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Kentucky Derby Cream Cheese Biscuits with Ham

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Brunching on Kentucky Derby Day is a delicious affair. But when you add these Fluffy Cream Cheese Biscuits with Ginger Ale-Brown Sugar Smoked Ham with Figgy Port Chutney and Blue Cheese Butter, it’s most definitely a triple crown kind of day!

A plate with a biscuit sandwich containing ham and a red jam, accompanied by asparagus spears. A dollop of cream or sauce is on the side. There's a glass of white wine in the background and the plate has a decorative floral pattern.

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The first Saturday in May is a day to celebrate with all things delicious and beautiful. And we love to celebrate here at 31Daily! If you’re hosting a gathering or simply watching the activities at Churchhill Downs, you’ll love these Kentucky Derby Recipes with Southern Charm. And please, don’t forget the Derby Bars!

Derby Cream Cheese Biscuits with Ham

But for brunch, you can’t go wrong with these Derby Sandwiches that begin with light and delicious cream cheese biscuits layered with Brown Sugar Smoked Ham, figgy chutney, and blue cheese butter.

Fluffy Cream Cheese Biscuits

Three leavening ingredients—yeast, baking powder, and baking soda—always ensure light biscuits.

Ingredients

  • Yield: Makes about 18 biscuits
  • Total: 45 Minutes
  • 1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (8-oz.) package cold cream cheese, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • Parchment paper
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine yeast and warm water in a small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; cut cream cheese and cold butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.
  3. Combine yeast mixture and buttermilk, and add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 6 to 8 times (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), sprinkling with up to 1/4 cup additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.
  4. Roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, rerolling scraps once. Arrange biscuits on two parchment-lined baking sheets.
  5. Bake at 400° for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.

Ginger Ale-Brown Sugar Smoked Ham

Grab a bottle of your favorite spicy (or “hot”) ginger ale (such as Blenheim from South Carolina, Buffalo Rock from Alabama, or a spicy Jamaican-style ginger beer) to use in this recipe.

  • Yield: Makes 16 to 18 appetizer servings
  • Total: 4 Hours, 50 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (8- to 9-lb.) smoked, ready-to-cook, bone-in ham
  • 2 (12-oz.) bottles or cans of spicy ginger ale
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Remove skin from ham, and trim fat to 1/4-inch thickness. Make shallow cuts in fat 1 inch apart in a diamond pattern. Place ham, fat side up, in a roasting pan; add ginger ale and bourbon to the pan. Cover loosely with foil.
  2. Bake, covered, at 325° for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into ham registers 140°, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes.
  3. Stir together brown sugar, pepper, salt, dry mustard, and ground red pepper. Remove ham from oven; uncover and sprinkle sugar mixture over ham, lightly pressing mixture into fat.
  4. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is browned and a meat thermometer registers 145°. Transfer ham to a cutting board, and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Figgy Port Chutney

  • Yield: Makes about 1 1/4 cups
  • Total: 1 Hour, 5 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped dried Mission figs
  • 1/2 cup port
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup fig preserves
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add shallot, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in figs, port, honey, apple cider vinegar, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until liquid is almost completely absorbed.

Remove from heat, and stir in preserves and thyme—cool for 30 minutes. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving.)

You may also enjoy this easy Savory Italian Plum Chutney!


Blue Cheese Butter

Serve over warm biscuits for melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

  • Yield: Makes 1 cup
  • Total: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (5-oz.) wedge soft-ripened blue cheese, rind removed
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 green onion, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Let cheese and butter come to room temperature. Mix cheese, butter, and remaining ingredients with a fork until thoroughly blended. Serve immediately. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Best Way to Reheat Biscuits

If you have leftover biscuits, you may wonder what the best method is for reheating biscuits. Let me first say that there is no substitute for fresh-from-the-oven warm biscuits. Rewarming them does not completely restore them to freshly baked splendor.

That being said, you can effectively reheat them and enjoy up to 2 days after baking. Here’s how:

Oven Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the biscuits in half, spread butter on the bottom half, and replace the top. Wrap the biscuits in foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until heated through.

Skillet: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the biscuits in half, spread butter on each bottom half, and then replace it’s top. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place the biscuits in the skillet and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly crisped. Flip each biscuit over, remove from the heat, cover loosely with foil, and place in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until heated through.

Air Fryer: Slice biscuits in half, spread butter on the bottom half and replace its top. Wrap the biscuits in one foil packet and place in the air fryer basket. Use the “reheat” function to gently rewarm biscuits in minutes.

This recipe first appeared in Southern Living Magazine.

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