Jalapeño-Cheddar Scones

Step 1Preheat the oven to 400˚. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and there are no large chunks of butter. Add the jalapeños and two-thirds of the cheese and toss to coat.

Step 2Mix the heavy cream, egg and jalapeño brine in a medium bowl. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture; stir gently with a fork until combined. The dough should be crumbly, but if it’s too crumbly to work with, splash in a small amount of heavy cream.

Step 3Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together into a rough rectangle. Use a rolling pin to roll it into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle (use your hands to help shape it if necessary). Trim the edges with a knife. Cut the dough in half crosswise, then cut lengthwise into quarters to make 8 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half diagonally to make 16 triangles.

Step 4Transfer the scones to a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until lightly golden and the cheese is beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the scones to a rack to cool completely.