Cream Cheese Biscuits
Soft, tender, buttery Southern biscuits made with cream cheese cut into the dough for extra moisture and a subtle tang, brought together with buttermilk and baked until golden. Easy, old-fashioned, and perfect warm with butter and jelly.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Pastry cutter
- 2-inch biscuit cutter
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for handling
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 tbsp butter softened (1/4 cup or 1/2 stick)
- 1 cup buttermilk or regular milk
Instructions
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
- Cut in the Fat: Cut the softened cream cheese and butter into the flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs. (Tip: soften the cream cheese and butter in the microwave for just a few seconds, until soft to the touch but not melted.)
- Make the Dough: Add the buttermilk and mix into a dough. Turn out onto a floured surface, adding enough flour that you can handle and knead it. Knead gently until elastic, then roll out to about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut and Bake: Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter and place on a sprayed baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven 15 to 20 minutes, until risen and golden. Brush the tops with melted butter if desired (optional). Makes about 28 biscuits.
Notes
Don't overwork the dough, knead just until it comes together and is workable, so the biscuits stay tender. Soften (but don't melt) the cream cheese and butter for easy cutting in. Cut straight down without twisting the cutter so the biscuits rise tall and even, and re-flour the cutter between cuts. Place biscuits close together for taller results. Re-roll scraps only once or twice. Baking time varies with biscuit size and thickness, and ovens and altitudes differ, so adjust. Keeps 2 days at room temperature or 5 refrigerated; freezes baked or unbaked up to 3 months.