THE BEST EVER RECIPE FOR CHEESE BISCUITS

MADE WITH CHORIZO, MANCHEGO & ALMOND

For years I’ve been searching for an incredible cheese biscuit recipe, and I believe I’ve found the best one ever! This recipe is adapted from a recipe in Waitrose Magazine.

Ever since my Granny Manson introduced me to the finer delights of Sherry, at the tender age of 14, she not only ignited my passion for Sherry but also a love for cheesy biscuits. Granny Manson always served her Sherry with Roka Cheese Crispies which in those days,  were packaged in a tin. These cheese crispies alongside a ‘copa’ of just about any Sherry is my idea of utter bliss. I am addicted to them and know I can’t open a packet if home alone for fear of eating the entire thing!

 

Over the years I’ve collected a ton of different recipes for cheesy biscuits and shortbreads, one of my favourites being a recipe originating from pals in Hong Kong for Shek-O pinwheels, cheesy biscuits featuring Caraway seeds & Marmite – delicious! So when my foodie buddy Lynz (@larosilla) came to visit me in Vejer, post lockdown, I pulled out a recipe I’d ripped out of a Waitrose magazine back in 2016.

I had all the ingredients in the kitchen so we whipped them up in a flash and threw in a few more bits and bobs. OMG – we totally LOVED them, and the fact they couldn’t be more Spanish! Featuring chorizo, almonds, smoked paprika & Manchego cheese, they are the best cheesy biscuits EVER.

 

 

Lynz and I paired them with some gorgeous white wine she brought from Ronda, then some Oloroso Sherry and then along with our after-dinner Fino! They are so good the recipe just has to be shared. So stand by for a road to addiction!!

BUEN PROVECHO!

 

NOTES:

Marks and Spencer, Tesco and a few others sell the soft chorizo (preferably Iberico) rings for cooking. Of course, Paco Melero’s chorizo is my preferred one!!

Ingredients

200g Diced chorizo, preferably Iberico

300g Manchego cheese, finely grated

200g unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp sweet smoked paprika

125g pack blanched almonds, roughly chopped into large chunks

300g plain flour

2 tsp cumin OR 1 tsp caraway seeds

2 tsp English mustard powder

 

Method

1. Heat a non-stick frying pan and dry-fry the chorizo on a medium heat for 5 minutes, until crispy and the oil has released. Transfer with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. Pour the oil from the frying pan into a large bowl and leave to cool.
2. Add the cheese, butter and paprika to the chorizo oil and stir to combine. Finely chop the crispy chorizo, then add to the cheese mixture, along with the remaining ingredients. Knead the mixture together by hand until it forms a soft dough.
3. Lay  pieces of cling film on the work surface and divide the dough into 5 equal parts weighing approx 200g. Shape into  sausages about 15cms long; wrap in the cling film. Press and shape the dough into a rectangle about 4-5cm wide and 3.5cm tall. Chill for at least 1-2 hours, until firm if you want to cook same day. Each log will produce 12-14 biscuits.
4. If cooking from frozen, take them out and leave in a warm kitchen for about 30 mins ahead of slicing. They will slice better, with a serrated knife, if semi frozen.
5. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (fan), gas mark 4, and line a tin with baking parchment. Carefully cut the dough into slices, about 1cm thick. Arrange on the baking sheets, spaced well apart, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.