Cheddar Biscuits & a California Scramble

Some days you are just off your A-game- and screw up every recipe.  And sometimes those days coincide w. inviting your friends (Charlotte & Phil) over for brunch.   Last time I made these biscuits- they were gorgeous- looked exactly like Ina’s.  This time- not as much- I had apples baking on the upper rack so I put these on the lower and ended up burning the bottom- even my parchment paper burned.  So I’d recommend the middle rack.  The apples, which for some un-caffeinated reason, I thought would be fine cooking about 100 degrees over suggested temperature- became applesauce. Interesting mistake w. the scramble.  So, by logic that at omelette stations you see them throwing in the ham before the eggs, I thought I’d do this w. my sausage- sauteing them in the pan before adding eggs.  But for reasons I don’t understand- maybe someone can explain?- this seemed to shift the properties of the eggs- rendering them an entirely different texture.  So the next time- and for the photo- I had to try it again- frying sausage in a separate pan- and adding in once eggs had started to cook.  Scrambles, it should be mentioned, are my favorite brunch item– I love that they have everywhere in SF– and I don’t understand why more NY places don’t have it.  I don’t want an omelette, I want a scramble- and yes, they taste totally different.

Cheddar Biscuits. A Barefoot Contessa recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk
Maldon sea salt, optional

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I used a food processor w. a dough blade). With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

The California Scramble
Eggs
Chicken apple sausage
Jack Cheese
Avocado

In a separate pan, saute sausage.  Maybe throw in a (hot?) pepper. Mix eggs w. a small amount of milk (Do you know that apparently eggs w. less liquid are more creamy?).  Add salt & pepper.  Heat other pan (Another trick- your supposed to cook them over low heat), add butter.  Add eggs. Start to scramble.  After they take shape, add sausage and cheese.  When done, take off heat, and quickly mix in avo.