JEAN’S APPLE CHEDDAR DROP BISCUITS

Several weeks ago, my good friend Jean Harpur came into my store with a plateful of these delicious biscuits still warm from her oven. I promptly made a cup of steaming coffee to be enjoyed while I bit into a scrumptious buttery biscuit. The combination of sharp cheddar cheese with crisp bacon, green onion and shredded apple is a fine match. You will certainly be saving this recipe and make these biscuits often for yourself and your family. Thanks Jean for caring and sharing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1- 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. fine salt
• 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup shredded extra-old cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated tart apple (skin on)
• 2 green onions, finely minced or chopped
• 3 or 4 rashers (strips) of bacon cooked crisp and chopped
• 3/4 cup of milk

METHOD:

-Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large rimless baking sheet.

-In a large bowl, whisk or sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together.

-Using a pastry blender, cut the cold cubed pieces of butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with just a few larger pieces of butter remaining.

-Using a metal grater, grate the cheese and the tart apple.

-Chop up the green onions until very fine.

-Cook the bacon until crisp and then pat any grease off the bacon and chop or break the bacon into bite-sized pieces. *See my tip below.

-Stir the grated cheese, grated apple, chopped green onion and bacon pieces into the dry ingredients.

-Pour the milk over this and using a fork, quickly stir the mixture until it forms a ragged dough. Don’t overmix or your biscuits will be tough, not tender.

-Using a 1/4 cup measure, dip this into the biscuit dough and drop the biscuits onto the prepared parchment lined baking sheet. Allow 1- 1/2 inches of space in between each biscuit.

-Use the middle rack of your oven. Place the pan of biscuits on this.

-Bake them for 13 to 15 minutes. The biscuits will be crunchy on the outside and soft and tender in the middle.

-Pass the butter and make a good cup of tea or coffee to sip on and enjoy your biscuits.

*Usually I bake one or two pounds of bacon on rimmed, foil-lined baking sheets. They will be cooked in about 20 minutes at 350 degree F. oven. Turn bacon once during baking and drain off any fat at this time. When the bacon is nearly done, I brush pure maple syrup all over the tops of the bacon and put it back in the oven for just a couple of minutes longer. The maple syrup glazes the bacon and makes it twice as tasty. Now, cool the bacon, bag it up into ziploc bags and freeze for future use. It will be ready to use as needed. ENJOY!

SHARYN THOMPSON, Owner of SHARYN’S PANTRY – a family-run business for 35 years. 
 812 Pitt Street, Unit 6, Cornwall, Ont 613-936-1998 OPEN: Monday to Saturday -9 to 5