Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. While the oven heats, place a large mixing bowl on the counter. The sound of the oven clicking on is the first cue that this project is underway.

In the bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne if using. The dry mixture should look pale and uniform, with no streaks of salt or spices visible. It will have a faint, earthy aroma from the garlic powder.

Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. You want some pea-sized butter pieces remaining — they’ll create steam pockets in the oven, giving the biscuits their flaky layers. The texture should feel sandy and cool to the touch.

Stir in the grated cheddar cheese until evenly distributed. Each strand of cheese should be coated in flour, preventing clumping. The mixture now looks like a pale, cheesy crumble with occasional bright orange flecks.

Pour in the cold milk and stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Stop as soon as the flour is incorporated — overmixing will develop gluten and make the biscuits tough. The dough should look rough and slightly sticky, with visible cheese and butter bits. It will smell faintly of dairy and garlic.

Using a ¼-cup measure or a large spoon, drop the dough onto the prepared baking tray, spacing them about 5cm apart. Don’t roll or shape them too neatly — rustic, craggy mounds bake up with better texture. You should have 10 to 12 biscuits. The dough feels cool and slightly tacky under your fingers.

Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown on the bottom and pale golden on top. Your kitchen will be filled with the rich, nutty scent of toasted cheddar and butter. The tops should feel firm to a light touch, and the edges will be just beginning to turn golden. Remove the tray from the oven and let the biscuits cool for 2 minutes on the tray.

While the biscuits cool, prepare the garlic butter topping: In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, dried parsley, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. The butter will be a fragrant, herb-flecked golden liquid. Brush this mixture generously over each warm biscuit. Listen for the gentle sizzle as the butter hits the hot surface — that’s the sound of success. Serve warm.