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Gooey Cheddar and La Morena Jalapeño Peppers add a kick of seriously spicy, savory flavor to these Spicy Jalapeño-Cheddar Scones.
While a lot of people are menu-planning, stocking their kitchens with canned pumpkin and getting ready to host the holidays for the first time, many others are thinking about how to mix things up this year to avoid the fatigue that accompanies serving the same exact dishes year after year.
In my family, there are some food traditions around the holidays that we just can’t change. At Thanksgiving, my mother will only have sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows and about a pound of sugar and my brother has to finish the meal with pecan pie. We always celebrate Christmas Eve with small plates and snacks instead of a large meal, with only the menu changing annually.
To accommodate tradition, but also fulfill my urge to try new recipes and experiment with different flavors and cuisines, I try to add something new each year to a holiday meal instead of replacing a longtime favorite, which, I should add, never goes over well. This way, instead of replacing traditions, we are simply adding to our recipe repertoire and can keep everyone happy.
This year, I’ve been toying with the idea of making spicy jalapeño-cheddar scones for Thanksgiving dinner.
A leader in the chiles and peppers category, La Morena has been providing customers with the highest quality products made in the style and with the taste of the authentic Mexican ingredients for over 25 years. The products embody quality and tradition and lend themselves to delicious and authentic recipes. I found their jalapeño peppers and chipotle sauce in Chicago at Tony’s Finer Foods.
While I was there, I picked up Maseca Corn Flour (Masa), which you can use to make tortillas, tamales, cornbread or any number of delicious goodies that are perfect for holidays or anytime. I thought the corn flour would impart a slightly sweet and nutty flavor to the scones and as it turns out, I’m smart sometimes.
To start things off, you’ll want to set out three mixing bowls, which seems like a lot, but each has a purpose. One is for your flour mixture, one for the egg mixture and one to toss your cheese and cooked jalapeños in a tablespoon of flour to keep them from sinking during the baking process.
You’ll eventually mix all three bowls together to create the dough for your scones, which should come together nice and easily into a ball before you roll it out and slice it into eight somewhat equal pieces.
These scones are moist, dense and flavorful on their own, but they’d also be a great complement to a holiday dinner in place of your basic bread basket. In some parts of the country, people eat traditional tamales on Christmas eve and this would be a great counterpart to a special meal.
Or, you know. Eat them off the baking sheet from the oven before they’ve barely cooled.
You’ll want seconds later either way.
- 8 tablespoons cold butter, diced
- 2 cups Maseca Corn Flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 3.5 ounces (about ½ can) La Morena pickled jalapeño peppers, minced
- Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon. water)
- Preheat oven to 400. Melt ½ tablespoon of butter in a skillet and add jalapeños, stirring over medium-heat until soft, about 2 minutes.
- Place in a small bowl. Add cheddar cheese and coat the mixture with a tablespoon of flour, which will keep the ingredients from sinking while baking.
- In another bowl, combine the rest of the flour with baking powder and salt. Cut in the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter, using either a pastry blender or a fork until butter pieces are no larger than pea sized.
- Finally, combine eggs and cream, and add to the flour mixture. Stir mixture until it begins to come together, careful not to over mix.
- Add the cheddar mixture to the dough and mix until everything is incorporated.
- Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently for a 2-3 minutes or until dough is smooth. Roll or pat dough out into a circle about 1 inch thick. Slice into 8 triangles and place onto a baking sheet.
- If desired, brush with egg wash. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or store in an airtight container up to three days.
What are some new dishes you’re planning to try this holiday season? Visit La Morena for more inspiration and recipes.
10 Comments
Cakespy
November 18, 2015 at 11:25 amI love savory scones even better than sweet! (Shhh!). These ones look fantastic. I could imagine pairing them with soup for a wonderful cold-weather meal.
Marlene
November 16, 2015 at 8:16 pmThese look so fun and delish! I’m SO adding this to my “recipes to make asap” list! #client
Michelle @ Blackberry Babe
November 15, 2015 at 9:08 pmLa Morena is the bomb! I love a good savory scone. This would be way popular in my house!
Paula - bell'alimento
November 15, 2015 at 7:05 pmHooray for savory spicy scones.
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama
November 15, 2015 at 7:00 amOoooooo… I love the idea of a savory scone! 🙂 And I am all for that little kick of heat from the jalapenos!
Nutmeg Nanny
November 14, 2015 at 11:13 pmOh hello delicious! I love jalapeños and i think I might like them even more in scones. I love a nice kick to my morning.
Lora
November 13, 2015 at 7:48 pmI love to bake scones and these would be so lovely to have during the holidays! Great recipe, Maris!
Des @ Life's Ambrosia
November 13, 2015 at 6:04 pmThese look perfect! I love anything with cheese and jalapeno!
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious
November 13, 2015 at 12:34 pmYes for savory scones. this would be great with some chili!
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom
November 13, 2015 at 12:18 pmTHis is GENIUS using masa in savory scones. I have all the ingredients to make these and I think I must for our next batch of chili! YUM!!!