Warm, buttery cheddar cheese scones with a kick of cayenne. The perfect side for any soup or salad.
It’s been soup month here, so I would be remiss if I didn’t post one of my favorite sides to pair with soup, Cayenne and Cheddar Cheese Scones. Honestly, these things are like the bastard love child of a biscuit and scone. They are a little more substantial than a biscuit but lighter and less crumbly than a traditional scone.
I actually went and did some research on the difference between the two because I wanted to make sure I was labeling them correctly, and apparently, people have some VERY strong opinions on the subject. (BTW, I love that article, you should read it.)
And I get it. I can be pretty pedantic about things (you’ll pry the oxford comma from my cold dead hands), but these scones are so good that you could call them cupcakes and no one’s going to complain when they bite into one.
They’re just slightly crisp on the outside, buttery on the inside and full of cheesy flavor. The slight warmth of the cayenne makes them incredibly satisfying and the perfect side for soups with milder flavors. I almost always pair them with classic chicken noodle and my Easy Chicken Peasant Soup to round out the meal. They really take whatever dish you serve them with and level it up in a big way.
Cayenne and Cheddar Cheese Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 1/4 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup (4oz) cold butter cubed
- 1 cup (4oz) sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup buttermilk
Egg Wash
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper or foil.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne and salt in a large bowl.
- Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut butter into flour mixture until no butter pieces larger than a pea remain. Add cheese and stir.
- Mix in buttermilk, stirring until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky, about 6-7 times.
- Re-flour surface and press dough out to 1/2-inch thick and cut into 16 2 1/2-inch rounds.
- Beat egg and water together.
- Place scones on baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Bake for 12-14 minutes until scones are golden. If you are unsure if scones are done, carefully lift one and check the bottom of the scone. If it's lightly browned, it's done.
Nutritional Information
Recipe Slightly Adapted From: Food.com
Small-batch Instructions: Recipe halves cleanly, no cooking changes needed.
Freezer Instructions: Freeze cut-out dough on a baking sheet for about an hour, until firm. Then store in an air-tight container. Dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook, bake frozen scones at normal temperature for 2-3 minutes longer than usual.
Natasha @ Salt and Lavender says
These bastard love children look scrumptious! 😛
Tracy says
Natasha, I just spit coffee all over my counter laughing. Thanks for that… 😉
Sara @ Life's Little Sweets says
These look so satisfying and delicious, I love cheese in bread! Pinned this one to my bread love board for later, thank you for sharing this recipe!
Renz says
Sounds amazing.. I make cayenne cheese sticks so I can imagine how great these are since they are waaay bigger
Yum Girl says
Welcome to Yum Goggle! We are following you on all your social media platforms and hope you will follow us back. We will try to tag you each time we promote your posts. We love Geeky recipes, in fact, we have an entire category called Geeks & Nerds – we hope you will post some if you have some. Kelli at YG!
Tracy says
Thanks so much, Kelli! I definitely have some nerdy recipes to post and will. 🙂
Lucy says
I make soup at least once a week, and these biscuits sound like the perfect way to round out the meal. I love the hint of cayenne–I love spicy food!
Tracy says
Thanks, Lucy! I’m totally with you on soup, it has a permanent Friday slot on my weekly menu. 😉
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says
Yum! Scones! I love your photos. They look so warm and inviting.
Tracy says
Thanks, Annemarie! These were some of the first pictures I took with a new lens and I LOVE IT!! 😉
Simon says
This is a must make recipe to go along soup if you ask me! I’ll yum (and stumble) to save for later!
Tracy says
Thanks and for the yum and stumbling, Simon!
Taylor Thurston says
These look and sound amazing! Photography game on point! Pinning for later, can’t wait to try them.
Tracy says
Thanks so much, Taylor!
Ann Burgo says
I’m looking for something like a biscuit that I can make before church and not have to bake when I get home. I wonder how these would be served cold with my crockpot lunch????
Tracy says
Hi, Ann. They’re good cold, but they’re best warmed. You can pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds or so right before eating or (if you don’t mind running your oven in the afternoon) just make and cut out the dough in the morning, keep covered in the fridge, and throw them in the oven when you get home. I do the latter all the time so I can enjoy them freshly baked.
Shannon says
These are super delicious! My whole family loves them!
Tracy says
Thanks, Shannon. I’m so happy you all enjoyed them!
Nancy says
What can I substitute for buttermilk?
Can’t get out to the store now.
Plain yogurt? Milk with vinegar?
Tracy says
Hi, Nancy, milk and vinegar (or lemon juice) will work just fine. Just put 1 tablespoon vinegar into your 1 cup measuring cup and fill it the rest of the way with milk. Hope you enjoy the scones!