Sharp Cheddar Poblano Scones with Whipped Garlic Butter
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.Whether looking for a new savory breakfast bake or an elevated side dish for a hearty stew or soup, this is the recipe to reach for. These scrumptious scones are flaky, cheesy, and have a hint of smoky spice from sauteed poblanos. It’s like a lovely buttery biscuit with an upgrade.
While the whipped garlic butter included in this recipe is delicious smothered on a hot, cheesy scone, they’re great with other toppings as well. Some classic salted butter is always a winner, but a little sweetness is also a welcome addition. Raspberry jam pairs surprisingly well, as does a nice pepper jelly. Let me know what you eat yours with in the comments!
Recipe Notes
For the best layers: To get the best flaky, buttery texture and a great rise in your scones, make sure you’re pressing the knife straight down and pulling it straight back up when cutting. Avoid pulling the knife out horizontally, because if you pull at the edges of the scone with the knife by dragging it out, the edges of the scone will have a “seal”. This causes the edges to squish together and prevent the whole scone from rising properly and getting those airy, buttery layers. The same principle applies if you want to use a cookie cutter for round or other shaped scones. Make sure you’re pushing straight down and pulling straight back up with the cutter.
Choice of cheese: I like to use an extra sharp cheddar in these scones because I don’t have to use a huge amount of cheese to get a really good cheese flavor. But, almost any kind of firm cheese could be substituted based on your preference! Since poblanos are often used in tex-mex cuisine, I’d recommend cheeses that go with that theme, like pepper jack. I think smoked cheeses would also be very complimentary to the taste of the poblano pepper.
Be gentle: One of the most important notes for making great, tender scones is simply to be gentle with your dough. This is NOT a bread dough! Don’t knead it! You want the ingredients to be just combined, leaving little pockets of butter that will melt in the oven, creating steam and resulting in flaky layers. If everything gets kneaded together, you’ll get flat, tough little scones.
For a larger batch: This recipe only makes 6 scones, because I like small batches and scones are always best the day they’re made so I don’t like to have lots of leftovers. However, if you’re making scones for a group or just want a larger batch, the recipe can be easily doubled! When it comes time to cut your scones, just split the dough into 2 discs rather than one large one and cut each disc as instructed in the directions.
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
If you’re feeling confident in your cooking skills and want to skip the walk-through, click here.
Step 1:
Sautee Poblanos
Heat a small pan over medium heat.
Remove the stem and seeds of a poblano pepper and finely dice half it.
Add about a teaspoon of olive oil to the warm pan.
Add the diced poblano pepper and sautee for 3-4 minutes until soft and lightly browned.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Step 2:
Make Dough
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.
Shred ¼ cup of extra sharp cheddar cheese. Set aside.
Sift together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ teaspoons of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt into a large mixing bowl.
Cut 1 ½ ounces of chilled butter into small pieces.
Add the butter to the dry ingredients. Using your hands, break up the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients until you have a mixture that resembles bread crumbs, and no butter chunks larger than a pea.
Add ¼ cup heavy cream, ½ of a beaten egg (reserve other half for later in the recipe), and the shredded cheese and sauteed poblano pepper.
Mix until everything is just combined.
Step 3:
Cut Dough
Gently bring the dough together into a rough ball and place on a lightly floured surface.
Without working the dough too much (no kneading), flatten it into a disc about 5 inches across and 1 inch thick (if doubling the recipe/making a larger batch, see note).
Using a large non-serrated knife, cut the disc into 6 even triangles by pressing the knife straight down and pulling straight back up (avoid pulling the knife out horizontally).
Step 4:
Bake
Place scones on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, at least 1 inch apart.
Brush the tops of the scones with your leftover beaten egg using a pastry brush.
Bake scones for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom, firm when touched, and well-risen.
Step 5 (Optional):
Make Whipped Garlic Butter
Heat a small pan over medium heat.
Mince 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic.
Add a splash of olive oil and the minced garlic to the heated pan.
Sautee for 2-3 minutes until browned and fragrant.
Place in a medium mixing bowl with 6 tablespoons of softened salted butter and ⅓ teaspoon of dried parsley.
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Serve with warm scones.
Sharp Cheddar Poblano Scones with Whipped Garlic Butter
Servings: Makes 6 scones Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
For scones:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ¾ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ oz. chilled salted butter
¼ cup heavy cream
1 egg, lightly beaten and split in half
¼ cup extra sharp cheddar cheese
½ poblano pepper
For garlic butter (optional):
6 TBS. softened salted butter
2-3 cloves fresh garlic
⅓ tsp. dried parsley
Directions
Step 1: Sautee Poblanos
Heat a small pan over medium heat. Remove the stem and seeds of the poblano pepper and finely dice half it. Add about a teaspoon of olive oil to the warm pan. Add the diced poblano pepper and sautee for 3-4 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
Step 2: Make dough
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. Shred extra sharp cheddar cheese. Set aside. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut chilled butter into small pieces. Add the butter to the dry ingredients. Using your hands, break up the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients until you have a mixture that resembles bread crumbs, and no butter chunks larger than a pea. Add heavy cream, ½ of the beaten egg (reserve other half for later in the recipe), and the shredded cheese and sauteed poblano pepper.
Step 3: Cut dough
Gently bring the dough together into a rough ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Without working the dough too much (no kneading), flatten it into a disc about 5 inches across and 1 inch thick (if doubling the recipe/making a larger batch, see note). Using a large non-serrated knife, cut the disc into 6 even triangles by pressing the knife straight down and pulling straight back up (avoid pulling the knife out horizontally).
Step 4: Bake
Place scones on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, at least 1 inch apart. Brush the tops of the scones with the other half of your beaten egg using a pastry brush. Bake scones for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom, firm when touched, and well-risen.
Step 5 (optional): Make whipped garlic butter
Heat a small pan over medium heat. Mince fresh garlic. Add a splash of olive oil and the minced garlic to the heated pan. Sautee for 2-3 minutes until browned and fragrant. Place in a medium mixing bowl with 6 tablespoons of softened salted butter and ⅓ teaspoon of dried parsley. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Serve with warm scones.