When Crust Bakery co-owner and founding, Tom Moore, was running his restaurant Sage, he had an organic farmer bring in a feast of fresh jalapeño peppers. This recipe, along with several others in his latest book, Crust, were born of the need to use up the many jars of pickled peppers his team processed to preserve this unexpected bounty. The combination of the vinegary peppers and the sharp cheese gives these jalapeño cheddar scones a unique and tangy bite.
Ingredients
5 cups (750 g) all-purpose flour
5 tsp (21 g) baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1¼ cups (270 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) cubes
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
⅓ cup + 3 Tbsp (120 ml) whipping cream, divided
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups (180 g) coarsely grated aged Cheddar cheese, divided
¼ cup (35 g) drained and roughly chopped pickled jalapeños
¼ cup (20 g) flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
⅓ cup (38 g) dry polenta or cornmeal, for topping (optional)
Directions
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. With a pastry cutter or a fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- In a large measuring jug, stir together the milk, ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (90 ml) of the whipping cream, and the lemon juice. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix with a fork until just combined. Don’t overmix! The more you handle the dough, the less light and fluffy the scones will be. The mixture will be sticky and lumpy, and you may feel like it’s not mixed enough. (It is.)
- Gently mix in 1⅓ cups (120 g) of grated cheese and the jalapeños and parsley.
- Dump the mixture onto a lightly floured surface (you can use polenta or cornmeal in place of flour, if desired). Using your fingertips, gently pat (do not knead) the mixture into an 8 × 12-inch (20 × 30 cm) rectangle, about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick, making sure the dough is sticking together loosely. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the dough if it’s sticking to your hands or the countertop.
- Divide the dough in half and flip one half onto the other. Gently press it down with your fingertips until it is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and about 8 × 12 inches (20 × 30 cm) again.
- Using a 3- to 4-inch (8–10 cm) cookie cutter or a thin-edged glass, cut as many rounds as you can, dipping the cutter in flour as needed to avoid sticking. Try not to twist the cutter, or the scones won’t rise evenly. Gently gather the scraps together and cut more rounds. Place the scones on a pan or large plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two large rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Place six to eight scones on each pan, leaving as much room as possible between each (the cheese will cause them to spread a little). Brush with the remaining whipping cream. Sprinkle with the polenta (if using) and the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 17–20 minutes or until the scones have risen and are light golden. Transfer the scones to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm. These scones will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Excerpted from Crust by Tom Moore with Rebecca Wellman. Copyright © 2024 Tom Moore and Rebecca Wellman. Photographs by Peter Bagi and Rebecca Wellman. Photo on page xiii by Dominic Hall. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.