4 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of well chilled butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces of coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of snipped fresh chives
2 cups of buttermilk
1 egg, beaten to blend

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Generously grease two 12 cup muffin tins. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the cheese and chives. Mix the buttermilk and egg and add to dry ingredients, stirring just until blended, the batter will be thick. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve the muffins warm.

Makes 24.