I’m a sucker for home-baked biscuits. Quick and easy to make, cheese biscuits definitely float my boat.
Simon Hopkinson has an excellent recipe for Crisp Parmesan Biscuits in his classic Roast Chicken and other stories – a long time favourite cookbook of mine. But when I came across this recipe in a supplement produced by Fine Food Digest, I couldn’t wait to try it out. I wasn’t disappointed. In fact I found it hard to stop eating them.
This recipe calls for Gruyère which is widely available (my local Sainsbury’s does a 200g Taste The Difference Mature Reserve Gruyere for £3.30) If you need a substitute try Emmenthal, Jarlsberg, Beaufort or Comté. Though Gruyère does have a rich creamy and slightly nutty taste and it is an excellent cooking cheese.
The original recipe suggests the addition of parsley but I’ve substituted chives as I have a plentiful supply in my garden from last summer which have overwintered successfully. I think the flavour combination of cheese and chives works well. Adding fresh green herbs gives the pastry a tasteful green colour but when the biscuits are baked, they turn out a beautiful nutty brown colour. You could use half and half parsley and chives which also works well.
Ingredients:
200g butter
200g flour
200g Gruyere cheese, finely grated
1tsp mustard powder (I use Colmans)
1tsp salt (Maldon)
1 tbsp of chives, finely chopped
Nigella seeds (optional)
Method:
Mix all the ingredients, except the nigella seeds, together in a food processor and pulse until combined. Bring the dough together, wrap in cling film or a resealable plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC or 180ºC Fan.
Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment or a silicon baking mat (mine is a Silpat). Flatten each ball slightly with your fingertips and push about a pinch of nigella seeds into each biscuit, if using.
The easiest way to do this is to take a small pinch of nigella seeds between thumb and forefinger and press them lightly into each flattened biscuit. Leave plenty of space between each biscuit as they will definitely spread out as they cook.
Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove carefully with a palette knife and allow to cool slightly on a rack before serving. The biscuits will keep well in a sealed container for at least three days – if you are able to resist the temptation of eating rather too many while they are still warm – I couldn’t.
Makes : approx. 35 – 40 biscuits.