Pepper Jack Cornbread Biscuits

Buttery layered biscuits that have a slight taste of cornbread and a subtle spice of pepper jack cheese. These are perfect to go along with a soup or stew.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 188 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups self-rising flour (see Tip)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) very cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1.25 cups cold buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing tops

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Mix together self-rising flour, cornmeal, white sugar, salt and baking soda (See Cook's Note for substitution). Add cubed, very cold butter and mix in with a pastry cutter/blender until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are approximately the size of lentils.

Step 2

Stir in the buttermilk with a fork until a crumbly dough forms, which can be pressed together with your hands. Press into a square, and roll out into a12 x12-inch square.

Step 3

Cut in half, and stack one piece on the other. Roll back out to a 12 inch square. Jagged edges are fine, and can simply be pressed in with a bench scraper. Cut into quarters, and stack up. Square up the sides a little by pressing in with a bench scraper, and roll back out to a 12 inch square.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat.

Step 5

Grate the pepper jack cheese over the top of the dough (for best results, pop cheese in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up which makes it easier to grate and distribute evenly). Fold into thirds to form a rectangle, and press lightly.

Step 6

Roll until the rectangle is about 3/4 inch thick, and then use a floured round cutter (mine was 2.75 inches) to punch out 8 biscuits. Dough can also be cut into squares instead.

Step 7

Transfer cut dough to the prepared baking sheet. Extra dough can be pressed together and re-rolled, and used to cut more biscuits. Press each biscuit lightly in the center with your thumb. Brush each biscuit lightly with melted butter.

Step 8

Bake in the preheated oven until nicely risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. While still warm, brush with more melted butter if desired. Let cool before serving.