Honey Butter Biscuit Recipe

I think one of my favorite parts of American cuisine is the large array of regional restaurants. It sometimes feels like being a part of an exclusive club, knowing you have access to a restaurant that others haven’t even heard of before. It’s also funny to see the conversations on social media, with everyone claiming bragging rights for their region having the best food. That’s what brings me to this recipe here. Church’s is a regional fast food chicken restaurant here in NC. And they have the best biscuits in the chicken game. Period. So buttery, soft, sweet, and a strong flavor of honey. With scarce locations (there’s only 2 in my city, both of which are too far away from my home to justify going often) I decided to get my biscuit fix by making them myself.

This recipe is my take on those biscuits from Church’s. It is a drop biscuit recipe, meaning that all you have to do is mix the ingredients, drop them, and go. They are very easy to make, and a great introduction to baking if you are not an avid baker. The addition of honey in the dough gives these biscuits a great sweet and savory flair. Serve them with fried chicken and mashed potatoes or mac and cheese to complete the “chicken spot” feel to a meal. These biscuits can be paired with a wide variety of foods and are great to serve all day, every day.

Yield: about 12 biscuits

Prep time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup buttermilk
1 stick butter, cut into cubes (needs to be very cold)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp sugar
½ cup cheddar cheese
For Honey Butter: 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp melted butter

Directions

1. Cut 1 stick of butter into small cubes, then place into freezer for 15-20 minutes. Butter needs to be VERY cold, so it will not melt during prep process. 

*You want the butter to be cold, but not frozen. I usually place the butter in the freezer, then transfer to the fridge if I’m not using it within a 30 minute period*

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar).
4. Cut in butter, until small lumps of butter/flour form. (See recipe tips below)
5. Combine wet ingredients (buttermilk, honey) then pour into flour mixture. Mix together using a rubber spatula (or spoon) until just combined. Be sure to not overmix.
6. Fold in cheddar cheese to biscuit dough. 
7. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  
8. Drop dough spoonfuls at a time onto baking sheet, then bake for 15 minutes.
9. For honey butter topping: mix together 2 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp melted butter. Drizzle over each biscuit when biscuits are done baking.
10. Serve biscuits immediately.

Recipe Tips

• Cutting in Butter: this is an integral part to the recipe. This ensures that the biscuits are soft and moist on the inside. You are basically breaking the butter up into small, pea-sized pieces while they are being coated in flour. You can cut in butter using a fork, pastry cutter, or food processor. I do not recommend using your hands, as the heat from your body will melt the butter. The most efficient way to do this is with a food processor, as it can cut the butter in the quickest. About 5-7 pulses on a food processor should do. When using a pastry cutter or fork, be prepared to use some strength to get the butter broken up. This is why it is important that the butter is not frozen, because it will take more effort to cut in the butter. 
• I always use salted butter when baking, so an additional teaspoon of salt is ideal for this recipe.
• Some other good additions to these biscuits are herbs (such as chives or rosemary), spice (such as cayenne pepper), or different flavors of cheese.
• The biscuits are meant to be sweet. Try omitting all the sweet components for a more traditional drop biscuit. 
• If you want larger biscuits, use a large spoon or measuring cup.