I never make the same biscuit twice. The liquid varies depending on what’s in the fridge, sometimes yogurt (the European variety, thinner than it’s American or Greek cousins) or buttermilk, if all I have is plain milk I vary the acids added. I doubled up for these Blue Cheese Green Chile Scones because I wanted as much savory tang as possible.
But sometimes I make almost the same biscuit (or scone) twice, three times, a bunch, because one of my favorite combos is chile and cheese. I spent hours after work three days in a row peeling and cleaning two cases of Hatch green chiles just to ensure a year-long supply.
I almost didn’t share this recipe thinking I’d done almost the same thing before, but the blue and green chiles was such an addictive combination- earthy and spicy and salty, the sort of scone that makes me emit tiny sighs of approval each time I eat one, that I changed my mind. Plus, (insert further justification here) my technique has evolved over the years. Once upon a time I swore I’d never grate the butter, but it turns out it’s a lot less work than I imagined when I scoffed at the idea, I also fold more than I used to. So here you go. Eat ‘em on their own or with summer tomatoes and an egg.
Blue Cheese Green Chile Scones
ingredients
- 1 stick (1/4 pound, 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter- grated and frozen
- 3 ounces blue cheese- crumbled
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green chiles (I used hot Hatch green chiles
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar (ACV)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups AP flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- pinch of sugar
directions
this is the hot weather variation of my basic biscuit recipe, if your kitchen is cool you probably don’t need to freeze everything between steps.
- grate the butter and put it in the freezer
- combine the milk, lime juice, ACV, and baking powder, set aside
- combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl and toss in the grated butter, chiles, and blue cheese, return mixture to freezer
- preheat the oven to 425
- add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir until just combined, the mixture will still be quite shaggy, and not particularly cohesive.
- dump onto a lightly floured surface, roll out and fold, three or four times (see below for a link with photos)
- form into a circle about a foot across and cut into 8 equal pieces using a floured sharp blade or bench scraper.
- place on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until the oven comes to temperature
- bake for 12-16 minutes, until lightly golden.
links and general addenda
chili or chile or chilli? I’m not the only one who can’t decide.
This southern living article nicely sums up (with photos!) my basic biscuit or scone technique. In the winter I will incorporate the butter into the flour with my hands but when temperatures rise it is easier and more consistent to grate and freeze the butter.
Blue Cheese Green Chile Scones
Ingredients
- 1 stick 1/4 pound, 8 table spoons unsalted butter- grated and frozen
- 3 ounces blue cheese- crumbled
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green chiles (I used hot Hatch green chiles
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar ACV
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups AP flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- pinch of sugar
Instructions
- grate the butter and put it in the freezer
- combine the milk, lime juice, ACV, and baking powder, set aside
- combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl and toss in the grated butter, chiles, and blue cheese, return mixture to freezer
- preheat the oven to 425
- add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir until just combined, the mixture will still be quite shaggy, and not particularly cohesive.
- dump onto a lightly floured surface, roll out and fold, three or four times (see below for a link with photos)
- form into a circle about a foot across and cut into 8 equal pieces using a floured sharp blade or bench scraper.
- place on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until the oven comes to temperature
- bake for 12-16 minutes, until lightly golden.
Notes
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