Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones

These Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones hit on all of the flavor highs. Smoky, spicy and vibrantly fruity Calabrian chilies pair up with the nuttiness of salty Pecorino Romano cheese to give the tender and crumbly scones big, bold flavor. A honey glaze brings it all together with a soft, sweet finish.

A trifecta of spicy, sweet saltiness

It's that combo of spice, sweetness and salt that sets these Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones apart from your ordinary scones. The playful contrast happens when the sweet envelopes the spice and that heat cuts through the saltiness. Balance is the secret ingredient. Each component is essential to the overall flavor weave yet nobody is trying to steal the spotlight. It's a real the sum is greater than the parts situation. Now that's out in the open, I should probably point out that there is a strong possibility that balance is the secret ingredient to a fulfilling life as well. Anyhoo, back to scone recipes.

More Scone Recipes from Baking The Goods

Scones are such a versatile baked good. They can span the spectrum of sweet to savory and land somewhere in the space between like these Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones or my Blood Orange Rosemary Poppy Seed Scones.

Calabrian chilies feature complex flavor

If you are new to Calabrian chilies, welcome! I always have a jar of the fiery red chili peppers in the door of my fridge. So they at the ready for dipping pizza bones, blending a bit into my red sauce when I want to spice things up or served alongside my Cheesy Olive Garlic Bread recipe for an added layer of flavor.

Calabrian chili peppers are small red peppers hailing from the region of Calabria in southwest Italy, right there in the toe of the boot. So you know they are going to have a little kick! There is a layered complexity to these red peppers. A multifaceted combination of tangy, slightly sweet fruitiness with smoky undertones and a blaze of spice. They are indeed hot, but not overwhelmingly so, thanks to complexity they bring.

Calabrian chilies are in the medium-hot range on the Scoville scale, similar to cayenne pepper. Which makes Calabrian chili peppers the perfect ingredient for adding warm intrigue in a recipe like these Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones. The chili peppers don't take over, rather glow up the other ingredients with a warming welcome.

Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scone Ingredients

At their core, these unique scones use all of the typical scone ingredients. But it's the mix-ins that make them shine.

• Calabrian Chilies bring a pungent punch of fruity heat to the scones without overwhelming them with spice. The fiery red chili peppers add a distinctly Italian warmth. Use chopped Calabrian chilies or sub in Calabrian chili paste.
• Pecorino Romano Cheese is the salty backbone that takes these scones into deeply savory territory. The sharp and salty notes of Pecorino also carry nutty and grassy undertones which makes this cheese ideal for pairing with sweet and spicy partners.
• Honey finishes the scones with a glaze of sweetness. Just enough to rope in all of those savory flavors while tipping the spice scale back just a bit. A drizzle of honey changes the whole profile of these scones. But, if you really want to heat things up, swap in some hot honey for an extra layer of spice.
• All Purpose Flour holds everything together and serves as the structure of the scones.
• Baking Powder gives rise to the Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones, providing them with the leavening power to rise high like layered biscuits.
• Fine Sea Salt enhances the other flavors happening here.
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper layers in additional warmth without a strong spice, leaning the scones even deeper into the savory side.
• Sugar lends the dough a whisper of sweetness to counteract all of the savory spice.
• Butter gives these scones their craggy texture and added richness.
• Buttermilk hydrates the dough while also tenderizing and adding a slightly tangy flavor.
• Eggs bind and give a loftiness when baked.

Quickly mix the Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones by hand

If you've got the ingredients, plus a mixing bowl, a baking sheet and parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, you can pretty much make mix up these Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones anywhere. Easability is one of the best features of scones, aside from craveability aspect, obviously. This recipe can be fully formed by hand, without the use of any tools other than your hands. However, there are a couple or simple tools that make it easier and less messy.

Use just a few basic tools to whip up these scones

• Mixing bowl because you gotta keep things contained when mixing dough.
• Pastry blender optional but awesome! This is my favorite tool for cutting butter into dough.
• Whisk to blend the dry ingredients but you can also use a fork or even just your hands!
• Fork can be handy when blending the wet and dry ingredients together. By using a fork, you are less likely to overmix the scone dough.
• Baking Sheet to bake these scones evenly. The scones fit neatly on a single baking sheet, spaced evenly.
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mat prevents the scones from sticking to the pan and helps ensure an even bake.
• Bonus tool - Bench Scraper isn't necessary but it sure does make clean up easy. And, it can also be used to cut the scones into wedges. Or use a good old chef's knife to slice those scones.

How to mix the scone dough

The Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scone dough comes together in moments. First by whisking the dry ingredients together. Then blending in the butter until the scone dough starts to shape into pea sized granules. And finally, the pecorino cheese gets blended right in.

Then the eggs, buttermilk and Calabrian chili peppers are whisked together and blended into the dry ingredients with a fork. The dough is mixed just until it starts to come together. You want it scrappy, so the scones have a crumbly texture when baked.

How to shape the Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones

Scones are a snap to shape and bake. That might just be why I find myself baking scones as often as cookies. I love that I can whip together a batch anytime at home or even in a sparsely stocked airbnb. You don't need much and the mixing, shaping and baking process is easy. The dough gathers together by hand, then it's topped with the Pecorino, chilled, sliced into wedges and baked. Simple.

Baking and glazing the scones

The Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones bake in under 30 minutes. Then, while they are still warm, the scones are brushed with warmed honey to glaze. That's it! Dead simple.

Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scones are an anytime treat

The savory sweet nature of this Calabrian Chili Pecorino Honey Scone recipe gives them license to serve anytime. Wake up all of your senses when bite into the flavor forward scones for breakfast. Or better yet, turn the scones into an epic brunch sandwich by splitting them in half and topping with a fried egg and some grassy greens. Serve them alongside a salad for a satisfying lunch or enjoy a spicy sweet scone as an afternoon pick me up. There is no wrong time to enjoy these sweet, spicy and savory scones.

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