Garlicky Cream Cheese & Buttermilk Biscuits

It’s funny how trying out and eating new things slowly makes you like them.Buttermilk biscuits were the first american food which I ate just few hours I landed here when we went for a quick breakfast at Popeyes.During my long distance chats with P, the guy always used to tell me that he loves chicken & biscuits for breakfast, and I always thought what a strange combo it was!! That is because, in India only cookies with chocolate chips are called “cookies” and rest all kinds of cookies are called “biscuits”! Confusing ?But he never cared to clarify & I did not want to discuss food on international calls then!

Never in my life I had imagined that something could replace my love for green chutney & bread pakoras[potato stuffed bread fritters] for breakfast.Never ever! In fact you wont believe,at this point in my life I can have biscuits at any point of the day with butter,mayo, jam, maple, curry ..almost anything on earth.I know curry with biscuits sounds too crazy but I love it.P who loves sausage & biscuits,is so irritated with this habit & tells me many times that if you want to be addicted to Indian things and always give them a preference,then why not we go back to India.I tell him”I don’t mind”.He shuts his mouth there and we enjoy our meal! I dont know what problem men have with everything we do! Anways  with a heavy heart, I must admit that though I m insanely in love with the bread pakoras still, I have developed a crazy addiction for biscuits!

Everybody who has heard of biscuits, would know they have their typical taste from the buttermilk that goes into them.Then why am I talking cream cheese here? Let me tell you. A month back, while watching Travel channel, I  watched these famous variety of biscuits from Robinhood Meetinghouse restaurant in coastal Maine.The show talked intensely about their Chef Michael Gagne and his award-winning 72-layer Cream Cheese Biscuits  baked entirely from scratch. You can visit their site here and order a pack for yourself if you wish! I do not know their signature recipe, the info I am giving here is purely based on a telly show & some internet search.

I was thrilled and wanted to incorporate cream cheese in my biscuits.I could not imagine how wonderful cream cheese would taste in the biscuits!! I have been baking buttermilk biscuits for over a year now but the last time I baked them with cream cheese and trust me once you do that you will never want to bake biscuits without cream cheese ever again! They are super moist,flaky and cheesy with amazing melt in the mouth kind of texture. I sometimes add wonderful flavorings like dried oregano,chives or garlic etc when I am serving them for breakfast.The smell of freshly baked biscuits out of the oven is the most intoxicating thing in the mornings.If you can’t wait..below goes the recipe:

What I need: [Makes 8-10 biscuits]

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup  cream cheese,cold
5 tbsp unsalted butter,cold
1 fat garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup butter milk,cold [or as required]
1 tsp baking powder [use one without aluminium]
pinch of  baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Melted butter for brushing

How I did it:

Sift flour,baking soda,baking powder and salt together in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Cut butter & cream cheese into the flour mixture.Tip in the minced garlic too.Work with hands until the butter is coarse. Do this quickly taking care that the butter does not melt.If you feel that butter is softening,refrigerate immediately and re work when cold.
Stir in cold butter milk until JUST combined. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk.Dough will be will be slightly sticky due to cheese but do not worry.Just pull up the whole dough together, do not knead,wrap the dough in a plastic cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 F.

Take out the refrigerated dough.On a lightly floured surface gently fold dough over on itself about 5-6 time.The same way how you create  layers when making layered flatbread [paratha].
Now, start patting with the help of hands to flatten out the dough into a rough sheet about 1/2″ thk.Preferably do not use rolling-pin as far as possible.In case you have to, roll as gently as possible.
Cut with biscuit cutter or even cookie cutter will work.[I used my flower shaped].Use it straight down, no twisting around.
Bring together the scrap, spread it again and cut more biscuits.
Place biscuits on an un-greased baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper.Avoid using foil because the extreme heat from below will lead to over browning.
Refrigerate again for at least 15 minutes.Take out,brush liberally with melted butter.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in a 450 degree F oven until risen and tops are slightly brown.
Serve warm with your style of eggs and butter!

Notes:

If you wish to eat the biscuits with jam or do not like garlic, just skip it.Garlic is just for flavor addition and has no role in the baking part as such.
The cold your biscuits are when they hit the oven, the flaky they will come out.

Enjoy and have a nice weekend everyone!

Sending these to Family Friendly Fridays @Mommie Cooks