I never used to be a fan of spicy. A few years ago, when my palate was young and my taste buds were inexperienced, I hated spicy. It was, in fact, one of the worst things a food could be.
In any form! Hot sauce, jalapenos, red pepper flakes, chili powder… it was too hot, it made my mouth burn and my eyes cry, and it completely overpowered any and all taste of the original dish. Spicy was stupid.
My my, how things have changed.
I know the exact moment when I started to see the light. I was having one of those days at work where just nothing was going right. It really was just one of those days. In order to relieve a bit of the stress of the day, I went to a favourite hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver. Their veggie bahn mi subs always cured by blues, so of course, I ordered one.
I have no idea what compelled me to, but I covered the thing in hot sauce. And I mean covered. I swear the clouds parted and I heard angels sing at the moment of that very first bite. It was goddamn spicy, but it was probably one of the most enjoyable food moments I’d ever had.
It was hot, it made my mouth burn and my eyes tear up, but something about eating through that pain was almost therapeutic. It sounds corny, but I left that restaurant and went back to work in a way better mood. I felt like I could accomplish anything. I felt invincible.
Just from some freaking hot sauce.
These days, I LOVE me some spicy. I’ve adjusted my taste buds a bit so I’m a lot more used to the heat, and I practically put hot sauce (or some form of spice/red pepper flakes) on everything. It used to taste like hot death, but now I find that a bit of hot sauce actually accentuates the other flavours of what you’re eating.
I completely understand the sudden trend spike in hot sauce.
These biscuits are, of course, spicy. The jalapeno gives the batter a bit of heat, which can be customized to your liking. Don’t like a lot of spice? Completely de-seed the pepper and rinse it with water to remove any lingering seeds. Love spice? Leave a few of those seeds in. They really kick up the flavour!
Cheese and jalapenos go so well together, so I added some cheddar for a bit of a flavour boost. There’s also a bit of cornmeal thrown in to give them a slightly gritter, grainier texture. If you like tossing jalapenos in your cornbread (yes!), you’ll love these muffins!
They are spectacular when dipped into chili or stew, or simply warmed up and smothered in garlic butter. They’d also make a great base for eggs benny!
And best of all, they’re drop biscuits, which are SO easy and SO simple: no kneading required!
| Jalapeno Cheddar Drop Biscuits | Print |
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 3 Tbsp water
- ¼ cup jalapeno, seeded and finely diced*
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add in yogurt, water, jalapenos, and ¾ of the cheddar cheese. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Drop batter in ¼ cup portions (I like to use an ice cream scoop!) on to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Let cool to the touch and serve.
You crack me up every time I stop by! And drool, too. Definitely drool. Can’t wait to make (and eat) these spicy little guys!
Looks delicious! I MUST try these – I love the jalapeno/cheddar combo.
Thanks Nadia! I hope you like them as much as I do!