Mushroom Cheese Biscuit with Pine Honey

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound assorted mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, cremini, etc.), medium dice
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 15 cups all-purpose flour
• 8 tablespoons baking powder
• 8 tablespoons baking soda
• 4 cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese, shredded (can substitute a gruyère or a Beaufort)
• 1 pound cold lard or vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
• ½ gallon buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a medium sauté pan. Add the mushrooms and begin to sauté. Add a teaspoon of butter and season. Sauté until the mushrooms are golden brown. Drain and reserve. Repeat this process for each type of mushroom.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and combine with sugar, salt, mushrooms, and Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese. Using your fingers, work in the lard just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the buttermilk just until moistened.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. Roll out or pat the dough ½-inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, stamp out biscuits as close together as possible. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet. Pat the dough scraps together, reroll, and cut out the remaining biscuits; do not overwork the dough.

Pierce the top of each biscuit 3 times with a fork and brush with the butter. Bake the biscuits for 12–14 minutes, or until risen and golden. Serve at once with Mieli Thun pine honey spooned on the side.

Make ahead: The unbaked biscuits can be frozen in a single layer, then kept frozen in an airtight container for up to one month. Thaw before baking.

Notes to make your own single-acting baking powder: combine 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar with 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. The mix will keep in a tightly sealed jar for up to one month.