EGG-FREE BUTTERMILK CHEESE BISCUITS , easy, make ahead

Life-saving recipe for busy cooks....

Rich with cheese & chives, well-risen & crusty: egg-free buttermilk scones 

Buttermilk is one of those great baking ingredients that helps flour products - especially soda bread and scones - rise beautifully.  

Traditional buttermilk was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cream - giving the flavour of cream but not the fat - perfect for salad dressings and baking.  Nowadays most buttermilk is cultured. 

67 uses it mostly in soda breads and fluffy American pancakes.  But this recipe for cheese biscuits is a delight.  

For some recipes, 67 prefers 'proper' buttermilk from the store rather than the usual yoghurt-water or milk & vinegar substitutes.  But plans for supermarket buttermilk often come a cropper.  And then you're faced with a container of buttermilk that needs to be used today - and preferably yesterday.   

Looking for ideas for buttermilk on the net, 67 learned that:

• buttermilk (like milk) can be frozen
• buttermilk biscuit/scone dough can (like some cookie doughs) be frozen raw
• buttermilk in scones means melted butter can be used; the sometimes slightly irritating step of rubbing cold butter cubes into flour can be avoided 

It also stumbled on a simple recipe for buttermilk scones which also happened to be egg free.  This recipe, adapted from the cafe sucre farine is - as the label says - ridiculously easy.  

And really, really tasty with the perfect ratio of cheese and chives.

Cost: £3.00 (less for cheese-free scones)

Makes: 10 med rounds; 6-8 rectangles

Ingredients

240ml buttermilk

130g/4.6oz butter

250gm/8.75oz flour, plus extra for shaping

1 tbsp sugar (opt: 67 didn't bother)

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup grated cheddar

4-6 tbsp chives (67 used 4 and a bit)

Method:

1. Place buttermilk in freezer, at least 10 mins
2. Melt butter; set aside to cool
3. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl; add cheese & chives, mixing to distribute evenly
4. Test buttermilk after 10 minutes in the freezer; if a small amount of melted butter forms tiny clumps or globules in the cold buttermilk, stir in the rest with a fork. If globules do not form, the buttermilk is not cold enough and goes back in the freezer another 10 mins.  
5. Add buttermilk mix to dry ingreds; mix with a spatula until dough pulls away from bowl; it will be stiff, not wet
6. Dump dough onto a generously floured board; turn to coat all sides
7. Press lightly and quickly into a rectangle about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.  Mentally divide the rectangle into three, lengthwise.  Fold the left hand side onto the middle; and the right hand side on top, introducing layers which increase flakiness.  Repeat 3-4 times, handling dough as little as possible
8. Pat into a 6inch/15cm square 1.5 inches/3.5cm high
9. Use a scone cutter to make circles, re-forming scraps OR (easier) cut into 6-8 rectangles 
10. Place close together on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper or a silicone mat; freeze a few hours.  Remove from tray and place biscuits in a sealable freezer bag.  
11. When ready to bake, take the number of biscuits needed out of freezer; pre-heat oven to 220C/425F; place on lined tray about 1inch/2cm apart  
12. Brush tops only with butter, a bit of milk or cream or beaten egg; bake in bottom half of oven 10-15 mins or until golden

Comments:

'Gosh, these smelled good! Loved the crispy crust and tender moist middle; the ratio of cheese & chives is perfect.  Best egg-free scone ever.' Retired writer

'I had them for breakfast and they were very nice with a cup of coffee.' 67 handyman

Tips:

• The biscuits can be baked immediately, after Step 9
• For sweet scones do not add cheese & chives

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permissio