While I’m a huge fan of traditional scones with jam and clotted cream, sometimes an unconventional twist on a classic breathes life into a dish. With a chill still in the air, I’m craving spice and warmth so this time around I made savoury scones. They are flavoured with extra mature cheddar and chives. In addition, jalapeños offer some welcome heat, which pairs perfectly with the cheese. As with all scone recipes, this one is simple and the results are satisfying! They are a great accompaniment to soups but equally can be enjoyed on their own, straight from the oven. Alternatively, why not enjoy them with even more cheddar and some onion jam?
Note:
I used buttermilk in this recipe, which is perhaps unconventional. Buttermilk has a lovely tang to it and it really enhances the flavours of this recipe. If you can’t get your hands on buttermilk, you can substitute it with the same amount of milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar. Leave this to stand for 10 minutes before using.
Makes 8 scones
Ingredients:
- 225g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 50g cold butter, grated
- 90g extra mature cheddar, grated
- 40g jarred jalapeños, sliced
- 1 tbsp chives, finally chopped
- 145ml buttermilk
- 1 tbsp of juice from the jalapeño jar
- Buttermilk to glaze the scones
Preparation Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add in the grated butter.
- Using a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers, integrate the butter into the flour mixture. Continue until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs and there are no large lumps of butter.
- Add the cheese, chives and jalapeño slices to the bowl and stir through.
- Add the liquids to the crumb mixture.
- Mix until it comes together to form a ball of dough. The dough should come away cleanly from the edges of the mixing bowl. If it is sticky, add a tbsp of flour.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape the ball into a rectangle.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out the dough to a 2cm thickness
- Use a round cookie cutter to cut out your scones. Place these onto a lined baking tray, leaving 2 inches between each scone.
- Combine the off cuts into a ball of dough and roll it out again. Cut your remaining scones.
- Measure out a 1-2 tbsp of buttermilk into a bowl. Brush with scones with the buttermilk and bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
Kumud Gandhi is a Nutritional Food Scientist bestselling Author, Broadcaster, and Keynote Speaker on the subject of nutritional health for productivity & performance in the workplace. In 2010 Kumud founded ‘The Cooking Academy’ a cookery school that focusses on cooking for nutritional health and wellbeing. Kumud regularly presents to international audiences on a variety of topics such as ‘Eating for Immunity and a Lifetime of Wellness’. She is an expert in the field of Wellness in the Workplace and works with organizations to create transformational change in employee health & well-being through nutrition and health coaching.
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