Patti McGee's Cheese Biscuits

Name: Patti McGee's Cheese Biscuits
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons (1 stick) margarine (see Note) 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter (see Note) ½ pound extra sharp cheddar cheese (see Note) 2 cups sifted self-rising flour, or as needed Several dashes of cayenne pepper 1 egg white About 50 nice pecan halves

1 step

Updated at: Sun, 22 Sep 2024 19:19:59 GMT

Ingredients

50 servings

8 tablespoonsmargarine

salted butter

0.5 poundextra sharp cheddar cheese

2 cupsself-rising flour

Instructions

Step 1

Pour 2 inches of water into the bottom of a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, use a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Melt the margarine and butter in the top of the double boiler; the water in the bottom of the double boiler shouldn’t be too hot, definitely not boiling. Or, if using a saucepan, melt the margarine and butter over very low heat. When they are completely melted, remove the top of the double boiler (or the saucepan) from the heat. Add the cheese slowly, stirring until it is combined with the margarine and butter. Add the sifted flour and as many dashes of cayenne as you like into the cheese all at once and stir until all the flour is mixed in. If the dough seems too soft, add a little more flour. Set the dough aside until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. You can also refrigerate the dough for up to several hours, but be sure to bring the dough to room temperature for about 20 minutes before rolling it out. While the dough is cooling, heat the oven to 325°F with one rack in the upper third position and one in the lower third. Or, if you’d rather just roll and bake one sheet of biscuits at a time, you’ll only need one rack in the center position. Whip the egg white in a small bowl with a fork until foamy. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls, setting them about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet as you go. If the dough seems a little crumbly when you start to roll it into balls, just give it a second; the warmth from your hands will soften it up and make for smooth rolling. One at a time, dip a pecan in the egg white and press it lightly onto the top of a dough ball. Bake until the biscuits are puffy and lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. (You’ll know they’re done when the kitchen smells wonderful!) Cool the biscuits on the pans for 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cheese biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.