Even a certified dessert addict has to eat savoury sometimes!
I must have had this riff on a savoury scone recipe tucked away in the back of my mind somewhere, because on this lazy Sunday morning, and with lunchtime approaching, I was thinking “Some cheese and jalapeño scones would be nice…” but then it took me a while to find the recipe…
Finally found it posted on two of my favourite foodie sites, and ended up combining the two in my head (adding egg), but mostly following one…
Barely adapted from Simply Recipes, these scones are best served with lashings of butter, and topped with slices of fresh tomato and avocado and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper for that extra special touch!
Cheese and Jalapeño Scones
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups (175g) self-raising flour
1/4 cup (45g) polenta
2 tablespoons (45g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups packed (170g) grated tasty cheese, divided (1 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons minced jalapeños (more or less to taste)
Pinch cayenne pepper or powdered chilli
1/2 cup cream
2 eggs, divided
Method
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, polenta, salt, sugar, and cayenne. Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the grated cheddar cheese and the diced jalapeños.
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Whisk together the cream and one egg and pour into the centre of the well and use your (clean) hands to gently bring together the ingredients. If you need to add a bit more cream or egg then do so a tiny trickle at a time. You just want everything to get wet enough so that the dough will be sticky and clumpy.
Turn the dough out onto a surface lightly dusted with flour. Knead the dough just a few times – maybe only three or four pushes. You just want it to come together. (Over-kneading will result in firmer, denser scones.)
Form the dough into a rectangle about 2 to 2 ½ cm thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 rough squares or triangles. Cut this way they look more rustic, and there are no dough corners or scraps left over.
Place on a baking paper-lined baking sheet, with only a centimetre or two between the scones. Whisk together remaining egg with a teaspoon of water, and brush the tops of the scones. Top the scones with a sprinkle of the remaining cheese.
Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 11-12 minutes or until golden and the cheese is nicely melted.
Yield: Makes 8-10 scones.
