Easy Cheesy Biscuits

Plum Pudding Murder

## Ingredients

* 3 cups all purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 2 teaspoons cream of tartar ***(this is important)***
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon sea salt ***(regular table salt will also work)***
* ½ cup salted softened butter ***(1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)***
* ½ cup shredded strong cheddar cheese
* ½ cup shredded Asiago cheese\*\*\* ***(or blue cheese, Havarti, etc.)***
	+ \*\*\*My family isn't fond of Asiago, so I leave out the Asiago and make my biscuits with double cheddar. They're absolutely delicious and I haven't met anyone who doesn't like them! I have the sneaking suspicion you could use ANY cheese you like in these biscuits with the possible exception of triple creams like Brie and Saint Andre, or exceptionally strong flavored cheeses like Gorgonzola.
* 2 large eggs, beaten ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* 1 cup sour cream ***(8 ounces)***
* ½ cup milk\*\*\*\*
	+ \*\*\*\*Prudence says that sometimes you'll need to add more or less milk, until everything combines together in a wet/dry like mixture that's about the consistency of cottage cheese. I've made these biscuits at least a dozen times and a half-cup milk has always worked perfectly for me.
* ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese for a topping ***(use real Parmesan cheese—it's so much better than the type in the green foil can.)***

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 425°F, rack in the middle position.

**FIRST STEP**

* Use a medium-size mixing bowl to combine the flour, cream or tartar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir them all up together. Cut in the salted butter just as you would for pie crust dough.

**Hannah's Note: If you have a food processor, you can use it for the first step. Cut ½ cup COLD salted butter into 8 chunks. Layer them with the dry ingredients in the bowl of the food processor. Process with the steel blade until the mixture has the texture of oatmeal. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl and proceed to the second step.**

**SECOND STEP**

* Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and the shredded Asiago cheese. Then add the beaten eggs and the sour cream in that order. Mix everything all up together.
* Add the milk and stir until everything is thoroughly combined.

**THIRD STEP**

* Drop the biscuits by soup spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, 12 large biscuits to a sheet. ***(Prudence uses an ungreased baking sheet, Lisa bakes hers on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, and I spray my cookie sheet with Pam—everyone's biscuits turn out just fine.)***
* Once the biscuits are on the baking sheet, you can wet your fingers and shape them if you like. ***(I leave mine slightly irregular so everyone knows they're homemade.)***
* Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on top of each biscuit.
* Bake the biscuits at 425°F for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they're golden brown on top.
* Cool the biscuits for at least five minutes on the cookie sheet, and then remove them with a spatula. Serve them in a towel-lined basket so they stay warm.

Yield: Makes 12 large cheese biscuits that everyone will love!

**Hannah's Note: When I make these for Mother, she takes home one of the leftovers for breakfast. The next morning, she splits it, toasts and butters it, and eats it with her scrambled eggs.**

**Lisa's Note: Herb loves to take these to work. I spread them with mayo and mustard and put a nice thick slice of ham in the middle. He says they make the best ham sandwich he's ever tasted.**