SOUTHERN BACON CHEDDAR BISCUITS

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
  • ⅓ cup chilled lard, cut into small cubes, plus more for greasing baking sheet
  • ½ pound sliced applewood-smoked bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
  • ½ pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 cup milk

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne.

Add the lard by cutting it into the flour with a pastry blender (or two knives) until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Add the bacon, cheese and milk and stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 4 to 5 times--no more or the biscuits will become tough.

Gently pat the dough into a round about ½ inch thick, and cut out rounds with a 2-inch-round biscuit cutter. Pat the scraps together and repeat.

Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet about ½ inch apart and bake in the upper third of the oven until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Serve warm, or let cool and store in an airtight container