Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Sieve the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in some herbs if you like. (see suggestions under Variations)
115 g Plain Flour, 70 g Butter, 1 tablespoon Fresh Herbs
Add in the grated or shredded cheese and form the dough into a ball. The moisture from the butter and cheese is enough to make the dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm or beeswax wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
60 g Mature Cheddar Cheese
Dust a surface with a little flour and roll out the pastry to ½cm thickness. Cut out circles using a pastry cutter
Lay the pastry circles on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes. Leave to cool and transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
The nutritional information is a guide per biscuit, but will vary depending on the cheese used and the size of biscuit.
Ingredient Notes
Mature Cheddar Cheese - use mature or sharp cheddar cheese for the strongest flavour.
Plain Flour - also known as All Purpose Flour.
Butter - use a salted butter
Variations
Other Cheeses - I've made these with Cheddar cheese but you can use another hard grated cheese. Try to use one that has a strong flavour such as Red Leicester or Double Gloucester. Parmesan cheese will also give a nice strong flavour or try a Gouda or Comte.
Spicy - if you want to spice them up a little, add ½ teaspoon of paprika or mustard powder to the flour. You can also add a few chilli flakes or some cracked black pepper.
Herbs - instead of chives, you could use rosemary or thyme. Remember dried herbs are more potent than fresh so use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for a tablespoon of fresh herbs.
Storage
Store the biscuits in an airtight container for 4 - 5 days.The uncooked cheesy dough can be stored in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. Be sure to wrap it carefully in clingfilm or beeswax wraps to stop it from drying out.You can also freeze the cheesy pastry dough for up to 6 months. Defrost it fully at room temperature before rolling it out.Cooked biscuits can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.