Blue Cheese Biscuits with Pinot Noir Butter.
Probably not. You probably don’t care because uh, hello… you have a real life.
But I don’t have any friends and need to tell someone, so you’re out of luck today.
I went on a hunt for a new scent for my husband. Basically, because I have NO IDEA WHAT TO GET HIM FOR CHRISTMAS (even though you gave me some excellent ideas last week) and have almost considered buying Hickory Farms beef sticks for his stocking. Not joking.
I thought maybe I could get him some new cologne, although it is safe to say that I am obsessed with what he currently wears – Burberry Touch – and can hardly think straight when I smell it. Take that as you will.
Anyhoo. I joined the throngs of shoppers and since it was com-pah-letely insane out there in shop world, there were no little paper tester thingies to spray cologne on and place below your sniffer. Uh, problem!
So I sprayed it on myself. My arms… my hands… my neck… my elbow. That little crevice thing between my thumb and fore finger. About 13 different kinds. Not entirely sure why I found this to be a wise idea since I can barely stand in Bath and Body Works without sneezing my actual face off. Yes, my actual face. But I did it anyway. Me = loopy.
I was just soooo desperate.
After about 10 minutes I started to feel pretty ill. And I smelled like a man. Not a good man either. Like one of those dirty old men that drenches himself in cologne then puts on a fedora and heads to the nearest college watering hole hoping to pick up girls 40 years younger than him.
And just so you know, all these times I’m typing cologne? I’m saying it out loud like CO-LOG-NEE.
Then it gave me a migraine. I scrubbed my body down with soap and loofahs but to no avail – I could NOT get rid of the scentseses. I had to scrap all plans of exciting stuff I had going on at night, which was precisely nothing. I came home giftless but with one major decision: Mr. How Sweet will never wear anything but Burberry Touch for as long as he lives. Ever.
Even though I was on the verge of upchucking thanks to the manly fumes lingering on my body, I was starrrrrved. Holidays do that to you. So I ate an egg on top of one of these biscuits.
Oh… My… Gawd.
I made the biscuits earlier in the week – nervously, I should add, since they were a bit out of the flavor box even for ME. But the minute they came out of the oven, I inhaled three. THREE! Before I even snapped a shot, I gobbled them. Well, I gobbled 2 1/3 of them. Note picture #4.
Is it too wild to declare this my favorite thing I have made in all of 2011? Because I’m pretty sure it is. The flavor… OMG the flavor. Can’t even explain. Out of this world. So in love. One of my personal goals for 2011 was to challenge myself and bake more bread type things. I’m trying to experience as much bread making as I can in hopes that soon enough I’ll be able to develop my own yeasted bread recipes because that’s like, sort of hard. Do you want a fun goal for 2012? Do this.
I’m pretty sure that these biscuits and butter would make an excellent addition to your holiday cheese plate. And I’m ever surer that they’d make a fabulous side dish.
And a really good snack. (I should know.)
And even a nice little mouth for a mini sandwich. (Hello egg.)
And the best part of this whole thing? I opened a bottle of wine at 1 o’clock in the afternoon just to snap these photos for you. Oh… and to make butter. BUTTER. Butter with WINE in it. Butter made with wine! I have a TON of this butter left. I could not be more excited because the next thing it is going on? A thick, juicy piping hot filet. I may just die on the spot.
Ooooh and make sure you use some wine that you actually like to drink. I used La Crema because that’s what I drank in Sonoma with Christina, and it tasted gooooood. But you don’t have to listen to me. After all that time in wine country I still don’t know jack, and drink Riesling with tomato sauce and put ice cubes in my Merlot. Sorry.
Soooo yeah. No doubt, you gotta make these. Today please.
Blue Cheese Biscuits
[slightly adapted from my cranberry biscuits, which were adapted from bon appetit]
makes about 20 round biscuits
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups milk (whole or 2%)
6 ounces gorgonzola cheese (or your favorite blue), crumbled
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, and whisk until combined. Using a fork, pastry blender or your hands, add butter pieces to the flour and mix until coarse little crumbles remain. Add in crumbled gorgonzola. Pour in milk and stir with a spoon until just combined, not overmixing. Use your hands if needed to bring the dough together – I did.
Use a 1/4 cup measure to drop batter onto a nonstick baking sheet, or press dough on a sheet of parchment paper or cutting board, then using a biscuit cutter to shape the dough into rounds. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.
