Snacking on bacon and cheese biscuits

Biscuits, in different parts of the world, come in varying forms, tastes and attachments. In most of the world, biscuit refers to a hard, brittle, crisp item; In USA and Canada, it is soft bread-like baked good. My association of biscuits is with tea and a few moments to unwind and relax your mind!

In India, where I come from, biscuits satisfy many meal needs; evening snacks for children back from school to be had plain or with the evening milk, between-meals snacks for adults and children, missed-my-meal-rumbling-stomach fillers, breakfast, travel snack and of course the leisurely accompaniment with a hot cup of creamy tea. We even have biscuits for various dietary needs - Marie biscuits for the diabetic (though even I love them!), nutrition and fibre packed digestive ones, luxurious chocolate chip biscuits, cream biscuits ranging from the simple vanilla cream biscuits to fancy chocolate creme bourbons! These cream biscuits are even good enough to serve special guests invited for tea.

If you have not yet tried an Indian milk biscuit, as we call it, you must! This simple sweet cracker is a real treat. Dip it in tea and relish it's tea soaked goodness as it melts in your mouth. It is a wonderful indulgence! My all time favorites are the British biscuits by McVitie's and chocolate Bourbons!

By the way, the original biscuit was the British naval hard tack, which was a simple cracker made from flour, water and salt. These were long lasting and used for sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly during long sea voyages and military campaigns. These were passed down to American culture.

Now, the American biscuit, as I said, is of the soft, bread kind made with baking soda as a leavening agent as opposed to yeast. They are similar to scones (also of British legacy), only savory. Well, basically, in the US, the sweet kind are called scones and the savory, biscuits.

The best part of American biscuits is that they are quick to make (no waiting for dough to rise) and you can make your own variations of it. For example, biscuits are a common feature of Southern US cuisine, where, they are eaten with butter and honey or jam for breakfast or with gravy for other meals. They are a good substitute for bread with soft fried eggs; great to soak up the runny yolk!

American biscuits also make great snacks. Nibbling on a warm, fresh biscuit is very satisfying indeed. And, then there are cheese biscuits. Imagine how much better a biscuit can be with some cheese added to it! And then take it up another level and add bacon! That's what I did - bacon and cheese in my biscuit.

Having run out of my usual biscuits for tea, I needed something to accompany my evening beverage fix. So, I made the American ones. They are a quick make especially using a store bought biscuit mix; took all of 20 minutes. Drizzle a bit of honey or maple syrup and they are perfect with hot, milky tea!

Bacon and Cheese Biscuits
(6 biscuits)

1-1/2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix
1/2 cup low fat milk
3 strips bacon or panchetta diced
1/4 cup grated swiss cheese
honey or maple syrup to drizzle

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small pan, render the bacon pieces till crisp. Drain the crisped bits and reserve the bacon fat for later use. Meanwhile, mix the biscuit mix, milk and cheese to form a sticky dough. Fold in the cooked bacon.

Using an ice cream scoop, spoon out dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the top is golden. Cool on rack for a few minutes and serve warm with honey and maple syrup.

Note: I use swiss cheese instead of the usual cheddar because I did not want a sharp cheese taste, more of a sublime is what I am reaching for.