Chive Biscuit Sandwich With Cheddar Spread, Canadian Bacon, and a Fried Egg Recipe

Name: Chive Biscuit Sandwich With Cheddar Spread, Canadian Bacon, and a Fried Egg Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting counter; 1 cup cake flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces; 2/3 cup finely minced chives; 2 cups buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt, chilled; 1 1/2 (about 6 ounces) cups finely grated sharp cheddar cheese; 4 ounces cream cheese, softened; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons dry mustard; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 teaspoons (or more to taste) hot sauce; Salt and pepper; 12 slices Canadian bacon (See Notes); 3 tablespoons butter; 6 large eggs; Salt and pepper; 3 tablespoons water

20120219-127677-Sandwiched-Biscuit-Cheddar-Spread-PRIMARY.jpg

Open one of my mother's carefully packed boxes marked "Libros -- María del Mar" and you'll find the usual firstborn's collection of notebooks pre-K through grade 12, countless drawings, awards, and other memories preserved on scraps of fading paper. You'll also find several half-finished hardcover journals marked "María del Mar's Cookbook" dating back to the mid-1980s. The ink is usually bright pink and purple (once scented in strawberry and grape) and the pages thick with glue stick pasted magazine cutouts of brownies, cakes, and pies.

Spend but a few minutes perusing and you need not be a Hardy Boy to figure out there was a small child with more than a few quirks and obsessive compulsive tendencies. The most evident fixation: biscuits. I would make a recipe, gold star it (with actual gold star stickers) and proclaim it "Best Biscuits Ever!" (eerie forecast of my future employment at America's Test Kitchen?).

A few entries later, a new biscuit recipe with a "P.S. These are better than the ones on page 25" would appear. The trend continues through the 1990s and 2000s.

I still have an addiction to and obsession with biscuits. The ones in this recipe (usually made chive-free) are currently on my gold star list. Fluffy, light, and easy to make, these are the breakfast biscuits you want to make in your mismatched PJs.

Use this biscuit recipe plain or fill it with your favorite ingredients. My hankering for this week included crisp-edged Canadian bacon (do try Applegate Farms brand or anything other than those rubbery round things!), fried eggs, and a Worcestershire and hot sauce (Cholula is my flavor of the month) spiked cheddar spread. You might need a fork and knife or a few napkins for this one.

February 2012

Chive Biscuit Sandwich With Cheddar Spread, Canadian Bacon, and a Fried Egg Recipe

Prep 15 mins

Cook 20 mins

Active 45 mins

Total 35 mins

Serves 6 servings

Keep Screen Awake

For the Chive Biscuits:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting counter
1 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2/3 cup finely minced chives
2 cups buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt, chilled

For the Cheddar Spread:

1 1/2 (about 6 ounces) cups finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce (or more, to taste)
Salt and pepper

For the Bacon and Eggs:

12 slices Canadian bacon (see note)
3 tablespoons butter
6 large eggs
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons water

For the Chive Biscuits: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift flour, cake flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, and pepper twice.
Add chilled butter to bowl, and, using two knives, cut into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in chives.
Add 1 1/2 cups buttermilk and stir with wooden spoon just till combined. If mixture looks dry, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time until dough is cohesive.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead just until it comes together, no more than 6 times. Pat dough into a 1-inch thick circle. Use floured biscuit cutter to stamp out the biscuits—don’t twist—and arrange them about 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer tray to cooling rack.
For the Cheddar Spread: Meanwhile, in medium bowl, use fork to combine cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
For the Bacon and Eggs: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook bacon until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side, then transfer to plate and tent with foil.
Add remaining tablespoon butter to skillet. Crack eggs into skillet and season with salt and pepper.
When egg whites begin to bubble and turn opaque, add water and cover pan with lid.
Cook eggs 3 to 4 minutes until egg whites are set and egg yolk has a shell-pink color. Continue cooking eggs if you prefer a set yolk.
Using a spatula, divide the six eggs and remove from heat.
To assemble: Cut biscuits in half and spread both halves with cheddar spread. Top bottom halves with 2 slices Canadian bacon, then top with one egg and sandwich with second biscuit half. Serve.

Special Equipment

4-inch biscuit cutter, sifter, rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, wooden stirring spoon, cooling rack, large nonstick skillet with lid, foil

Notes

I usually make twelve 2 1/2-inch biscuits with this recipe, but since these are breakfast sandwiches, I like to go a bit bigger with them. You may have a few leftover, but I'm sure there will be no complaints.

The recipe is easily halved.

My preferred Canadian bacon is Applegate brand.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
793	Calories
48g	Fat
59g	Carbs
32g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	793
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 48g	61%
Saturated Fat 25g	127%
Cholesterol 313mg	104%
Sodium 1828mg	79%
Total Carbohydrate 59g	21%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 5mg	24%
Calcium 506mg	39%
Iron 5mg	29%
Potassium 638mg	14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.