Buttermilk Skillet Scones with Cheese & Peppers

Savory scones are an occasional store-bought indulgence, a secret sneaked treat when I'm at the co-op, or the local bakery, or some Farmers' Markets. Somehow these flaky, veggie-filled triangles of delight have never come out of my oven, not until today. I woke up craving scones, jalapeno scones in particular, scones loaded with cheese and chunks of multicolored peppers. It's easy to find sweet scones, some okay and others meh!, but really good savory scones take a little searching. I wanted them now, right now, without waiting to shower and get dressed to drive around town hunting for those savory treats.

No problemo. The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook supplied a basic recipe that accommodated savory peppers and cheese as add-ins. Who knew? This book has traveled on the boat for years but was rarely used, so last Fall I moved it from the galley afloat to the kitchen ashore. Good move, since it thwarted any recipe panic this morning, 

The scones were wonderful served warm for breakfast, split in half and barely coated with a slick of butter. RL topped his halves with orange marmalade and ginger preserves, preferring to add a sweet note to the savory. Cooled and nibbled without butter or jam, a scone was the perfect lunch accompaniment to a bowl of chicken tortilla soup. Now I'm considering splitting one more scone, adding a slice of cheese and popping it into the microwave for a late-night snack. Sigh, my will power disappears when freshly baked scones are available, and that's the reason they should remain a store-bought indulgence. You I can't eat just one.

Buttermilk Cheese Scones with Peppers & Onions 

Recipe adapted from The Cast Iron Skillet by Kramis & Kramis-Hearne

Makes 12 scones

2 1/3 cups unbleached AP flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups chilled butter (1 ½ sticks), cut into 6 to 8 pieces
1/4 cup jalapeno, small dice
1/4 cup green onions, small dice
1/4 cup sweet red pepper, small dice
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + lemon juice to curdle)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 
2. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and stir briefly to mix. 
3. Add the butter pieces and mix at low speed until just combined. (Low speed is recommended to avoid a cloud of flour billowing out of the bowl – ask me how I know this detail.) 
4. Add the jalapeno, green onions, red peppers and cheese to the bowl. Run the mixer at low speed and pour in the buttermilk. Again, mix at low speed until just combined. 
5. Divide the dough into two balls. On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll one dough ball into a circle, roughly ¾-inch thick. Cut the circle into 6 equal-sized wedges. Place the wedges in a buttered cast-iron skillet, spaced apart and forming a circle. 
6. Repeat with the second ball of dough. 
7. Place on a rack in the center of the oven and bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes in my oven. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or cool on a baking rack and reheat later in the day. 

Note: the use of a stand mixer is purely optional, you can mix the scones with a hand-held mixer (or by hand if you put a little muscle into incorporating the butter)