2013 Chili Accessory: Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits ala Brendan

I legitimately cannot believe that I somehow managed to never take a picture of the little spicy, cheesy drop biscuits we made for the "base" of the 2013 breakfast-style chili! For shame! (Fortunately, the internet helped out a bit...thanks technology!)

Our friend Brendan has been making these chipotle cheddar biscuits (based off a Serious Eats recipe) for years--they're kind of a must-have at brunches. So while our breakfast chili tastes just dandy with the pre-made biscuits in a can, I knew these gems would take it over the top.

A note for those who aren't so into spice: try subbing paprika for chipotle. You get the same smokey taste and red coloring without all the heat.

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chipotle powder

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

1 large egg

Kosher salt for topping

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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

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

4. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in a separate bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated (do not overmix).

5. Scoop the dough in desired biscuit sizes (1/4 cup for standard biscuits, smaller if that's your preference) and drop it in mounds onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with 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.

6. Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack. The biscuits can be served slightly warm or at room temperature. Biscuits can be stored the in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

#chili #accessories