Featured locally made ingredient: The Jam Stand Not Just Peachy, Sriracha Jam (available for purchase here)
I recently picked up a jar of The Jam Stand’s Not Just Peachy, Sriracha Jam. It’s got some sweet, sour and spicy notes dancing around—almost like a chutney—and immediately got me thinking that it would be lovely with a sharp and assertive cheese. I also had visions of a sweet and salty glazed ham. A cheesy cheddar biscuit served with a bit of a smoked ham steak seemed like just the thing for a lazy Sunday brunch (I think soft scrambled eggs would be nice here too but, alas, I was out after an impromptu dinner party the night before.)
I looked at a few different recipes for biscuits (swapping in jam for honey or sugar) and came up with the combination below. The biscuits turn out like soft, buttery, savory scones—more like an English muffin than the towering, flaky type you might find at a Southern diner.
Adapted From: The Smitten Kitchen and Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients
Makes 8-10 large biscuits
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp pepper (just a few grinds)
8 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes
1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar
1 cup buttermilk
5 tsp The Jam Stand Not Just Peachy, Sriracha Jam
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl with a fork. Add in cold butter, mix into the flour with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs – try not to overwork the dough.
Add the cheddar, buttermilk and jam and mix with a fork until just combined (mixing the dough too much will cause gluten to develop and toughen the biscuits). The dough will be quite wet. From here you can pat out the dough and cut the biscuits with a 2- or 3-inch cookie cutter or use the drop biscuit method (I tried both, and slightly preferred the cutting method).
To make circular biscuits
Turn the dough out from the bowl onto a well floured surface. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough and pat out until it is roughly ¾ of an inch to 1 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter (or just a glass) with the rim dipped in flour, cut biscuits out of the dough and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or a Silpat sheet, leaving a bit of space in between. Note: The dough is very sticky!
To make drop biscuits
Scoop dough in roughly ¼ cup measurements onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or a Silpat sheet, leaving a bit of space in between.
If you want a more shiny finish, you can brush the tops of the biscuits with a bit of melted butter. Bake for about 20 minutes until nicely browned. Take out of the oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Split open and enjoy. I served these with ham, but they are equally good with just a bit of butter and some more jam. The peach and sriracha jam adds just a hint of sweetness and pepper which complements the savory cheddar—the elements of a good cheese plate in one package. These biscuits come together quickly and have a balance of salty and sweet that would pair well with a number of combos—they might become a weekend brunch staple around here!