Pinot Noir Butter
[slightly adapted from Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain]
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups pinot noir
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of black pepper
Bring the wine to a boil in a saucepan (be careful so it does not boil over!) and cook until reduced to just under  1/4 cup – this took me about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
Once wine is cool, combine with softened butter, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly to combine. I had some issues with the butter absorbing all of the wine, so what I did was place the entire bowl in the fridge, and pop it out every 15 minutes or so, mixing really well with a spoon until all of the wine mixed in. Once mixed completely, chill in the fridge for about 5 minutes, then form into a square or log with your hands and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use – best if used after 2-3 days so the flavors can mesh!
K thanks bye.
176 Comments on “Blue Cheese Biscuits with Pinot Noir Butter.”
That butter is awesome!!!!!!
Pinot Noir is one of my favorite word combinations. Mix that with butter? Yes, please! Can not wait to try both of these recipes.
If you’re still looking for a gift for your husband, or maybe yourself, I think I have the perfect one: Nueske’s bacon. My co-worker raves about it. He buys it in 5 pound orders pretty regularly. Seems right up your alley, no?
http://www.nueskes.com/
Uh yeah. I think I need that. I’d buy it for my husband but he isn’t into bacon like I am. I gotta give him a little hint.
These would be perfect for our holiday party this weekend!!
Oh my gaw….. Wine butter??!! Can it get any better?
These are happening in my kitchen asap. I have gorgonzola (close enough) and I have pinot noir. Yeessss!
I used gorgonzola! It will work perfectly. :)
Duh. you totally did. I assumed blue cheese from the title but it’s right there in the ingredient list isn’t it?! Oops.
Oh gosh, no worries. I never read the actual recipes on blog posts until I go to make them.
Now I’m going to have to track down burberry touch. And make these biscuits.
OK, I did not want to bake until after Xmas but now I have to, so guess what I will be doing tomorrow?
I need to make these for hubby. HE LOVES bleu cheese, but I don’t.
OMG!!!! You so make me laugh! I love you!! CO-LOG-NEE HAHAHAH
Oh, man. I cannot tell you how much I love reading your posts each day, Jessica!
Well, I’m thinking I may have the day off again today because I can’t get my oven to warm up. I turn it on and it just sits at 100 degrees, not wanting to get any warmer. Heck, it doesn’t even get to 100. It’s cold as a flippin’ bone. Aggravating.
At least it’s not Thanksgiving. THAT wuld have been a problem!
Lynne that happened to me this past Spring! Such a pain. It was just the heating element for me and cost about $150. Not too bad considering I thought we’d need a whole new range.
I am SO hoping that’s all it is. After pricing new gas ranges tonight I am NOT wanting to do that right now – not really what I wanted Santa to bring me for Christmas.
But, am I hearing possible tax deduction here? After all, it IS a business expense. You DID save your receipt didn’t you, Jess?
This sounds straight up fancy! I loooooove the color of the butter!!
ok one more (slightly random) gift idea for you: Sharper image outlast stay cool pillow/other bedding. I bought my husband a “cooling” pillow. Hopefully he will let me close the window one night soon.
OKay, actually I want that gift! My husband loves to be HOT at night (seriously, it’s awful) and I need that pillow in my life.
I’m pretty speechless about that butter…wine butter. There are just no words. Hopefully Mr. How Sweet will greatly appreciate you going to so much trouble to find him a new fragrance…or maybe he’ll just buy you more wine?! You will for sure by my husband’s hero when I make these biscuits for him, he loves blue cheese…totally genius!
These biscuits look to die for. Wow! I am totally going to have to make these. I hope my kids will like the blue cheese (maybe I won’t tell them it’s in there and see what they think). I am thinking of taking a pastry/bread making class as I am scared of yeast and want to learn how to make my own multigrain breads etc.
So here’s to some bread making in 2012 :)
I think you could definitely pass them off to your kids without them knowing about blue cheese!
pinot noir butter? be still my heart. that sounds delicious!
Oh my gosh, this is one of those times i don’t want to be reading a food blog unless I actually have food in front of me. Haha. Now I’m starving and will think about nothing but blue cheese biscuits until lunch! These look incredible.
omg, that butter looks heavenly… so delicious.
ohhh shit. YUM.
Yeah…I’m so totally making this. Plus, I might be in love with you (opening wine @1:00, making butter, & ice cubes in Reisling? Genius!).
Cheers!
Pino Noir butter?! Now you’ve done it. I am packing my suitcase and moving to your kitchen.
I am obsessed with compound butter! My husband recently made an herb version, which was delicious! I love this one for the holidays…yum!
YUM!!!!!! Definately a must have with our Prime Rib and Crab Legs Christmas Eve!!
OMG… these would be PERFECT with that meal!!
I always love your stories but this one was extra cute – have you ever read poems by Liz Lochead – I loooove her and your ‘voice’ sort of reminds me of her here!
