It’s no lie that we love cheese in this house. Be it feta, paneer, Stilton, Red Leicester or some Gorwydd Caerphilly there is always some variety in the fridge. I think it would be one of my Desert Island foods. Hubs had a go at making his own cheese press.
Many of my pupils have asked if we can make cheesy biscuits in Cookery Club. Like all the recipes I teach I road test them at home to check they are suitable and given they contain a well loved ingredient I was more than happy to find a recipe suitable for them to make.
An old workmate used to make the most amazing flaky cheesy biscuits of which these biscuits are based on. Hubs & Father-in-Law were the taste tasters for these biscuits and lets just say, they didn’t last long.
With a minimum of 3 ingredients these really are easy and perfect for kids to make. It is possible to change the topping and flavours, a great way to experiment with tastes and textures. You can also try mixing two cheeses – a smoked cheese and mature cheddar works very well together. There are a few tips I would give for these biscuits:
- Use mature/strong flavoured cheese. Also very cheap, mild cheese has a tendency to go very greasy & watery when heated so try not to use it in this recipe.
- Chilling the dough before rolling out helps the biscuits keep their shape, however it isn’t essential and they still taste just as good if you don’t chill the dough.
- Try to allow them to cool for an hour, yes I know it’s hard, but they taste better properly cooled than they do warm out of the oven.
- Try and keep your husband/partner/kids away from them or they might literally inhale them!
Easy Cheesy Biscuits
Makes around 30 small biscuits
- 100g plain flour (it will also work with self-raising flour)
- 100g butter or margarine
- 100g mature cheese, grated
- pinch of chilli powder and/or mustard powder (optional)
- toppings e.g. paprika, nigella seeds, poppy seeds, curry powder, cumin seeds (optional)
1) Rub together the butter and flour then mix in the grated cheese and chilli/mustard powder until you have a dough. If you have problems getting the dough to come together add a splash of milk.
2) Roll into a ball, cover in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 min.
3) Roll out the dough until around 5mm thick. Cut out shapes and place on a lined baking tray. Sprinkle with toppings.
4) Bake at 180° for 10 minutes, until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire baking rack for an hour before eating.