To Make & Shape the Biscuit Dough

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and everything bagel seasoning in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the cold butter. Cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. 4. Fold in the sharp white cheddar cheese and fresh chives until evenly distributed. 5. Whisk together the buttermilk and egg in a small mixing bowl.
4. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently just until a shaggy dough forms. 7. Add additional buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, only as needed to incorporate any remaining dry flour. Do not overmix the dough.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently pat it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
6. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter, then rotate it 90 degrees.
7. Pat the dough into another rectangle and repeat the folding and rotating process two more times. 11. Pat the folded dough to an even 1-inch thickness.
8. Cut the dough with a 2 1/4-inch biscuit cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Gently gather and pat together the scraps as needed to cut the remaining biscuits.
9. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet with their sides just touching. 14. Refrigerate the shaped biscuits for 10 – 15 minutes, until firm and well chilled. 15. While the biscuits chill, preheat the oven to 425°.

To Top and Bake

1. Remove the chilled biscuits from the refrigerator and brush the tops with the beaten egg. 2. Sprinkle the everything bagel seasoning generously and evenly over each biscuit. 3. Bake for 18 – 22 minutes, until the biscuits are deeply golden and cooked through. 4. Let the biscuits cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.

To Make the Whipped Scallion Cream Cheese

1. Add the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of milk, scallions, fresh chives, and kosher salt to a mixing bowl.
2. Beat with a hand mixer until light, smooth, and fluffy. Alternatively, whisk vigorously by hand. 3. Add the remaining milk as needed to reach a soft, spreadable consistency.
3. Serve the whipped scallion cream cheese alongside the warm biscuits.

Notes

1. Keep the butter as cold as possible. Cold pieces of butter release steam in the oven, helping create tender, flaky layers.
2. Chilling the shaped biscuits before baking helps the butter firm up, allowing the biscuits to hold their shape and produce more defined layers.
3. Press the biscuit cutter straight down without twisting. Twisting can seal the edges of the dough and limit the biscuits’ rise.
4. Avoid overworking the dough when combining the ingredients, folding the layers, or gathering the scraps.
5. Everything bagel seasoning blends vary in salt content. If your seasoning is particularly salty, reduce the kosher salt in the biscuit dough to 1/2 teaspoon.
6. The unbaked biscuits can be frozen on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm, then transferred to an airtight freezer bag and stored for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the cooking time.
7. Baked biscuits can also be frozen. Reheat them in a 350° oven for 8 – 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
8. Store the whipped scallion cream cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.