Anna Louise Homemade cheese biscuits are one of those things that people make once and then cannot understand why they ever bought the shop-bought version.
The difference between a homemade cheese biscuit — properly made with good strong Cheddar, a little cayenne, a little mustard powder, and just enough butter to give a short, crisp bite — and the commercial alternatives is complete and immediately apparent.
These are the cheese biscuits I serve alongside a cheese board, bring to drinks parties in a tin, make for Christmas and leave on the counter for the week before, and give as part of a hamper alongside chutney and good cheese. They take twenty minutes to make, they bake in twelve minutes, and they keep for a week in an airtight tin.
The strong Cheddar is the essential ingredient — a mild Cheddar gives something pleasant but undistinguished. Mature or extra-mature Cheddar gives a biscuit that is assertively, memorably cheesy and that people reach for repeatedly.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Cheese Biscuits (Makes approximately 30)
For the Cheese Biscuits
- 175g plain flour, sifted
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper — gives warmth without dominating; reduce to ¼ tsp for milder biscuits
- 100g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 150g mature or extra-mature Cheddar, finely grated — plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2–3 tbsp cold water — added only if needed
Optional Toppings (choose one or offer a selection)
- Poppy seeds — scattered over before baking
- Sesame seeds — scattered over before baking
- Flaked sea salt — a light scattering
- Finely snipped fresh chives — scattered over before baking
- Extra grated Cheddar — pressed gently onto each biscuit
How to Make Mary Berry Cheese Biscuits
Step 1 — Make the Dough
Sift the flour, salt, mustard powder, and cayenne into a large bowl. Add the cold butter. Rub in with cool fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs — some slightly larger pieces of butter remaining. The technique is exactly the same as for shortcrust pastry.
Add the finely grated Cheddar. Toss to distribute evenly through the flour mixture.
Add the egg yolk. Mix with a round-bladed knife. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time — only if needed — until the dough just comes together. The cheese provides moisture and the dough should come together with minimal added water.
Bring together gently with your hands into a smooth disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2 — Preheat and Roll
Preheat your oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas 5. Line two large baking trays with baking parchment.
Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately 3mm thick. The dough will be slightly firmer and slightly crumblier than standard shortcrust — handle it gently.
Step 3 — Cut and Top
Cut into rounds using a 5cm fluted or plain round cutter. Place on the prepared trays with a little space between each biscuit. Re-roll the trimmings once and cut again.
Top each biscuit with the chosen topping — a scattering of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sea salt, chives, or extra grated Cheddar pressed lightly onto the surface.
Step 4 — Bake
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the biscuits are pale golden — they should be golden at the edges and slightly paler in the centre. They will crisp further as they cool.
Do not over-bake — over-baked cheese biscuits become very dark and slightly bitter from the cheese. Pale golden and just set is the correct colour when they come out of the oven.
Leave on the tray for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before storing — warm biscuits in a tin go soft.
My Top Tips For Best Mary Berry Cheese Biscuits
Use mature or extra-mature Cheddar — grated as finely as possible. The Cheddar is the character of this biscuit. Mature gives a clearly, memorably cheesy result. Mild gives something pleasant but forgettable. Finely grated Cheddar distributes more evenly through the dough than coarsely grated — giving a more uniform cheese flavour in every bite rather than pockets of cheese with less cheesy areas between.
Keep everything cold. The same principle as shortcrust pastry — cold butter, cold water, and a chilled dough give a crisper, shorter biscuit. Warm butter gives a greasy, slightly tough result. Refrigerate for the full thirty minutes before rolling.
Do not over-bake. Cheese biscuits must come out of the oven when they are pale golden — not deep golden and certainly not brown. The cheese in the biscuits continues to toast during the five minutes of cooling on the tray, and the biscuits crisp as they cool. Pale golden from the oven gives a properly crisp, properly golden, perfectly flavoured biscuit ten minutes later.
Cool completely before storing. Warm cheese biscuits stored in a tin immediately after baking create condensation inside the tin, which makes them soft within hours. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight tin.
Offer a variety of toppings. A tin of cheese biscuits with some topped with poppy seeds, some with sesame, some with sea salt, and some with extra Cheddar looks generous and varied. The visual variety is part of the pleasure of homemade cheese biscuits.
Serving Suggestions
Alongside a cheese board — the most natural pairing. At drinks parties. In a hamper alongside chutney, pickles, and good cheese. With soup instead of bread. On their own as a snack — they are completely addictive.
How to Store Mary Berry Cheese Biscuits
In an airtight tin: Store at room temperature for up to 1 week. They stay crisp and delicious throughout.
In the freezer: Freeze unbaked biscuits on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag, for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 190°C for 14 to 16 minutes.
Mary Berry Cheese Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Sift flour, salt, mustard powder, and cayenne into a bowl. Add cold butter — rub in to fine crumbs. Add finely grated Cheddar — toss to distribute. Add egg yolk — mix. Add cold water 1 tbsp at a time only if needed until just combined. Flatten into a disc — wrap and chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas 5. Line two baking trays.
- Roll chilled dough on a floured surface to 3mm. Cut into 5cm rounds — place on trays. Re-roll trimmings once. Top with chosen toppings.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until pale golden at edges. Leave on tray 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack — cool completely before storing.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Parmesan instead of Cheddar?
Yes — Parmesan gives a slightly sharper, slightly more intensely flavoured biscuit. A combination of 100g Cheddar and 50g Parmesan gives the best of both.
Can I add herbs to the dough?
Yes — one tablespoon of very finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme added with the cheese gives a fragrant, slightly more complex biscuit.
Can I use a different shape?
Yes — cut into rectangles, squares, or use a small star cutter for Christmas biscuits. The shape does not affect the flavour or texture.
Can I add walnuts or pecans?
Yes — 50g of finely chopped walnuts or pecans added with the cheese give a slight crunch and a pleasant, slightly bitter contrast to the rich Cheddar.
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