Giant Paprika Cheddar Drop Biscuits

January 26, 2009

Cheddar Paprika Biscuits

Here are a few Monday confessions I feel compelled to get off my chest:

I’ve given up working out for the new year.  I don’t wanna do.  I’m liable to throw a tantrum about it.

I just bought a vacuum, and I’m too embarrassed to tell you how long I went without one.

I’m secretly seriously competitive. Did you hear? Did you vote?

I don’t use parchment paper when I’m supposed to.  At all. I don’t have any good reason for not using it, just a serious mental block.

I don’t like to buy myself fancy kitchen equipment.  I’d rather buy shoes.  Crazy, right?

I made these Giant Paprika Cheddar Biscuits last week around ten in the morning.  By two in the afternoon I had worked my way through a cool four of them.

Again… I’ve given up working out for the new year, which I obviously must feel bad about because here I am mentioning it again.  Unfortunately I don’t feel bad enough to lace up my running shoes…   sigh… moving on!

Cheddar Paprika Biscuits

Cheddar Paprika Biscuits

About the biscuits:  super easy, delicately spiced with sweet paprika from Spain (thank you Rachel!) and dotted with melted cheddar.  I measured out each biscuit with a half cup scoop and they were absolutely GIANT!  Next time I might try a 1/4-cup of 1/3-cup measuring scoop to dollop out the batter for more reasonable biscuits.

These pretties would be just lovely for breakfast with a fried egg and sliced tomato, or with an equally giant pot of Turkey Chili.  You could always just go the Joy the Baker route and plow through four biscuits while standing in your kitchen reading the newest issue of Bon Appetit magazine.  You’ve got options, just make these biscuits part of your plan.

Paprika Cheddar Drop Biscuits

adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

Print this recipe!

makes 8 giant biscuits or 12 smaller biscuits

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, plus more for dusting

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

6 ounces cheddar, finely grated (about 1 cup)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream ( I used 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup sour cream)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  I just greased and floured my baking pan, skipping the paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and paprika.  Using a pastry blender, or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course meal with a few larger clumps remaining.  Stir in the cheese with a fork.

Add the cream (or milk and sour cream); using a rubber spatula, stir until the dough just comes together.  The dough will be slightly sticky;  don’t over mix.  Using a 1/2-cup measure (for giant biscuits) or a 1/4-cup or 1/3-cup for smaller biscuits, scoop mounds of dough about 1 1/2-inches apart of the prepared baking sheet.  Lightly dust with paprika.

Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through baking, until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Slide parchment and biscuits onto a wire rack to cool or let biscuits cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing onto a wire rack with a spatula.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }

Deanna January 26, 2009 at 1:24 pm

These sound absolutely wonderful. I’m making a beef stew tonight and these would go great with it. Thanks!

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The Duo Dishes January 26, 2009 at 1:28 pm

Butter. Just give us lashings and lashings and LASHINGS of Kerrygold. And maybe a bit of bacon. :)

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SpyPhD January 26, 2009 at 1:44 pm

Just curious if it’s 3/4 tsp. baking powder or baking soda…I know one of them will be 1 1/4 and the other is 3/4, but just wondering which is which.

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joythebaker January 26, 2009 at 1:50 pm

Spy- Thanks for catching that typo!

Deanna- These would be just amazing with beef stew. Rock and Roll. For real.

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marion January 26, 2009 at 2:09 pm

Great !
I love shoes as well ;)
Can you tell me if I can use Grana panado instead of cheddar ?

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Bridgett January 26, 2009 at 2:12 pm

This would be extra yummy with some chopped jalepeno in the dough….mmmmmmm….

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Sugar Duchess January 26, 2009 at 3:53 pm

These look fabulously tempting. Thanks for sharing!
And exercise? You could walk briskly to the nearest doughnut shop and call it good. :)

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la vie est belle January 26, 2009 at 3:59 pm

I voted – good luck.

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Natasha - 5 Star Foodie January 26, 2009 at 4:07 pm

Cheddar and paprika – delicious!

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Culinarywannabe January 26, 2009 at 4:14 pm

The hand-me-down pots will last a few more year – I buy shoes too. :)

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Veronica January 26, 2009 at 4:48 pm

I fell in love with your blog about two months ago and I feel like I have been a silent reader for too long. I have to say that these biscuits look gorgeous and delicious as do all of your goodies. Thank you for sharing your beautiful gifts of food and photography. Honestly, yours is the best (or at least my favorite) blog out there. :)

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kellypea January 26, 2009 at 5:10 pm

I just bought two new pans today, (I couldn’t help myself — they were on sale…) but your cheese biscuits put them to shame….Mmmmm…

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bensbaby116 January 26, 2009 at 5:21 pm

My husband is totally in love with biscuits. I’ll have to add this to my list of new variations to try!

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HoneyB January 26, 2009 at 7:05 pm

I wish I could give up working out for the year….but I can’t. The pounds come on too easily.

Wonderful looking biscuits!

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Butterball January 26, 2009 at 7:17 pm

Biscuits look amazing!
I did vote for you; took me forever to figure out to sclae right on the site to vote……

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Carolyn J. January 26, 2009 at 7:40 pm

I’m with you Joy, working out never becomes fun and interesting. It sucks. Unfortunately I’m trying not to die too early.

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Elle January 26, 2009 at 8:11 pm

Oh wow. I’m starving just looking at those…

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Erica from Cooking for Seven January 26, 2009 at 8:28 pm

Hmmm, I really like savory biscuits. These look delicious. The idea of serving these with a fried egg is very appealing.

