Whole Wheat Cheddar Chive Biscuits

I made this biscuits in an effort to feel less guilty about eating biscuits. I wanted it to be OK for me to have a second biscuit. My life is so difficult.

I had a snow day on Wednesday and knew that the universe was telling me to make healthier but super delicious biscuit. Yes, the universe talks to me often--generally it wants to talk about biscuits.

Cheddar cheese and chives are a match made in heaven. Luckily I had both of those in my fridge along with some Greek yogurt, and there was a fresh bag of whole wheat flour in my pantry.

What came out of my oven later that morning are these Whole Wheat Cheddar Chive Biscuits. They are flavorful and nutty, a bit sturdy but certainly flaky like a traditional biscuit. The cheddar is sharp and the chives provide just the right amount of onion flavor. I kicked it up a notch by adding a generous amount of cracked black pepper.

These biscuits were the first things I baked using whole wheat flour, and I would definitely consider them a success. The Greek yogurt is tangy and acts very much like buttermilk in this recipe. I used a low fat yogurt, but I would imagine a non-fat yogurt would have the same result (please report back if anyone tests this out!)

Enjoy these biscuits for breakfast alongside scrambled eggs or as a tasty little sandwich vessel at lunch. You may also consider serving them alongside a big pot of chili, like my Mom's Beef Chili!

Here's what you need for Whole Wheat Cheddar Chive Biscuits* (Print Recipe!)

2 cups whole wheat flour, remove 4 tablespoons and return it to the bag
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 scant tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten

Here's what you do

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbles or peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, water and yogurt until well combined. Dump the entire mixture into the flour and butter mixture and stir to just combine.

Dump the batter onto a clean table or counter top and knead 10 to 15 times until it comes together. Pat out to about a 1 inch thickness. Using a 1 1/2 to 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut circles of the dough and place on the baking sheet. Combine the scraps and repeat until all the dough is gone.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash and sprinkle a little more salt and pepper on top of each. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Makes 8 biscuits.

Biscuits will last well-wrapped at room temperature for about 2 days.

*Slightly adapted from this Joy the Baker Scone recipe