I also love the look of those biscuits, but I’m on a mini detox-come-diet until Weds next week (so why, you might well ask, am I reading this blog?!). Um. xx
Never heard of her! But I will check her out.
There’s an anthology called “True Confessions’! Thats the best!! Some of the others are a bit m serious and refer to the class war in Britain etc… you remind me less of her in those ones! :)
My cologne I can’t think straight around is Aqua di Gio…I can pick it up from a mile away if somebody is wearing it. My husband bought it after our first date (on a “suggestion” from my friend) and wore it on our 2nd date…smart man.
And it is not even lunch, I’m sitting in my cubicle…and wanting to drink that butter…I mean, wine. The biscuits look delightful too!
Evil genius.
I dated a guy that wore that before… agreed, it smells wonderful.
I have to make this yummy treat before christmas….darn they look sooooo good!
WOW. the name says it ALL. another fab job! these are amazing!
Oh, these look so good! I will have to make these for X-mas – my family would love them!
Glad to know that it’s not just me having problems with buying for their Mr. I am at such a loss it’s not even funny this year.
The first part of your post about trying on scents and the lingering after effects had me laughing so hard I almost choked on the sandwich I was eating. HILARIOUS!
Ok, so I am a total baby and am terrified of the blue in blue cheese. But your pictures look DELICIOUS. I’m so torn. Are there other cheese you think this would work well with?
I think ANY cheese would work well! I really think a sharp cheddar or gouda or something of the sort would go best with the wine butter though.
Ahh, thank you!! Gouda is my favorite. Now this really has to happen, haha.
These biscuits look SOO good. like so good. I love your creativity. Props to you. Snaps.
I have no words for this post. Butter. Wine. Cheese. One bite of these and I could die happy.
OMG the butter. I need it in my life. I don’t even like steak, and I want to make one just so that I can put this butter on it. *drool*
Ok, once I recover from the stroke I just had because you used La Crema Pinot Noir to make butter, I’ll have to try this. Thinking it will go great with our annual crab dinner on Christmas Eve. I will probably use two buck chuck and save the La Crema (my favorite Pinot Noir) for the drinking! Thank you for making cooking so much fun! P.S. Somehow that 3-minute fudge has a HUGE amount missing from it. Thinking my [personal trainer] boyfriend might be taking a break from his healthy eating! BUSTED! ;)
Also, I think I’ll give cheese connoisseurs a stroke also and use Humboldt Fog or something. Ooooh, or maybe that Dubliner cheese?? See, that’s what I love about your recipes…they are so open for experimentation and creativity. I don’t even open my cookbooks anymore because of this blog!
Um wine flavored butter is genius. Putting this on my to do list immediately.
pinot…. noir… butter?
holy sheibe. where does this come from ?!? is this from your head? this is ridiculous!!
i wonder what it tastes like… probably like unicorns dancing the macarena on your tongue. yeah, i don’t doubt that.
p.s. i thought the butter was taffy when i first scrolled through this post.
p.p.s. next genius invention: wine flavored taffy.
jk that sounds gross.
Have I ever told you that you’re my favorite? ‘Cause it’s true.
YOU PUT WINE IN YOUR BUTTER.
seriously- where do you get these ideas!?!?! so cool!!
you just made my holiday season
Haha that’s like every time I write vinegar I say VINE-GAR. this looks delish :)
Oh my god! This is genius. You are so creative, how the heck do you come up with these ideas?!
Now THESE look interesting. And that butter? Oy vey.
Thank you thank you thank you for these recipes! I see blue cheese biscuits & pinot noir butter in our very near future–like tomorrow night. In fact, that may be all we have for dinner.
To reciprocate, I’d like to offer up my recipe for bacon-walnut-maple fudge for your husband’s Christmas. If your guy likes any of those components, I’m pretty sure he will love the combo. Here’s the recipe: http://www.hungrypassport.com/2010/12/in-defense-of-the-bacon-in-the-chocolate-trend/
Cheers & Merry Christmas!
Carol
I guess I’ll just echo what everyone else said because it’s true… PINOT NOIR BUTTER? Genius!
Who would even think of such a thing? And why not a LOT sooner? I have never made a biscuit in my life but this will be the first one I make for sure.
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was so into the story & the biscuits, by the time i got to the butter picture “oh- she made candy too! oh yeah…. butter” the butter is gorgeous!
Love your Pinot butter…just divine and so want some of these gorgeous biscuits:)xx
Wow Jessica! You have brought biscuits and butter to a whole new level. You always seem to amaze me :)
Cheese and wine…in a biscuit form…love it!
I am laughing my butt off at your cologne shopping!!!!! Pinot noir butter?!?!?!?! THIS IS THE BEST BLOG EVER!!!!!!!