Everything Biscuits with Smoked Salmon and Veggie Cream Cheese

Some brunch ideas are way overdone, chief among them an array of bagels and cream cheese. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good bagel, but I rarely eat them since I don’t love the way they make me feel afterward. By far my favorite bagel is the everything variety, and if that’s your jam, you can get after a homemade version right here! If, however, the idea of using that everything topping on a golden fluffy biscuit sounds unbelievable, then say hello to your new favorite brunch idea.

Everything biscuits with smoked salmon and homemade veggie cream cheese are where it’s at. I have to say, I was very excited about the prospect of this combination and it ended up totally exceeding my expectations. While it is certainly still rich as some bagel sandwiches can be, the fluffy texture of the biscuit makes such a difference.

As any truly great brunch recipe should be, this is amenable to prepping in advance. The cream cheese can be made anytime and refrigerated until needed. Similarly the biscuits can be prepped and either covered in the fridge overnight, or frozen in advance and baked straight from the freezer. You could certainly add the typical red onion, capers and perhaps tomato. I was content with a hefty dose of microgreens. If you love the classic bagel with smoked salmon, I hope you give this new spin a try!

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

2 tbsp. (15 grams) sesame seeds
2 tbsp. (15 grams) poppy seeds
1 tbsp. (7 grams) dried minced onion
2 tsp. (6 grams) dried minced garlic
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2½ cups (325 grams) all-purpose flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. (55 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 oz. (113 grams) cream cheese, cold, cut into cubes
1 cup (235 grams) buttermilk

For the cream cheese:

1 scallion, coarsely chopped
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
1 large radish, coarsely chopped
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
Salt and pepper, to taste

To serve:

Smoked salmon
Microgreens
Capers
Thinly sliced red onion
Sliced tomato

Directions

01
Combine the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion, dried garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the salt for the everything topping. Mix well. Set aside.
02
To make the biscuit dough, combine the flour, baking powder, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Mix with a fork to blend. Add in the butter and cream cheese. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to work them into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Add in the buttermilk and stir just until combined and gently use your hands to form into a cohesive ball.
03
On a floured work surface, pat the dough out into a rectangle approximately 10 x 6 inches and about 1½ inches thick. Use a knife or dough blade to slice into 8 equal biscuits. Sprinkle some of the seed mixture over the tops and gently press down to adhere to the top. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. (At this point, the biscuits can be covered and refrigerated overnight to bake in the morning, or frozen on the baking sheet and then transferred to an airtight bag to freeze until a later time.)
04
To make the cream cheese, combine the scallion, carrot, and radish in the small bowl of a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped. Set aside. Meanwhile, add the cream cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip the cream cheese on medium-high for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in the finely chopped veggies, season with salt and pepper, and blend just until incorporated. Chill until ready to use.
05
When you are ready to bake the biscuits, heat the oven to 450˚ F. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and set. (If baking from frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time.) Let cool briefly before slicing and serving. Serve as desired with smoked salmon and all your favorite toppings!

Source

biscuits slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman