Savory cheddar-chive biscuits

Who doesn’t love a warm, flaky biscuit? These cheddar-chive biscuits make a nice accompaniment to soup or stew—even egg dishes. Omit the chives for a simple cheese biscuit. Or omit both cheddar and chives for a plain, old-fashioned, baking-powder biscuit.

Because in an earlier post I explained the science of baking soda, I feel obligated to discuss the kitchen chemistry of baking powder, a leavening agent composed of sodium bicarbonate and an acid, such as sodium acid pyrophosphate. As soon as moisture is added to baking powder, gas, which creates leavening, begins to escape, so you want to bake the mixture as soon as possible.

Cheddar-Chive Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled butter, diced
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives
¾ to 1 cup milk

In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients. Add diced butter and work in with pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles pea-size crumbs. Add cheddar and chives. Slowly mix in milk until dough holds together. The amount of milk you use will depend on the flour. Knead just a few times to make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Don’t overwork the dough, or the biscuits will be tough. Form dough into a disc. Place on floured surface, and, using a rolling pin, roll dough to about three-quarters of an inch thick. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass dipped in flour. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake in 425-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Makes six three-inch biscuits.

                                                                                                                                                        

Peachy keen: summer fruit crisp

When summer fruits like peaches and nectarines are perfectly ripened, the only way to eat them is out of hand, the way nature intended. But once in a while, you get a disappointing batch: mealy and tasteless. Throw them out? No! Cook them. I believe this is why cooked-fruit desserts were invented: to use and improve the taste of inferior fruit. This week, I bought between two and three pounds of beautiful-looking but utterly tasteless peaches. Rather than toss them, I combined them with some just-picked wild blueberries to make this fruit crisp. In the past, I've substituted backyard raspberries for the blueberries with good results.

Blueberry-peach crisp

2 to 3 pounds peaches (about four to six)

½ cup blueberries

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup flour plus a tablespoon

½ cup oatmeal

6 tablespoons chilled butter, diced

Immerse peaches in boiling water for a few seconds to loosen the skins. Peel and slice them into thick wedges. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with ¼ cup granulated sugar and one tablespoon flour (more, if really juicy). Add blueberries and mix gently. Let stand while you make the crumble topping.

Combine remaining flour, sugars and oatmeal in a bowl. Add diced butter. Using hands, work this into a crumble.

Pour thickened fruit mixture into an 8-inch-square buttered baking dish. Top with crumble. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 40 minutes, or until browned and bubbly. Best served warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves four.