Cheddar & Jalapeño Biscuits

                             

These tender biscuits with a cheesy richness will be hit with everyone. Just forget about calories for this one & indulge ;) (do workout later on :D)

This recipe Yields about 20 biscuits, depending on the size.

Ingredients 

1 1/3 cups maida

1/4 cup polenta or fine milled corn meal (makai flour)

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (more or less to taste)

1 1/4 + 1/4 cup packed  shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 tbsp diced fresh jalapeños (more or less to taste)

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream (200ml), plus extra for brushing

2 tsp mixed dried herbs to sprinkle

Method

Preheat oven to 220°C. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, salt, sugar, red chilli powder & baking powder. 

Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the grated cheddar cheese & the diced jalapeños.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture & pour the cream.

Gently bring together the ingredients with your hands.

If you need to add a bit more cream then do so a tiny trickle at a time. 

You just want everything to get wet enough so that the dough will be sticky and clumpy.

Turn the dough out onto a surface lightly dusted with flour. 

Knead the dough just a few times - maybe only three or four pushes. You just want it to come together. (Over-kneading will result in firmer, denser biscuits.)

Form the dough into a disc about 3/4-inch to an inch thick. 

Use a biscuit cutter (or a small cup or bowl) to cut round biscuit shapes out of the disk. 

Combine the leftover dough & keep forming small round biscuit shapes until the dough is used up.

Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet, with at least an inch or two between the biscuits. 

Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little more cream. 

Top the biscuits with a sprinkle of the remaining cheese & mixed herbs.

Bake at 220°C  for 11-12 minutes or until golden & the cheese is nicely melted.

Serve with any dip or as a side dish with your soups or enjoy just like that.

Tips

* If jalapeño is too mild, include the seeds, if hot, use just the flesh.

* Sieve cornmeal along with maida to get fine consistency.

* You can add chopped chives along with jalapeño.

* I found the salt & sugar little towards higher side in original recipe so reduced a little, as cheese too contains salt. You can adjust according to taste.

* Keep the biscuits in airtight box after they cool down completely or they will loose their crispness. (It happened with mine, but I baked them again for 5 minutes & they got their crispness back).