Scallion and Cheddar Cathead Biscuits

Easter Sunday April seventeenth, 2022. Our house. Eight people at the table this year. The crew has settled. Brayden in the high chair Mrs. Tilford gave us as a hand-me-down. The recipe was scallion and cheddar cathead biscuits — the Southern term for biscuits big as a cat’s head, with sharp cheddar and chopped scallions folded into the dough.

The recipe is below.

Scallion and Cheddar Cathead Biscuits

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 22 minutes | Total Time: 32 minutes | Servings: 8 biscuits

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing

Instructions

1. Preheat. Heat your oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it lightly.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
3. Cut in the butter. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Do not overwork — cold, uneven butter is what makes biscuits tender.
4. Add the cheese and scallions. Toss the shredded cheddar and sliced scallions into the flour-butter mixture and stir to distribute evenly.
5. Add the buttermilk. Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until the dough comes together. It will be shaggy and sticky — that’s right. Stop mixing the moment no dry flour remains.
6. Drop the biscuits. Using a large spoon or a 1/2-cup scoop, drop 8 mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. These are cathead biscuits — they’re meant to be big and rustic. Brush the tops lightly with the reserved buttermilk.
7. Bake. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the biscuits feel set when gently pressed. Rotate the pan once halfway through for even browning.
8. Serve warm. Let rest for 3 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a towel-lined basket. Best eaten the same day, split open next to a bowl of black-eyed peas.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 318 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 492mg