Chilli and Irish Cheddar Scones
The scones are soft yet crumbly, a teaser on the palate with the melted flecks of cheese and the hint of spice at the back. A perfect warmer for Early Spring.
I seem to have become rather enamored with Einkorn flour. I seem to be finding excuses to sneak it into everything I bake, just to see what happens. So far, it has been a rather prodigious series of consequences, which, only lends to the myth of the grain in my imagination! I mean, how can I tell my playful mind to stay quiet when I bake one of the best batches of scones I have ever made since relinquishing wheat based gluten (irony noted but as explained in previous post, this is better)
Seriously, amazing scones! I also think credit must be given to other possibly rather influential factors. One, I used lard instead of butter for the fat. And, two, I chose to be inspired by the British recipe for making scones, which, uses the fat at room temperature rather than cold. Accordingly, the scones do rise to be of a more bread like texture than that of a cake.
Unexpected as it sounds, lard gives pastry a better lift as its melting point is much lower than butter and it 'steams' a lot faster. For flavor, I went with simple pantry items like cheese and chili. I always keep a decent Irish cheddar on hand. As humble as the cheese comes across it is a great one for use either in cooking (oh! Béchamel sauce) as much as a cheese plate.
I served the scones sliced in half and topped with spicy leftover roast chicken scrambled into fresh eggs and topped with avocado.
Irish Cheddar and Chili buttermilk Scones
[made with lard, not butter]
1/2 cup Einkorn wheat flour
1/3 cup gluten free flour blend
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup grated Irish cheddar
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
4 T, lard at room temperature
1 egg
1/4 cup {+more as needed} fresh buttermilk
little more cheese and chili for the topping
Pre heat the oven to 375F.
Sift the dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center and crack the egg into it. Add the buttermilk and lard, which will not be fluid-ish.
Using a fork whisk the egg into the liquid ingredients and then fold in the flour from the sides to create a soft, supple dough.
On a floured surface, flatten the dough into a disc about an inch in thickness.
Cut out circles of 3 inches each using a mold and then fold the remaining dough to fit into the mold. You will get four scones in all.
Arrange the dough on parchment paper on a baking tray. Brush the tops with a little buttermilk.
Sprinkle some cheese and chili as garnish.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden on top, slightly browned at the bottom and hollow to the ear when tapped on the bottom.
Let cool on rack for a few minutes, slice into halves, butter generously and served with savory toppings or just some simple, good jam.
