Cheddar-Jalapeño Cornmeal Biscuits
Not your average buttermilk biscuits, these come full of gritty cornmeal, sharp cheddar cheese, and spicy jalapeños.
Can I be honest about something? I’ve started to hate my blog name, Completely Delicious. I’m afraid people will think I’m a snob, that I believe that everything I make isn’t only good, but that it’s completely delicious.
What a silly, pretentious name.
Not only do I mess up in the kitchen all the time and bake plenty of mediocre things, but that’s actually not at all how this blog got its name.
Years ago as a college student focusing on art and film, I stumbled upon a class dedicated to Monty Python. I fell madly in love, and maybe became even a wee bit obsessed. (If you are unfamiliar with Monty Python, I highly recommend starting with the Dead Parrot Sketch.) Around that same time I started a personal blog and gave it the title “And Now for Something Completely Different”, a famous phrase from Monty Python.
Later when I started a food blog to chronicle my recipes and experiences in culinary school, I thought I’d be clever and call it “And Now for Something Completely Delicious”. Since I’ve long abandoned that personal blog and no one (I’m sure) gets the reference, I shortened it to just “Completely Delicious”.
There, that’s the whole story.
It’s not a very interesting one, I know, but I wanted to get it out there. If you’re still with me, I’d like to reward you with a recipe for these biscuits, which are actually pretty darn good. You could even say they are completely delicious?
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
But seriously, these cheesy and spicy biscuits are a fun accompaniment to breakfast, a soup or salad, or even just on their own smothered in butter or honey, or both!
baking tip:Biscuit baking tips
- Keep your ingredients cold. The butter, buttermilk, and cheese should be straight from the fridge. It’s the little bits of cold butter speckled throughout the dough that help give your biscuits rise and flaky texture. Don’t mess with it!
- Don’t overwork the dough. It’s okay if there are some dry bits. Stop kneading when it comes together. Gently fold half of the dough over on top of itself and repeat 2-3 times.
- If you want soft biscuits, leave about one inch spacing between them on the sheet pan during baking. If you want crispier biscuits, space them farther apart. They’re great both ways!
Cheddar-Jalapeño Cornmeal Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (140 grams)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , cold and cut into cubes (85 grams)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded (113 grams)
- 1-2 jalapeños thinly sliced (see Note)
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk , plus additional for brushing (175 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ¾ cup of the cheese and the jalapeño slices. Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together in a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, gather the dough into a bowl and knead gently 6 times. Pat dough to about ½ inch thick. Cut dough into three inch rounds with a lightly floured cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush with buttermilk and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
These biscuits sound sooooo good!! Love the recipe!
Just wanted you to know:
A. You do not come across as pretentious at all! Try not to stress about the blog name too much…after all we do come knowing there will be fantastic food here. But I’m sure like everyone you have your kitchen ooppss moments.
B. Totally get your Monty Python reference. You aren’t alone 🙂 yay Monty Python!
Thanks Michelle! Happy to know there are other Monty Pythons out there in the world.
Soo I literally was thinking about how i wanted to make jalepeno cheddar biscuits this weekend… and then this post appears in my BlogLovin. Hello, perfect timing! Thanks, girl! (and btw, everything you make DOES look completely delicious – I don’t find it pretentious at all 🙂
So did you end up making some biscuits! Biscuits are some of my favorite things to make on the weekend.
OMG you have to keep your blog name. I loved it when I first saw the name, because I too am a HUGE Monty Python fan. I was so jealous when I saw how brilliant of a pun it was. Keep the name and maybe just start incorporating more spam and baked bean recipes.
LOL! That last line cracked me up. I love your blog name and your recipes :o)
Haha, thanks! So glad at least someone out there got it. Maybe I will create a recipe for “Spam, Eggs, Sausage and Spam” (it doesn’t have much Spam in it). 😉
I love your blog name and don’t think you come off as snobby. I would still love you if you were though.
Thanks Meagan! 🙂
Oh, I never thought anything bad about your blog name! I’ve never seen Monty Python and didn’t know it was a reference, so as a reader coming at it straight on I thought it was a nice name. Not like all the generic ones about so-and-so cooks, or some kind of cooking addiction. Or, heaven help us, the ones that use the word “foodie.” (shudder) I’ll bet those poor folks are regretting their choices now.
But anyway, these biscuits look smashing. I LOVE anything that uses cornmeal in generous amounts and am going to try out your recipe the next time I make biscuits. Though I’m a complete boob with spicy food and will probably have to switch in a Hatch or a poblano. Thanks.
These look like biscuit perfection! P.S. Your trip in Mexico sounds amazing!!! So happy you got to relaxxx 🙂
I love your blog name too…and love the reference. If it bothers you, you could start by adding a little section on your page about why you named it what you did…basically copying what you wrote above. I think everyone loves hearing stories about why something is named what it is.
Delicious with a big bowl of chili. Thank you for another great recipe.
I love the story of how your blog name came about. For me, it was the “Penguin on the Telly” skit that started my journey as a life long Monty Python fan.