Cheddar & Bacon Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

What can be more delicious than bacon and cheddar cheese married inside some sort of doughy biscuit?

Apparently not much.

I've never made biscuits before, which is strange because I love carbs. They've always seemed a little intimidating, like pie crust, because you want it to be light and fluffy and not turn into a hockey puck. So when I realized that I had leftover bacon and cheddar cheese sitting in my fridge, I cracked open one of my huge Cook's Illustrated cookbooks and found a recipe for easy drop biscuits. Some tweaks were made and these babies came out of my oven.

Now, seeing as I don't really know biscuits the way I know cupcakes or various Swedish baked goods, I made sure to consult with some of my work friends who grew up around biscuits. And they were fans. Big fans.

These biscuits were honestly great on their own straight out of the oven, but you could pair them with a delicious bowl of chili, maybe as a side for a summer barbecue. They seem versatile and I am of the opinion that bacon makes everything better.

And on an entirely different note, but something I have to get off my chest. I was at Trader Joe's and they were giving out free samples and the guy asked if I wanted a cookie. I did, because it had been a loooong day at work and I'm on the verge of getting sick. But when I took a bite, what looked like chocolate chips were really raisins. I was so disappointed and grossed out I couldn't eat the cookie.

Anyway, back to the biscuits. I don't think anyone will be disappointed to bite into one of these babies and find some bacon in there. Except for vegetarians. (I'm also proud of my segue from my pointless story back to the topic at hand. 10 points biscuits to Sara!)

Cheddar & Bacon Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

makes about 10-12 biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, cheddar cheese, and bacon. In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk and melted butter until small clumps have formed. The butter will look almost like small pearls. Pour buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a spatula and gently fold ingredients together until just combined and dough begins to clean the bowl.

Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to portion out the dough (or use spoons if you want smaller biscuits). Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with freshly cracked black pepper.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Enjoy warm.

[source: adapted from The Cook's Illustrated Baking Book]