Pimento cheese lovers - boy do I have a recipe for you. These savory scones are full of sweet spicy pimentos, spices and tangy cheddar. They’re easy to put together for a side dish with dinner or as apart of a sweet and savory brunch spread!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour (includes chill time)
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 10 scones
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very cold
1 large egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp cheddar, and if you can, shred by hand vs. buying pre-shredded!)
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheddar cheese
1 4-oz. jar of pimentos (already diced, or whole / sliced works then you’ll just dice them yourself)
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 400 °F. Cut your butter into cubes, put into a bowl and place the bowl in the freezer to thoroughly chill the butter while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic and onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper) and set aside.
In a glass measuring container or other smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and Worcestershire sauce.
Finely dice the pimentos and if hand-shredding the cheese, shred with a coarse grater.
Take the butter out of the freezer and either with a pasty cutter or your hands, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly, pea-sized texture. Gently incorporate the pimentos and shredded cheese into the mixture to thoroughly coat the cheese and pimentos with the flour.
Pour the liquid mixture into the mixing bowl over the rest of the ingredients and with a spatula, mix until fully incorporated and you have a sticky dough. Place the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes to re-chill the ingredients.
This is a drop scone recipe meaning you’re using a scoop of dough vs. using a scone pan or cutter. I’m not a fan of scones that are in the drier end, so this recipe has a bit more moisture and therefore not easy to cut into triangles. Instead, I use a cookie scoop (you can use any spoon though) to take about 4 tablespoons of the mixture and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drop 5-6 scones onto the pan, evenly spaced.
Bake at 400 °F for 22-25 minutes, cool for a few minutes then enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
I like using buttermilk for extra flavor and moisture; if you prefer a more traditional scone recipe, swap the buttermilk for heavy cream.
Use whatever type of cheddar you like! I do a mix of medium yellow cheddar and Gruyere but you could go all yellow cheddar, sharp cheddar, etc.
Nutrition Facts (per 1 scone serving)
Estimates. Will vary based on ingredients and serving size
Calories: ~280 kcal
Protein: ~8 g
Total Fat: ~10 g
Carbohydrates: ~25 g