Do you want to know what I did yesterday?
Probably not. You probably don’t care — you have a life. But I don’t have anyone to tell, so you’re stuck with my story today.
I was hunting for a new scent for my husband because I still haven’t decided what to get him for Christmas (despite the great suggestions I received last week) and I was dangerously close to putting Hickory Farms beef sticks in his stocking. Not kidding.
I considered cologne. Truthfully, I love what he already wears — Burberry Touch — and the scent drives me a little crazy in the best way. Still, I braved the crowds and went into the stores. It was absolute chaos, and there were no paper testers to smell. Problem!
I ended up spraying samples on myself — arms, hands, neck, even that little crease between thumb and forefinger — probably a dozen varieties. Not my smartest move, especially since I can’t even stand Bath and Body Works without sneezing. But I was desperate.
After about 10 minutes my head started pounding and I smelled like an over-perfumed man — the kind who thinks drowning himself in cologne and wearing a fedora makes him irresistible. And for the record, I pronounced every “cologne” like CO-LOG-NEE in my head the whole time.
The smell gave me a migraine. I scrubbed with soap and loofah but the scents clung stubbornly. My evening plans evaporated — which, truth be told, were nothing — and I returned home without a gift. I did, however, decide that my husband will only ever wear Burberry Touch from now on. Ever.
Despite the lingering man-scent and nausea, I was starving. Holidays do that to you. So I sliced open one of the biscuits I’d baked earlier in the week and topped it with a fried egg.
Oh my goodness.
I made these biscuits a bit nervously — the flavor profile was outside my usual comfort zone — but the moment they came out of the oven I inhaled three of them. Well, two and a third. They disappeared before I even took photos.
I might be bold enough to call these the best thing I made in 2011. The flavor is unreal, rich and surprising in the best possible way. One of my goals last year was to bake more bread-like things and tackle new techniques. If you want a fun challenge for next year, try baking more breads — you’ll learn so much.
These biscuits, paired with the pinot noir butter, would be a wonderful addition to a holiday cheese plate or a special side dish. They’re also a fantastic snack and make a delightful little sandwich — hello egg.
The best part? I opened a bottle of wine at 1 p.m. just to photograph the biscuits and make the butter. Yes — butter made with wine. I have a lot of this butter left and I can’t wait to spread it over a hot, juicy filet. Use a wine you enjoy drinking; I used La Crema because I liked it from a trip, and it tasted great mixed into the butter. But pick a pinot you like — it makes a difference.
Long story short: you should make these biscuits. Today, if possible.
Blue Cheese Biscuits
[slightly adapted from my cranberry biscuits]
Yields about 20 round biscuits
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into pieces
- 1 1/4 cups milk (whole or 2%)
- 6 ounces gorgonzola or your favorite blue cheese, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the cold butter into the flour with a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the crumbled gorgonzola. Pour in the milk and mix just until combined, using your hands if necessary to bring the dough together.
Use a 1/4-cup measure to drop dough portions onto a nonstick baking sheet, or press the dough on parchment and cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake 10–12 minutes, until golden brown.
Pinot Noir Butter
[slightly adapted from Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain]
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups pinot noir
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Bring the wine to a boil in a saucepan and simmer until reduced to just under 1/4 cup, about 15 minutes. Let the reduction cool completely. Combine the cooled wine reduction with the softened butter, salt and pepper and mix until fully incorporated. If the butter absorbs the wine unevenly, chill briefly and stir periodically until fully combined. Shape into a log or square, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate. The butter is best after 2–3 days so the flavors have time to meld.
Thanks for reading — go make these biscuits. They’re worth it.