SCONE - Cheddar, Parmesan, and Cracked Pepper Scones

By Aemelia

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 cup (one stick or 1/4 pound) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (keep butter in refrigerator until ready to use)
• 1/2 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
• 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce or other hot chili sauce (optional)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Details

Servings 16
Adapted from pinchmysalt.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and ground mustard. Rub butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips (or use a pastry blender or two knives) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the the shredded cheddar and most of the shredded parmesan (reserve about 2 tablespoons to sprinkle over the tops of the scones).

3. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, sriracha, and egg. Pour buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until a ball of dough comes together. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surfaced and knead a couple of times (using a bit of flour if the dough is too sticky) just to bring the dough together.

4. Cut the dough into two equal pieces and flatten each piece into a circle, about 1″ thick. Cut each circle into 8 triangles and move them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Stir together the melted butter and smoked paprika and lightly brush the butter mixture over the tops of the scones using a pastry brush. Sprinkle the scones with the remaining shredded parmesan cheese.

5. Bake scones in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown along the edges. Let cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before eating. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.