Pepper Jack Cheese Biscuits

1. Heat oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper; stir with a whisk to blend thoroughly. Stir in the cheese and work the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender or fingers until the butter is well distributed and the mixture resembles crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk until ingredients are moistened.

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times, just until a cohesive dough has formed.

4. Gently pat the dough out into a circle about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick. Cut out with 2-inch biscuit cutters.

5. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about an inch between biscuits.

6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned.

7. Brush the biscuits with melted butter while they're hot and sprinkle them lightly with paprika, if desired.

8. Makes about 1 dozen 2-inch biscuits or about 10 to 12 standard size biscuits.

Expert Tips

• Basic cheddar cheese biscuits: Omit the cayenne and use shredded cheddar or a cheddar jack blend of cheeses.

• Bacon Cheese Biscuits: Omit the pepper jack cheese and use cheddar cheese and a few tablespoons of crumbled cooked bacon.

• How to Freeze Unbaked Biscuits: Cut the biscuits out as desired and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer. When the biscuits are frozen solid, transfer them to freezer bags. Label with the name and date. Bake the frozen biscuits (unthawed) as directed, but add about 3 to 4 minutes to the total time.