The Scoop
Chive Drop Biscuits: a savory blend perfect for fresh beginnings, easy to share.
The inspiration for these chive drop biscuits harks back to the summer I moved into my college apartment. It was a cramped little unit with creaky floors and a questionable oven, but it promised freedom and discovery. My roommate and I decided to host our first ever potluck, inviting friends to bring their culinary contributions. I was determined to make something special that captured the spirit of fresh beginnings. Enter the humble chive, plucked from a modest plant on the windowsill we were trying—and failing—to keep alive.
Flour was always readily available, as were the little indulgent splurges on good parmesan, a nod to our European summer adventures. On a whim, I added a bit of whole-grain mustard from a forgotten jar in the fridge. The unexpected tang perfectly complemented the creamy buttermilk, which we used to balance those savory notes. Shortly after, I discovered that grating frozen butter gave a remarkable crumbly texture, perfect for impressing friends who would one day drop by, hungry and weary from exams.
Every sizzle and light browning of those biscuits told a story of young hopes and the grounding comfort of food. I still remember brushing them with extra melted butter as everyone hovered around, weaving our laughter with kitchen aromas. Today, I insist on serving these biscuits warm, right off the rack, urging you to resist the urge to rush. Let them breathe a bit on the wire rack—that extra pause makes all the difference.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1/4 cup fresh chives, sliced, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, frozen, plus more, to taste, melted, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
- Line two 18x26-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, the parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup of the chives, the baking powder, the black pepper, the salt, the garlic powder, and the baking soda and whisk to combine.
- In a medium bowl, add the buttermilk and the mustard and whisk to combine.
- Use the large holes of a grater to grate the 3 tablespoons of frozen butter into the flour mixture and stir until it is well-coated.
- Add the buttermilk-mustard mixture to the flour mixture and stir until they are just combined.
- Drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets in about 3-tablespoonful rounds, leaving about 3 inches in between each.
- Bake the biscuits, about 7-9 minutes.
- Rotate the baking sheets between the top and bottom of the oven racks, then bake the biscuits until they are golden-brown, about an additional 7-9 minutes.
- Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack.
- Immediately brush the biscuits with the extra melted butter and sprinkle with the extra chives.
- Serve warm.
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