Apple Nut Cheese Biscuits

Not a Fan

I was confused by this recipe. Was it really a biscuit? To me, it sounded more like a sweet roll because it was dunked in butter and rolled in sugar. Then again, who puts cheese in a sweet roll? To say I was intrigued sums things up. However, there was a problem. 

Bisquick.

Sorry Bisquick, but I'm not a fan. Too many bad memories of growing up eating dry, tasteless waffles have made me shy away from buying the stuff. So, when I saw biscuit mix as one of the main ingredients, I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to buy a box just to test something that had me confused. 

Google to the rescue. Several brilliant people have come up with copycat versions of Bisquick, and thus, a way to make this recipe from scratch. That meant no extra trip to the store and the possibility of something more flavorful than the Bisquick of my memories.  Here's the from-scratch recipe for biscuit mix I used. And so, the test began.   

How to Make Apple Nut Cheese Biscuits

As directed, I stirred together the first three ingredients on the card: sugar, chopped nuts, and cinnamon. 

It wasn't until after the stirring that I realized I should have chopped the nuts into finer pieces. Ah well. Time would tell how bad this mistake would be.  

The next order of business was to shred the apples. I chose the coarse barrel of my grating tool because apples tend to become mush if the grating holes are too small. 

The grated apples were then added to the biscuit mix I'd created, along with the cheese. 

I then added 1/3 cup of water, but that wasn't enough to thoroughly moisten my homemade biscuit mix, which contained some whole wheat flour. I added more water, little by little, until the mixture was evenly moistened. I then dumped it onto a floured surface.  

The instructions say to press the dough into a ball and then flatten it out. I formed it into a six-inch square and began to cut it into small pieces. 

At that point, I realized it would be a lot easier to make sixteen pieces instead of the eighteen the recipe says to do. 

I rounded the edges to form the pieces into balls and then dunked them in butter and cinnamon/sugar/nuts. 

The nuts had a hard time sticking to the balls, so, yes, they were too big. I also had doubts about the nine-inch round pan the recipe called for. It didn't seem nearly big enough to hold 16 balls, but amazingly, they all fit. 

The pan went into a 400-degree oven and baked for 27 minutes. 

They smelled great and looked pretty too, even if the nuts were unevenly dispersed. I served them at our evening meal alongside some soup, and, even though I was unsure if butter would be needed, I slipped a little morsel inside. 

The Verdict

I was not expecting the deliciousness that entered my mouth. Holy biscuit, where have you been all my life? 

I should have known it would be so good. Even the picture gives hints of the crackling crust and the fluffy tenderness inside. As always, the apple shreds practically disappeared into the dough, lending it a moistness a biscuit doesn't always have. No butter needed here. 

And can we talk about the nuts? Yes, they were unevenly dispersed, but when I was lucky enough to bite into one, I found it crunchy and candied, a delightful contrast to the soft center. The cheese also showed up, little shards of tanginess here and there, and where the cheese met the edge, it had baked into crispy goodness. A sharper cheddar will be something to try for next time. And next time should be a brunch because that seems like the perfect setting for these biscuits. They're not as sweet as, say, cinnamon rolls or sticky buns, but sweet enough to feel like a special-occasion treat. 

Okay, I'll stop rhapsodizing and just give you a printable recipe. Once again, here is something you really should try.