Neiman Marcus Cheddar Cheese Biscuits Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas and dough is crumbly. Stir in cheese. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 to 4 times. Place dough in a bowl, cover and chill 1 hour.
• Preheat over to 350 degrees. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll dough to 1 inch thickness; cut with a 1 1/2 inch round cutter and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.
• You can stir in one of the following flavor combos with the Cheddar Cheese and prepare the above recipe as directed. 1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese and 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary. 1/3 cup finely chopped sweetened dried cranberries and toasted pecans. 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked bacon and 1/4 cup minced green onion. 1/2 cup finely shopped baked ham and 1/3 cup finely chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives.

Steps:

• Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.
• Stir in 1 1/2 cups/170 grams of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it's uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn't get too soft or compressed.)
• Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup/80 grams each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)
• Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won't use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).
• Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.
• Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).