Has anyone noticed how weird the weather is this week? It’s kind of spooky at times. It’s hot, humid but the skies are a brilliant blue, a shower may whisk by unexpectedly, and there seem to be both puffy-white and ominous clouds in the mix most of the time……. Makes you wonder what the atmosphere is trying to say……..
I came upon a recipe this morning for Rosemary-Cheddar Scones to be served with Peach-Rosemary Jam. They looked like the lightest, airiest scones I’d seen, especially with cheddar cheese in them. Of course, I couldn’t let this go. It was the perfect experiment for a day like today when the humidity is oppressive and you’re better off staying in the AC.
Well, let’s see, I mixed myself a large glass of iced Earl Grey Green Tea and went to town. In the refrigerator, I found just about every cheese except Cheddar. There was Gorgonzola, Gruyere, Fontina, the Cotija from last week’s experiments for my next article, parmesan, burrata….. several options here. I settled for Comté because I had a nice piece from Murray’s that was big enough.
Out to snip the Rosemary.
One eye on those 6 lovely, but small white peaches from Melick’s. Not enough to make the jam – oh darn. And so, improviser that I can be, I went to work. I know these are similar to the Provençal Peach scones, but, what the heck. A new scone is always a treat. And, these have honey in them <3.
ROSEMARY SCONES WITH COMTE AND PEACHES
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tblsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tblsp chopped fresh rosemary
4 tblsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 egg yolk
4 oz grated comté cheese
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tblsp honey
1 cup diced fresh peaches, ripe, preferably white
egg wash
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of your food processor, whir together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and rosemary. Add the cubed butter and pulse about 8 times until the butter resembles small peas. Dump the contents into a low, wide bowl. Add the comté cheese and mix in with your fingers.
In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half, buttermilk, egg yolk and honey. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and, working with a dough scraper, gently work the dry ingredients into the wet. When the mixture begins to hold together, add the peaches. Gently mix in. Move the dough to a lightly floured board. If it is sticky, flour your hands. Pat the dough out into a 1 1/4″ high mass. Using a 3″ biscuit cutter, cut out the scones and place them onto the prepared sheet. Re work scraps till all the dough is used. Brush with egg wash.
Bake for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Often my favorite shape comes from the last scraps of the dough, which I gently roll together into a fun mound.
These would be perfect tonight with grilled chicken and the wonderful Jersey corn that’s in the market. Or, for lunch with chicken salad. Or, better yet, you can get someone to zip a bowl of cool, fresh Gazpacho, like my favorite one from Straight Wharf Restaurant on Nantucket right onto your table. That would really be perfect right about now.
Enjoy! It’s just so weird – I can feel Fall coming………