cheddar bay biscuits and the day i ate 4 biscuits and really wanted to eat 3 more

i want you to know, dear friends, that what i said in the title of this post is true- i inhaled 4 of these and may have just kept on going until there was nothing left but crumbs, but my good sense came back and told me that was a bad idea. i had already posted photos on facebook and my husband would have found out the truth.

yes, that is all that stopped me.

the recipe is a simple one from brown eyed baker and it comes together fast, fast, fast.

if you don't happen to have any buttermilk on hand, no worries, because neither did i. just measure out the cup of whole milk and then add juice from 1/2 a lemon and let sit for 5 minutes or so. the result will be slightly curdled-looking milk. 

voila! buttermilk.

i omitted the cayenne simply because i couldn't find it in my mess of a spice drawer. 

(***note to self- organize spice drawer)

they come out fluffy and tender, slightly crisp on the exterior, buttery, cheesy, and just a wee bit garlicky. oh you know--perfection.

cheddar bay biscuits

via brown eyed baker

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
1 cup buttermilk, cold
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes
For the Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley (or ¼ teaspoon dried)

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, garlic powder and cayenne. Stir in the cheddar cheese; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk and melted butter until the butter forms small clumps.

4. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix gently with a rubber spatula just until a dough forms and no dry ingredients remain. Use a greased ¼-cup measuring cup to scoop out portions of dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little more than an inch between biscuits.

5. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 12 minutes. While the biscuits are in the oven, stir together the 2 tablespoons melted butter, garlic powder and parsley. Remove the biscuits from the oven and immediately brush with the topping mixture. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top back at room temperature for up to 3 days.