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Michelle January 26, 2009 at 10:24 pm

These look so delicious! Which is probably a given since its a Martha recipe haha.

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Michelle January 26, 2009 at 10:24 pm

P.S. I love your website layout, sooo cute!

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snooky doodle January 27, 2009 at 1:04 am

these look delicious and look so nice :) I love paprika and i think it goes really well with cheddar. yummy :)

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heidi leon January 27, 2009 at 1:59 am

love it, paprika and cheddar biscuits! I think will go perfectly with a salad or maybe with some cold meat antipasto (thinking serrano, prosciutto, olives and sundried tomatoes..)….mmm…yumm…..

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Sharifa January 27, 2009 at 10:21 am

those biscuits look sooo good. and adding jalapenos sounds like a really good idea.

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Nicole January 27, 2009 at 10:21 am

Your Paprika Cheddar Biscuits look delicious..I’ll definitely try this one day..thanks for this wonderful recipe of yours..

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cindy January 27, 2009 at 10:26 am

i’ve given up on the new years work-out too…not much of a trooper either. i guess i’d way rather eat 4 biscuits that go running too…especially these ones.

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Erica from Cooking for Seven January 27, 2009 at 11:57 am

I made these for lunch to go with leftover soup, and they were delicious! They were tender and tasty, even though I used all whole wheat flour!
I used milk and sour cream instead of heavy cream. Also, I increased the baking powder to 1 3/4 teaspoon (since I was using whole wheat flour). Being out of parchment paper, I greased and floured the pan.
We devoured them all. This will definitely be a keeper.

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Sassy Molassy January 27, 2009 at 12:38 pm

These look amazing, and so good with chili!

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Delta Sierra January 27, 2009 at 4:02 pm

“…I’ve given up working for the new year…”. In Freudian slip veritas. I’m not nit-picking here, I’m empathizing. Yah me too I would like to give up working, or at least, the work I hate. Never having to clean house ever ever ever again as long as I live would be ok, just give up that work. Working out, yah, again me too, I hate it hate hate it.

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Sallie January 27, 2009 at 4:55 pm

I have a dear friend (cooking type) who I introduced to your site. He told me the other day that he is in love with you! Thanks for all the great posts. These biscuits look phenomenal. I shall try them soon.

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Carina January 27, 2009 at 8:05 pm

i love your blog and thanks for sharing your yummy recipes with us!
also, you take beautiful pictures. what camera are you using?

thanks!

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Iceni January 27, 2009 at 10:30 pm

Ah, who needs working out! Just find a sport (trapeze lessons?) you like at least half as much as you like baking. I find that ratio works, but if I could, I’d bake and waterski!

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Meg January 27, 2009 at 10:44 pm

I’m totally making these.

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Katie January 28, 2009 at 6:59 am

I want to give up each time but I push myself anyway. I would much rather be baking or cooking and weigh a million pounds than work out.

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Claire Mason January 28, 2009 at 11:11 am

Mmm! Paprika and cheddar are so lovely.

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Maria January 28, 2009 at 11:20 am

Awesome!!!! I love the color of these, I bet they are amazing!

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kimberleyblue January 28, 2009 at 11:48 am

i love biscuits and i love cheese – therefore, these must be perfect!
they certainly appear so!

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kat January 28, 2009 at 12:53 pm

I went to the gym today! But I’m making these tonight, so I think that equals a null. Haha. Thanks for the recipe, this looks great.

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Sophie January 28, 2009 at 1:07 pm

I love everything with Pimentón de la Vera, sweet or picanté! I surely will make them! Thanks for the recipe!

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Amy January 28, 2009 at 7:27 pm

Oh, these look delicious! I found your site through the bloggies voting process (you got my vote!) and I’m so glad I did. I’ll be back. Again and again!

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Gretchen Noelle January 29, 2009 at 7:54 am

I love these! They’re great!

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CarrieP January 29, 2009 at 2:59 pm

Ha! I came across a quote this morning that totally made me think of this entry:

“Exercise is done against one’s wishes and maintained only because the alternative is worse.”

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Julie January 30, 2009 at 11:37 am

These biscuits turned out fantastically! After I scooped the dough, I froze it, and can now take them out as we need them. Thank heavens -the whole batch would have been gone in a flash otherwise! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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morgana February 3, 2009 at 7:18 am

Wow! What an amazing recipe, I love paprika (pimenton dulce) and these cheddar drop biscuits must be delicious.

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Kristin February 3, 2009 at 4:58 pm

I made these over the weekend. Hubby & I loved them & hubby gave some to our friends & they raved about them ..comparing them to the cheddar biscuits at Red lobster.

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Ashlea February 5, 2009 at 8:27 am

I just made these last night, and let me tell you, they were deeelicious. Absolutely triple-E worthy. Oh my gosh. My uncle and I just about ate the entire pan four minutes after they were taken out of the oven. But it was worth the third-degree burns on the roof of my mouth. Totally worth it. Thanks for such a lovely recipe!

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Millie February 8, 2009 at 1:47 pm

Oh, those look good! Thanks to my three year old, we almost always have cheddar (or colby jack) in the house. The only thing I’m missing is the sour cream! I might have to make a run to the store today! Yum!

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Tiffany March 23, 2010 at 1:22 pm

I just made these biscuits, and my first thought is WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG!!! I love these things!!! You are amazing!

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