2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup tasso ham, finely minced
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, blend the cold butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Mix in the cheese and the ham.
Separately, blend together the buttermilk and the egg and add to dry mixture. Blend the dough. Do not overmix.
Fold dough onto a floured surface and roll to a 1-inch thickness. Cut biscuits using a 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet and brush the tops with the melted butter. Bake 15-18 minutes.
[ via Deep South Parties or How to Survive the Southern Cocktail Hour Without a Box of French Onion Soup Mix, a Block of Processed Cheese or a Cocktail Weenie by Robert St. John ]
