Bacon, cheddar and chive biscuits

You might not guess it from this blog, but we tend to eat salads for dinner several times a week. That said, they are usually what I like to call a man salad — loaded with things like fried chicken, toasted nuts or sunflower seeds, dried fruit, cheese and more often than not, a biscuit on the side. We're crazy for the biscuits. And these biscuits are just over the top. You could have them with a salad, or use them to make some seriously hearty ham sandwiches. Yum.

Bacon, cheddar and chive biscuits
Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2010

Makes 12.

6 thick-cut bacon slices
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 Tb baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus melted butter for brushing
2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk

Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then crumble into bits.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and toss with a fork to blend. Add butter cubes. and cut in with two knives or your fingertips until formed into a coarse meal. Add cheddar cheese, chives, and bacon pieces; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).

Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.

Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired.

Twelve is an awful lot of biscuits — even as tasty as these are. This recipe is easily halfed.