A little while ago I asked a dear friend of mine, Annick (a lovely lovely person and extremely talented photographer), to take a few photos of me for the blog.  It occurred to me that the only photos I had were group ones I cropped – those just wouldn’t do! So Annick was nice enough to come to the rescue; and in exchange I did what I do best – baked! (funny story, when we worked together and first met, Annick and I realized that we grew up in the same town in Maine and went to the same school! Small world, right?).

Well, I asked Annick what kinds of treats she and her new hubby (congrats guys!) would like and she immediately said cookies and/or biscuits. I lit up like the sky on the 4th of July, because I had just the biscuit recipe in mind I’d been wanting to try.

Now, people, these really are a treat.  There is absolutely nothing healthy about them (well… the flour I used had wheat germ in it, that makes ‘em healthy, right?! right.), but boy o boy, they turned out so well I just had to share the recipe! Thanks to Pinterest, I found the recipe here and only adapted it ever so slightly. Give ‘em a try; you won’t be disappointed.  They would be great for breakfast with eggs, or alongside your favorite soup or chili!

Stay tuned for “treats for Annick part deux” – the most amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe ever.  Oh and if you’re in the New York area and are in need of the cutest, nicest photographer, check out Annick’s website for examples of her work and contact details!

Garlic Herb Cheddar Biscuits

Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter, cold
1 cup buttermilk (I never have buttermilk so I use 1 c milk and 1 1/2 tsp vinegar… let them sit together until little bubbles appear on the top, about ten min.)
1-1/2 to 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Topping
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon dried italian seasoning (or herbs of choice)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt.

Cut in shortening and butter until coarse crumbs are formed.

Lightly mix in grated cheese.

Mix in buttermilk just until moist (Note: You may not need all the milk! dry spots here and there are ok – the biscuits will be tough if they are overmixed).

Drop the biscuits onto a greased or lined baking sheet, in about 1/4 cup mounds.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned and golden.

While the biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine butter, parsley, garlic powder and salt. Right when the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the butter/herb mixture over the biscuits evenly (alternately, you can dip the top of the biscuit into the butter mixture). Serve immediately.