Manchego Black Pepper Biscuits with Smoked Paprika Butter

**By Chadwick Boyd**

Spanish Inspired Biscuits That Are Big in Color & Flavor

I created these biscuits for Rachael Ray In Season. They are part of a feature showing how to take a basic sour cream biscuit recipe and turn it into eight different kinds of biscuits.

These biscuits are great for parties because you can whomp them up a bit (serve them with thinly shaved country or Iberico ham and some leaves of arugula. They are heavy on freshly cracked black pepper to give them a flavor pop. I love the aged flavor of Manchego cheese, yet you can swap Manchego out for aged cheddar, Parmesan or dry aged gouda. Whatever you choose, just have fun! That’s what biscuits are for.

Print This Recipe

Chadwick’s Checklist

What you need to know before you cook.

Use a standard sheet pan lined with parchment
The smoked paprika butter can be made ahead of time; the flavor gets better as it sits

Serves: About 14 Biscuits Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Biscuits

2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick butter, very cold
¾ cup full-fat sour cream
2½ cups grated Manchego cheese
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For the Smoked Paprika Butter

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Turn the stick of butter in the dry ingredients until coated. Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the butter into the bowl. Using your fingertips, evenly mix in the butter. Mix in 2 cups cheese and ground black pepper. Form a well in the dry ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and 1/3 cup very cold water. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Position a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Grease a large baking sheet. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and pat into a circle about 1 inch thick, dusting with more flour if the dough is sticky. Using a 2-inch cutter, cut out biscuits, pressing straight down into the dough (do not twist). Transfer to the sheet. Gather the dough and repeat patting and cutting until the dough is used up. Sprinkle ½ cup cheese and freshly cracked black pepper on top before baking.
Bake until the biscuits are golden and crispy on top, 12-15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.