Recipe: High-Rise Herb Biscuits (food processor)

HIGH-RISE HERB BISCUITS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded dill Havarti cheese*
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cayenne, cold butter, Havarti and Parmesan in food processor until mixture resembles wet sand, about 10 one-second pulses. Transfer to large bowl.

Process cottage cheese, milk, dill and lemon juice in food processor until smooth. Stir cottage cheese mixture into flour mixture until combined.

On a lightly floured countertop, knead dough 8 to 10 times, until smooth. Pat dough into 7-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter dipped into flour, cut out rounds of dough. Invert rounds onto prepared baking sheet. (See note.) Gather remaining dough and pat into 1-inch-thick circle; cut out remaining biscuits.

Bake until golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush tops with melted butter. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve warm or hot. The biscuits will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day. (Reheat individual biscuits by microwaving on high power for 10 seconds.)

*If you can't find dill Havarti cheese, you may substitute garden herb Havarti cheese.

Notes: For best results and the best rise, when cutting out the biscuits, use even pressure on both sides of the cutter, and don't twist the cutter. You want the circles of dough to have a consistent thickness. Also, be sure to invert the dough rounds onto the parchment-lined baking sheet so that the flat underside faces up. If you skip this step, the biscuits might tip over as they bake.

Makes 10 large biscuits
Source: Cook's Country magazine, June/July 2007