Bacon Fat Biscuits

I fried up a bunch of bacon last week to make a savory bread pudding (for the record, it was kale/bacon/onion bread pudding and it was amazing), and found myself with almost half a cup of leftover bacon fat. I poured it into a ramekin to chill in the fridge, and set about trying to figure out what I could use it in.

With the advent of chillier weather, biscuits seemed to fit the bill nicely. I decided to substitute chilled bacon fat for butter, and to punch up the flavor with some wilting green onions and some cheddar cheese I found in the fridge. Basically these biscuits were a delicious way to use my leftovers, and they turned out wonderfully!

Bacon Fat Biscuits with Cheddar and Onions

2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

2 tbs. sugar

6 tbs. bacon fat, chilled

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2/3 cup milk

1. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, cream of tartar, and sugar. Cut in bacon fat until it’s the size of peas.

2. Stir in cheddar cheese and green onions, then mix in the milk to form a soft dough.

3. Turn out dough onto floured board and knead briefly before patting into a 3/4″ slab.

4. Cut into nine square biscuits and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until light golden brown.

For the record, I think I overbaked these just a tad at 20 minutes (which is why I recommend 15-18 above)– the bottoms were too dark of a brown and the texture was just a little dry. Next time I’ll check them earlier. The flavor, though, was great– nice and smoky, with a bit of extra zing from the green onions. I honestly didn’t notice the cheese that much– maybe next time I’ll add more, though I would be wary of overpowering the bacon.

Oh, and try these with a drizzle of maple syrup– really delicious!

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