I love a cheese or charcuterie board. Sitting at the table with friends, catching up, having a drink, and, of course, having delicious things to nibble. It was at one such gathering that I started thinking about capturing these flavors in a baked good – and an idea was born.
Elements of a cheese board
Selecting the type of baked good was easy – I wanted to create a version of the Everything Spiced and Bacon Scallion Cheddar drop biscuits. Then it was selecting the things that make a cheese board a cheese board.
- Cheese – there are so many different types of cheeses but I wanted one that would provide a good foundation like a blue cheese. I chose a stilton but any other blue cheese variety would work.
- Fruit – you will usually find a type of dried fruit on the board. I liked the pairing of fig with blue cheese but an apricot or pear would also do well. It depends on whether you want something more sweet or more tart.
- Nuts – another classic element is a type of nut. In this case I chose walnuts. They’re a little softer than a hazelnut or an almond and when toasted, add a nice flavor.
- Honey – this last ingredient was incorporated after some trial and error. The biscuit needed something sweet to balance out the savoriness of the stilton. Honey is delicious drizzled over a warm biscuit but it adds a nice roundness and balance when baked into the biscuit.
Serving and storage
These biscuits are best served warm – the outside has nice crisp edges and the inside is tender with melting bits of stilton running through it. As mentioned above, a little honey drizzled over a warm biscuit is delicious and a little bit decadent. But honestly, they taste great on their own.
Store the biscuits in an airtight container and warm them for a few minutes in a toaster oven or air fryer before serving.
Stilton, Walnut, and Fig Drop Biscuits
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
Classic cheeseboard flavors are captured in these drop biscuits. Crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and deliciously savory.
Ingredients
1 cup chopped walnuts
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt*
1 cup crumbled Stilton (or other blue cheese)
1 cup dried figs, cut into ½” dice
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the chopped walnuts in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Bake, stirring every few minutes, for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove and let cool.
Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and honey. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Cut the butter into ½″ cubes then add to the dry ingredients and cut in with a pastry blender (or blend with your fingertips) until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Toss in the Stilton crumbles, chopped walnuts, and figs, mixing until just coated with the dry mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture and stir until just combined. Dough will be a little wet and sticky, not crumbly.
Drop dough in 12 equal mounds about 2 inches apart onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet used to toast the walnuts. Bake the biscuits on the middle rack until golden, 16 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
The biscuits are best served warm, drizzled with honey. They may also be served at room temperature.
Notes
*Note: remove ½ teaspoon salt if using salted butter
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Bread
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 399.99
- Sugar: 10.22 g.
- Sodium: 601.32 mg.
- Fat: 20.59 g.
- Saturated Fat: 9.52 g.
- Carbohydrates: 31.72 g.
- Fiber: 2.51 g.
- Protein: 9.26 g.
- Cholesterol: 37.06 mg.
Keywords: blue cheese, walnuts, figs
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