Cheddar Cheese Biscuits With Cilantro

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted cold butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Blend the cold butter into the dry ingredients-Josh used his hands to do this. Blend until the mixture has pea size chunks of butter left. It will be crumbly and that is a good thing. You want to see little pieces of butter. Don’t over blend.
Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon. Gently mix, just until the ingredients are moist. Don’t overmix.
Gently stir in the cheese, garlic, and cilantro. Just until they are mixed throughout.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. With a spoon, scoop the biscuits onto the baking sheet. For jumbo biscuits-use about 1/3 cup of dough. For smaller biscuits-use about 3 Tablespoons of dough. Bake the jumbo biscuits for 15-18 minutes. Bake the smaller biscuits for 12-15 minutes. You want them to be golden brown on top and on the bottoms.
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.
*Note-you can use any cheese or herbs you like.*

Cheddar Puffs

Ingredients:
1 loaf Crusty French Bread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes*
½ sticks Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Shallot, Minced
1-½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
8 ounces, Cream Cheese, Sliced
1-½ cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten

Directions:

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in egg whites.
Dunk bread cubes in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove frozen chunks from tray and place into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen cheese puffs on a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

*When I made these I had more bread than sauce. Next time, I'll use the cubes that have crust on them. They hold up much better with the sauce and are crunchier. Also, I cubed the bread and let it sit for a few hours so it got a tiny bit crusty.

Cheese Toasts

Ingredients:
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (1/2 C)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C sliced green onions
1 baguete, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

Directions:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the mayo, cheese, garlic, and green onions in a small bowl. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown--8 to 10 minutes. Spread a couple teaspoonfuls of the cheese mixture on each slice and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly--2 to 3 mins more. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.