Cheesey and soft these are fabulous with the Eggs with Chickpea and Tomato Sauce.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cold butter, cut in cubes

1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup chopped dill, chives or coriander

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Glaze:

1 tablespoon buttermilk

¼ cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cheese, herbs and pepper. Add enough buttermilk to bring together into a sticky dough (it may be slightly less than 1 cup).

Scrape dough onto a well-floured surface. Sprinkle with flour and pat or roll into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Using a floured 2-inch cookie cutter, cut dough into rounds and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Brush biscuits with buttermilk and sprinkle each with a bit of cheddar cheese. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 16 biscuits