easy cheesy biscuits

I absolutely love making these biscuits.  They are so quick and simple and so very tasty.  Great for school snacks and to have as a nibbly with a glass of wine...

The recipe is by David Herbert from the Weekend Australian Magazine.  He makes them as a cheese and chive biscuits but on this occasion (pictured above) I made plain cheese.  I will include the chives as part of the recipe but you can leave them out if you don't have any like me!

175g plain flour
pinch of salt
175g chilled, diced butter
125g grated cheddar cheese
50g grated parmesan
2 tablespoons of chopped chives

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until it becomes a ball.  Place mixture on a large sheet of baking paper and roll into a log about 30cm long and 5cm wide*.  Twist ends to seal.  Chill for about 30 minutes then remove from fridge and roll into a better log shape.  Return to the fridge and chill for at least an hour or until firm.

*I've found the dough to be quite sticky sometimes so rolling it into a log to these exact measurements is impossible.  What I have done is split the dough into two, shape the dough as best I can into a log shape (mainly through squeezing) then wrap with baking paper and refridgerate.  When I've removed the dough after 30mins I then roll the dough into the set measurements.

To cook, slice the chilled dough into thin (3-4mm) slices and lay on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.  Bake in the middle of a preheated 190 degree oven for about 15-18mins, or until firm and just starting to turn brown on the edges.  Cool on the tray for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring to a wire rack.

-A pinch or two of cayenne pepper adds a nice kick (David's recommendation)
-A sprinkle of fennel seeds/cumin seeds and paprika is a nice touch too (My Husband's recommendation)

David also suggests that you can split the log dough into two pieces and keep one piece in the fridge and the rest in the freezer.  Allow any frozen dough to thaw in the fridge before slicing. It will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Happy baking.

PS:  Just thought I should warn you that your house will smell like cheesy delight with these baking in the oven.  May cause family to salivate