Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits, y'all

Nothing says "I live in Texas" like putting spice in everything, even if it's a strange and bewildering combo. That said, this recipe (from "Baked," once again) for Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits is one spectacularly good use of spice. They had a pleasant, smoky warm bite to them, even though I cut back on the amount of chipotle powder in the recipe. I baked way too many, of course, and had to take them to work to share with the class. The class loved them, I assume, because they disappeared from the break room table almost before I could blink. I hope my co-workers were busy eating and groaning in ecstasy, and that's why they didn't leave a thank-you note. One can only hope. Silence after a meal can be interpreted multiple ways, not all of them well.

Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I used mixed)

1 tablespoon chipotle powder (I used 2/3 of a tablespoon)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups grated and tightly packed sharp cheddar cheese

1 1/4 cups buttermilk (I used regular milk mixed with 1 teaspoon vinegar to simulate buttermilk, but use whatever creamy thing you have around I'm sure it'll be lovely.)

1 large egg

Kosher salt for topping (I used sea salt)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper chipotle powder, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and the 1 teaspoon of salt.

Add the butter and, using your hands or the back of a wooden spoon, work the butter into the dough. The mixture should look like coarse sand. Add the cheese and stir to thoroughly incorporate it into the dough.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Do not overmix. (I recommend hand mixing this entire recipe, it just doesn't do the biscuits any favors to be overworked at any point during the process.)

Use a small ice cream scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup to scoop the dough and drop it in mounds onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean.

Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack. The biscuits can be served slightly warm or at room temperature (I, and the boys at "Baked," prefer ours warm.)

This recipe makes about 20 small biscuits; slightly fewer if you make them gigantic, like I did.

Already, this blog seems to be circling a central theme; baking. Rest assured, I will make real food occasionally. You know, the kind you can eat for dinner.