It’s hard to go wrong with cheese biscuits, they are invariably, insanely, delicious. But how could you go wrong, cheese biscuits are pretty much baked cheese with a bit of butter and a flour thrown in to hold it all together. These cheese biscuits also have the exotic twist of za’artar and sumac sprinkled on top and they are very, very good. I made this batch for my great nephew’s third birthday – because he loves them. I was going away in the week before his party so I made the dough, cut out the biscuits and froze them between sheets of grease-proof paper so I could bake them early Sunday morning. Sydney has had a long , long stretch of heat and intense humidity for most of January so I knew I had to bake them in the morning or the za’artar biscuits would never happen.

These cheese biscuits are always a big hit but they were upstaged a little by the epic melon ball bowl my fourteen-year-old niece made.

On a hot, humid January afternoon nothing beats a cool melon ball… and what better way to finish off the festivities than with a watermelon pinata.

Za’artar biscuits

Adapted from New Feast by Greg and Lucy Malouf

Makes around 24-30 depending on size

• 100 grams (3.5 ounces) unsalted butter diced and chilled
• 100 grams (3.5 ounces) plain (all-purpose flour), with extra flour for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon Turkish red chilli flakes (optional)
• 50 grams (2 ounces) cheddar, grated
• 50 grams (2 ounces) parmesan, finely grated
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Za’artar Mix

• 3 tablespoons za’artar
• 1 tablespoon sumac

1. Mix together za’artar and sumac in a small bowl.
2. Place in the bowl of a processor – butter, flour, parmesan and cheddar cheese, chilli flakes (if using) and 2 teaspoons of za’artar mix. Process mixture until crumbs form and mix starts to come together in a ball.
3. Dust bench with flour. Pour mixture onto floured surface and quickly knead dough together. Form dough into a flat pattie, wrap in plastic and place in fridge for about half an hour.
4. If baking off immediately preheat oven to 180C (350F) and prepare two trays with baking paper.
5. Roll out dough thinly (About 3 mm) and using a small cutter, cut out biscuits. Knead the dough trimmings together and roll out again until all the dough is used up.
6. Brush the tops of the biscuits with beaten egg and sprinkle thickly with za’artar mix. If you are not baking the biscuits immediately you can freeze in layers in an airtight container between sheets of grease-proof paper.
7. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on tray for a few moments, before lifting them onto wire rack to cool completely.