Sausage Balls

By mz0926

From Cook's Country
October/November 2012
In the South, sausage balls are a cocktail-party staple made by adding sausage and cheese to a biscuit-mix base. Most versions are addictive but greasy. For our sausage balls, basic biscuit ingredients joined sausage and sharp cheddar cheese. Buttermilk added flavor without adding fat and helped the balls hold together. A pulse in the food processor made quick work of the dough, and a stint in a hot oven created a crispy crust and a moist, flavorful interior.

Ingredients

• The test kitchen’s favorite sharp cheddar is Cabot Sharp Vermont Cheddar Cheese. Do not overmix the dough or the sausage balls will be tough.
• Ingredients1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 ounces bulk breakfast sausage
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 12 pulses. Add sausage and cheddar and pulse until combined, about 8 pulses. Transfer mixture to bowl and stir in buttermilk until combined.
2. Working with wet hands, roll 1 tablespoon dough at a time into 1¼-inch balls and place, evenly spaced, on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and let balls cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm