So this just happened in the kitchen. I had leftover Red Leicester from a toastie experiment, two jalapeños going soft, and a craving for something warm. No plan, just cheese, heat, and a hot oven.
They came out better than they had any right to be — crisp outside, soft and properly cheesy inside with that slow jalapeño kick. This is why we keep notes.
Red Leicester & Jalapeno Scones Recipe
Prep time:15 minutes Cook time:18 minutes Serves:8 scones
Ingredients
- 250g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 60g cold butter, cubed
- 100g Red Leicester, coarsely grated
- 2 fresh jalapeños, finely diced (deseeded if you want less heat)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 150ml whole milk, plus extra for brushing
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat oven to 200C fan / 220C conventional. Line a baking tray.
- In a large bowl, rub the cold butter into flour and baking powder until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- Stir through grated Red Leicester, jalapeños, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- Make a well, pour in milk, bring together quickly with a knife. Don’t overwork — it should be slightly sticky.
- Turn onto floured surface, pat to about 3cm thick. Cut into 8 rounds or wedges.
- Brush tops with milk, bake 16-18 minutes until risen and golden, cheese bubbling at the edges.
- Cool 5 minutes, best eaten warm.
Notes
If you only have mature cheddar, use that plus a pinch of mustard powder. Keeps 1 day in tin, freezes well — reheat 5 mins at 180C.
