Herbed Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits

"What's the green stuff in the biscuits?"  "Next time, make mine without the green stuff!" These biscuits were amazing, but apparently neither C or Miss F like thyme in their cheesy biscuits.  The kitchen was a flour mess once i was done with them, though the effort was entirely worth it.  And the best part?  I get to eat every last biscuit due to the thyme aversion of C and Miss F.  At least Miss F made an effort to pick around the thyme.  C ate half of his and was done.  Thanks to Fine Living for the fantastic recipe.

Herbed Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¾ cup grated cheese, such as Cheddar, Asiago, or Parmesan, or a mix
1 large egg
1 ¼ cups buttermilk; more if needed

Heat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut or massage the butter into the flour with a fork, a pastry cutter, or your fingers until the mixture looks like cornmeal and the biggest pieces of butter are the size of large peas. (You can also do this in a food processor; just be sure not to overmix.) Add the thyme and the cheese. Break the egg into the buttermilk and stir briefly with a fork to combine. Make a shallow well in the dry mix and pour in the buttermilk. With as few strokes as possible, stir until the mixture is just combined. It should be loose, but if it doesn’t hold together at all, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time.

Generously flour a counter and turn the dough out onto it; it will be shaggy and very soft. Scrape any bits in the bowl onto the mound of dough. Flour your hands. Shape the mixture into a very loose rectangle with the short side nearest you. Using a bench knife, a pastry scraper, or a spatula to help lift the ragged dough, fold the bottom third over the center third, and then the top third over the center, as if folding a business letter. Pat down to shape another rectangle, turn it so the short side is nearest you, and repeat the folding. Pat down again into more of a square shape, ¾ inch thick and about 8 ½ inches square. With a pastry brush, brush off any excess flour. Punch out the biscuits with 2 ½ inch round cutter. Gather the scraps, press them together lightly, and punch out more biscuits until all the dough is used. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet (or one lined with parchment) for 20 to 25 minutes.

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