Ramp, Cheddar, and Mushroom Biscuits

Garlicky, cheesy, flaky, delicious!!

Ramp, Cheddar, and Mushroom Biscuits

Time: 1 hour | Yield: 9 biscuits | Difficulty: 3/5

These biscuits are a delicious way to celebrate spring. Their ingredients make me think of what a perfect recipe would be if I were a forager, collecting ramps and mushrooms and creating something beautiful from the earth! The ramps bring a green garlickiness that complement the cheddar so well, and if you’ve never thought to put mushrooms in a biscuit, I’m here to tell you it’s a revelation. Ramps are of course only available for a short amount of time, and only in certain areas, so if you’d like to be able to make these all year round, I’d suggest substituting with leeks (though you might want to cook them down separately first) or another punchy green, like chopped arugula!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour (+more for dusting)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• Pepper

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, plus about a tablespoon extra butter for brushing on top

• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice)

• A large handful of ramps (probably about two cups’ worth, once chopped)

• A handful of mushrooms—meatier ones like shitakes, portobellos, or button mushrooms work best (about a cup)

• Cheddar, grated (about a cup or a cup and a 1/2)

• A big mixing bowl

• A pastry mat (recommended so you don’t have to clean so much off the counter! If you don’t have a pastry mat, you can lay down a big strip of Saran wrap before rolling out the biscuits.)

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful flakeship.

Method:

1. Prepare the dry ingredients: Wash ramps by dunking them in a big bowl of water, then chop the leaves and dice the stems. Wash and dice the mushrooms, into about 1/4 inch cubes, and grate the cheddar.

2. To the bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and pepper, and whisk. Slice the cold butter into cubes, then add it to the dry mixture and crumble it into pea-sized bits with your fingers. (Don’t put away the flour - you’ll need more for dusting later!)

3. Add the ramps, mushrooms, and cheddar, and mix.

4. Add the buttermilk, and mix well with a spoon or your hands, until the mixture is just coming together.

5. Pre-heat the oven to 425°.

6. Lay the pastry mat on your counter, and dust with flour. Tip the dough out of the bowl, and form the mixture into a flat rectangle (about a half-inch to an inch thick).

7. To create the flakiness in the biscuits, cut the rectangle into three sections, then stack the sections one on top of the other. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture back down into a square. Repeat two more times, turning the dough 90 degrees each time.

8. Cut the dough into nine biscuits, using a large knife in one smooth up-down motion (if you move the knife back and forth, you’ll end up impeding the flakes as the biscuits rise). Place the biscuits on a lined baking tray.

9. Melt about a tablespoon of butter in the microwave, and brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter.

10. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown.

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