diced
Combine flour with baking powder, salt, and pepper. Cut butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender until the granules are the size of small peas. Add milk and stir just until combined. Gently fold in ham and cheese.
Scoop by the tablespoon-ful onto a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until biscuits turn lightly golden.
