Recipe: Cheddar Scallion Black Pepper Biscuits with Pressed Flowers
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Here is another version of (what I think is) my relatively unfussy biscuit recipe. People tend to get lured in by the flowers and I don’t blame them—flowers are pretty and it brings me great joy to be able to spend some time focusing on making something pretty with them. But I always make sure that my pretty, flowery, insta-worthy food actually tastes good. That’s the important part, the part that is worth using the ingredients and spending the time to put them together. You can definitely skip the flowers entirely for this, and what you will end up with instead is a really tasty biscuit with lots of lovely visible layers. The kind you can split open in half without a knife because the layers are so nicely defined—that’s when you know it’s good. And what all my biscuit recipes try to teach you is the easiest way I’ve found to accomplish that.
You guys, I’m pretty lazy when it comes to baking. I definitely don’t have the patience for lamination, for taking my baked goods on multiple trips in and out of the freezer or refrigerator, etc. So the way I create layers in my bakes is based on the “rough puff” method of making puff pastry where cold butter gets mixed right into the dough. I’ve found that this can be done even more efficiently by freezing all the butter (just pop it all in the freezer the night before) and then grating it on a box grater. No “cutting into pea-sized crumbs”. Just get your hands as cold as you can and then grate as fast as you can before the butter softens. It’s a little messy, but easy. And you get your layers.
Here are a couple other recipes that use the same base biscuit recipe:
Biscuits Two Ways: Learn how to split a batch of biscuit dough into a sweet and a savory version so you can please everyone!
Cheesy Curry Biscuits with Miso Honey Butter: An even bigger flavor punch of a biscuit, inspired by a local Asian fusion bakery.
All the decorations you see are from my backyard garden. I used mostly violas here, but there is also lemon balm, parsley, thyme, and clover. Be sure to consult multiple reputable sources before determining if something is safe to eat. I get asked a lot about where to buy edible flowers; I think farmers’ markets are probably your best bet.
How to Make Cheddar Scallion Black Pepper Biscuits
(Makes about 14 biscuits)
Ingredients for Biscuits
10 tbsp butter, frozen
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra bench flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp sugar
3–4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
kosher salt
1 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2/3 packed cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (~6 oz)
3–4 scallions, chopped
edible flowers and herbs, for decoration
olive oil, for brushing the tops
Procedure
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, black pepper, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and whisk together.
Use a box grater to grate in the frozen butter, tossing together with the dry ingredients as you go, to avoid clumps. Then toss the butter and dry ingredients together gently so each shaving of butter is separated and coated with the dry ingredients.
Stir up your Greek yogurt to be an even consistency. If it is super thick, add a teaspoon of water to thin it out.
In a small bowl, toss the cheese and scallions so they are evenly combined. Add these to the dough base and toss together until ingredients are evenly distributed. Create a well in the center. Pour yogurt in the well, then use a fork to slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet yogurt. Once all the yogurt is absorbed, use your hands to gather the dough together and fold it on itself a few times until it is a cohesive dough.
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
You will be creating layers in the biscuits by doing three sets of letter folds; you will also want to keep everything as cold as you can, so work quickly with cold hands. Dust your work surface with flour and do so generously throughout the process as needed to prevent sticking. Shape the dough into a rectangle with your hands then roll it out until roughly 9” wide by 12” tall. Fold down the top third and then fold up the bottom third (like you would fold a letter). Rotate 90 degrees and repeat the shaping and folding. Rotate again then do the process one more time, so you have done 3 sets of letter folds total.
Roll out your dough to a little larger than 9” x 12” one more time. Using a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 12 biscuits by pushing the cutter firmly through the dough (it should make a satisfying *whoosh* sound) and then lifting it straight up each time. Do not twist the cutter. (I messed up in the photos and only cut 11, but you should definitely be able to do 12!) After cutting out 12 round biscuits, you can fold together the scraps until you get a rectangular slab and cut that into 2 square biscuits too.
Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking tray. Gently press edible flowers and herb leaves on top of the biscuits for decoration if you desire. The flatter they are pressed directly against the surface of the biscuit, the more likely they will keep their shape when baking. Brush a thin layer of olive oil over the flowers and herbs, which will help preserve them as they bake too. Freeze the biscuits for 10 minutes.
Bake for 15–17 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden.