Mixed Olive and Parmesan Cocktail Biscuits

These are a great accompaniment to any dinner.  They are best served right out of the oven.  From Food and Drink Holiday 2015.

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/3 cup finely chopped pitted olives
1/2 cup milk
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Place butter in freezer to firm.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, stir flour with baking powder, dry mustard, salt and sugar.  Using large holes of a box grater, grate in chilled butter.  Lightly toss to coat.  Stir in Parmesan.  Scatter with olives and stir in.  Pour milk into the centre of dough.  Stir with a fork just until evenly moist.
3. Using floured hands, form dough into a ball.  If sticky, lightly dust with flour and work in.  Place on a well floured work surface.  Knead dough 8 times, dusting coiner with flour whenever it becomes sticky.  Pat into a disc 5/8 inch thick and about 6 1/2 inches wide.
4. Using a floured 1 1/2 inch cutter, cut out biscuits and place on baking sheet.  Gather remaining dough, pat again and cut out more biscuits.  Brush tops with olive oil.  Bake in top third of oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.  Serve warm or cool on a rack.  Biscuits are best served the day they are baked and can be warmed in a 300F oven for about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 16 small biscuits

BACON AND CRANBERRY BISCUITS

Cook 7 slices of bacon until crisp.  Chop and measure out 1/3 cup.  Prepare recipe as above but instead add 1/2 tsp smoky paprika and 1/4 tsp chili flakes in place of dry mustard, and stir in chopped bacon and 1 tbsp finely chopped dried cranberries in place of the Parmesan and olives.  Press a dried cranberry into the top of each biscuit if you like.  Brush tops with bacon fat.  Bake as in step 4.