Cheddar, Goat Cheese and Chive Biscuits

Cheddar, Goat Cheese and Chive Biscuits (adapted from The English Kitchen)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

6 Tb cold butter, cut into chunks

about a cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 Tb chopped chives

about a cup of crumbled goat cheese

3/4-1 cup buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and soda into a bowl. Add the cold butter, and work it into the flour mixture using your fingers or a pastry blender, until no chunks remain that are bigger than small peas. Stir in the chives and cheddar cheese. Add the buttermilk a bit at a time, stirring it in with a fork, until the dough begins to clump together and there are no dry floury bits left. Gently knead together a few times to form a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a rough rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick and roughly twice as long as it is wide. Turn the dough so that the long side is facing you. Mentally divide the dough in quarters lengthwise. Crumble 2/3 of the remaining goats cheese into the centre two quarters.

Fold the outer two quarters over to meet in the center from the short edges.

Turn the dough so that the short side is facing you. Sprinkle the remaining goats cheese over one half of this and fold the other half up over it, like a book, tucking the rough edge in at the top.

Gently pat the dough out to an 8 inch square, about 3/4 inch thick. Using a straight up and down cut with a sharp knife, cut into 16 2-inch squares.

Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving several inches in between each. Brush the tops with butter or milk.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until they are well risen and golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving, all that cheese is hot!