Chipotle Cheddar Drop Biscuits

For the most part growing up, I was a pretty good kid. I never got in huge trouble or needed long-term grounding. But on the few occasions when I did get sent to my room for a few hours, I remember it really hurting my feelings. My first instinct was to make my parents “pay” for being so mean to me, so I’d usually find myself mumbling, “Well, fine…I’m just…I’m just…gonna run away!” I always dreamed about the moment when my parents realized I’d skipped town and how bad they’d feel about being mad at me in the first place.

I had a really romantic image of what running away was, and I blame it all on Snoopy. He had that perfectly straight tree branch with the blanket wrapped around. It probably contained all his prized possessions. Whenever I envisioned packing my own little knapsack, I thought of all the cool stuff I’d take with me. Like my Cookie Monster! And some UNO cards for entertainment, some Capri Suns for when I got thirsty and some flaky biscuits for a snack.

My Mom always got those pre-made biscuits; you know, the ones that come in that tube and require you to peel the paper back and pound it on the side of the counter. Man, I loved making those things explode. I ate them with everything from scrambled eggs to a bowl of soup, or in the car on my way to tennis practice.

If I had known that every other pouty kid in the world had at some point dreamt of running away too, maybe I wouldn’t have felt so special. One day when I have kids and they’re strategizing their escape, I sure hope they plan on taking these with them. They’re cheesy, a little smoky with a super soft, moist center and a crusty outside–a surefire way to set you apart from the other runaways–a reminder that you’re no normal biscuit, you’re special to someone…now get your ass home.

Chipotle Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

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Yields 20 biscuits

Not gonna lie, these biscuits have a kick to ’em. It’s actually what makes them charming, but if you’re sensitive to heat, I’d cut the chipotle powder to one teaspoon. I paired these biscuits with loquat jam and I was in heaven. The spicy, savory and cold sweet combination (from the jam) made them truly amazing.

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 (cold)

1 large egg

Kosher salt for topping

Preheat the oven to 400°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 egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

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 (we like them slightly warm).

Store the biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 days.