Soft and fluffy, warm out of the oven, nothing beats a biscuit! Honestly, there is nothing better than cutting them open, the steam rising from their center, and slathering them with butter. Growing up, I have fond memories of my mother baking biscuits on weekend mornings. I would be watching Saturday morning cartoons, (the days when cartoons did not have their own channels and run 24/7) and the heavenly smell of biscuits baking would penetrate the air, calling my attention away from ‘The Great Grape Ape Show’ and into the kitchen where my mom would be standing, her apron covered in flour, holding out a freshly baked biscuit slathered in butter and jam. Her cheesy version was by far my favourite. So, when Saturday mornings roll in around here, I sometimes get the urge to bake biscuits.
Now, what’s the difference between biscuits and scones you ask? The two are comprised of virtually the same ingredients, but somehow, they are not the same. Most of the time the answer is ‘egg’, scones have them and biscuits don’t, but in the vegan world where eggs are replaced or removed from all recipes, this is no longer the case. Removing this ingredient still does not make a biscuit a scone or vice-versa. Biscuits are light and fluffy and although they have a crisp outer layer, they are soft and flakey on the inside, yet sturdy enough to butter. Biscuits are often made for breakfast but are also used in dinners and slathered in gravy. Scones on the other hand are a bit dryer, denser, and not really flakey at all. Scones can be made savory but are often filled with currents, raisins or, fruits and have a thin sugary wash over them. Tiny versions of them are famously known to be a part of the menu for high tea or paired with a coffee for an afternoon snack. No matter what you put in them or on them they are both delicious in their own way.
Flour – I use an unbleached all-purpose flour. I have made them with a gluten-free flour blend and they are not as light and fluffy but still very tasty.
Baking powder – This helps with rising and giving the biscuit a light flakey texture.
Plant-based butter – The secret to great biscuits is using COLD BUTTER. I recommend using a non-dairy butter that comes in a brick, one that hardens when cold. This helps you to achieve the fluffiest biscuits.
Plant-based milk – Like the butter, you want to use COLD MILK. Once again this will help you get that light and fluffy biscuit.
Apple cider vinegar – Originally, buttermilk is the sour liquid that is leftover from churning butter, but adding vinegar to milk makes your milk sour, giving you that buttermilk flavour. If you don’t have vinegar, equal amounts of fresh lemon juice will work.
Plant-based cheddar – My new favourite cheddar is Miyoko’s farmhouse cheddar (not sponsored, just really love it!) Use this or any shredded non-dairy cheddar you prefer.
Cheesy Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
5 tbsp cold non-dairy butter (like earth balance or melt)
1 cup soy milk (or any unsweetened non-dairy milk)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup non-dairy shredded cheddar
Extra flour kneading
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp melted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F
1. In a small bowl, mix apple cider vinegar to the non-dairy milk and set aside.
2. In a separate large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt.
3. Cut in cold butter with pastry blender (cut until crumbly and resembles large grains of sand)
4. Stir in cheddar to flour mixture until fully mixed.
5. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour milk into center of flour mixture. Stir mixture with fork until just combined. It should make a soft, slightly sticky dough. DO NOT overmix.
6. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 8-10 times. (DO NOT OVER KNEAD, this is key to great fluffy biscuits)
7. Flatten dough with hands to ½ inch thick and cut out with floured 2 inch round biscuit cutter.
8. Arrange biscuits on parchment lined cookie sheet making sure they touch each other so they rise up and not out. Brush biscuits with a mixture of milk and melted butter to help with browning.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Makes 6-8 buscuits
Enjoy!
**Tips**
- To cut butter into flour mixture you can use a butter knife or fork instead of a pastry cutter
- Place biscuits touching on baking sheet so they rise up and not out
- Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled
- You can freeze biscuits for up to 3 months and bake them from frozen. Add up to 5 minutes of baking time when frozen.
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