Ham & Swiss Cheese Scones with Habanero Pepper Jelly

This morning I woke with a strong need to cook something different. I've been wanting to give scone-making a shot for quite awhile now but I didn't want to go down the well-trodden path of blueberries or currants. (I'm also looking for any excuse to use my new KitchenAid, and while it is definitely not a necessity to make this recipe, I just love turning it on!)

I surveyed the fridge and decided I had a batch of swiss cheese and mushrooms that were just begging to be baked into something fabulous; couple that with some left-over ham from a previous dinner at the parent's house and my ingredient list was almost complete. Next I performed a speedy internet search on the basics of scone-making, a quick one-over of the pantry, and after some clever mental substitutions, I was officially off and running. Mission: Ham & Swiss Cheese Scones!

I played with the flavors and quantities between batches and after the third attempt I had a scone worthy of a blog-post! Enjoy :]

Ham & Swiss Cheese Scones with Habanero Pepper Jelly

• 5 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 5 Tbsp. Butter
• 2 Tbsp. Shortening (You can only use butter if you want, just up it to 6 Tbsp!)
• 1/2 cup Fat-Free Sour Cream
• 1 cup Ham, finely diced
• 1 1/2 cup Swiss Cheese, finely diced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup Mushrooms, minced
• 1/4 cup red onions, minced
• 3 Tbsp. Whole Grain Dijon Mustard 
• 4 Tbsp-1/2 cup Fat-Free Milk (added as needed)
• Salt, if needed-- but the ham and cheese have their own salts so be careful! I decided against adding any salt and they turned out perfect. 

*Preheat your oven 400 degrees. In a large bowl, or food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the butter and shortening (making sure your butter is very cold, for a flakier scone!) using a two knife method (or blend if you are using your processor), until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Stir in the swiss, 1/2 of the parmesan, the ham, and mushrooms. 


*In a separate bowl combine the sour cream and mustard and stir into the flour mixture. Now knead the dough, slowly adding in the milk until the consistency is firm yet moist, but not sticky! Be careful to not over-knead! 

*Roll the dough out on a clean, flat surface, using your hands, and shape into fist-sized balls. Press the remaining parmesan cheese into the centers. Flatten, and press the edges into a rectangular/square shape. Cut diagonally into wedges. 


*Lay the wedges evenly on a buttered, floured baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes, or until browned. 


To Serve: Once the scones have browned remove them from the oven and as soon as they are cool enough to touch, serve them! You can lightly brush the tops with butter or margarine, if you'd like. I served mine with a dollop of Habanero Pepper Jelly, which offers a perfect blast of heat and sweet. Or you can slice them in half and make mini open-faced sandwiches, or dip them in a hearty corn chowder or chili.

They are best if made fresh so unless you are baking for a bounty of guests save some of the dough for the next day. I portioned mine off so there will be plenty to play with again in the morning. Perhaps I will serve them alongside some eggs for breakfast- the possibilities are quite plentiful with this bite of bliss!

<3 Marea