Sage and White Cheddar Biscuits

Savory biscuits balance all the holiday sweets at brunch and breakfast -- and these happen to have whole-grain to boot. Since butter is essential to any good-quality biscuit, keep fat content reasonable by using reduced- or low-fat versions of the other ingredients, namely cheddar cheese and buttermilk. You can also use a 1-inch biscuit cutter to make miniature appetizers for a holiday party. Simply serve with your favorite spread or, for mini-sandwiches, lean roast beef, turkey or ham.

Makes 8 to 10 biscuits

Ingredients
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
6 ounces reduced-fat sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (will yield 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup very finely chopped fresh sage
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

3. Cut in diced butter with fork, pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles very coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese and sage with fork.

4. Pour in buttermilk, stirring with a fork just until mixture comes together to form a sticky dough, about 50 strokes. Avoid overmixing.

5. Form mixture into a ball in bowl, gathering up all loose flour pieces and pressing into the ball. Knead about two or three times in bowl, being careful not to overwork it.

6. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and pat into 1-inch-thick circle. Using a 2- to 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut rounds and place on ungreased baking sheet.

7. Bake about 15 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool just slightly. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition information (per biscuit)
225 calories
10 g protein 
22 g carbohydrate
11 g fat (7 g saturated)
32 mg cholesterol
385 mg sodium
121 mg potassium
207 mg calcium
1.4 mg iron
520 IU vitamin A
2.5 mg vitamin C
2.5 g fiber