I enjoy making scones. They are easier and faster than bread, but still get you digging in your bowl to work shards of frozen butter into the dry ingredients and dumping a ball of loose dough onto a pastry board to knead it gently until you get a perfect round speckled with all of the delicious things. When they are done in the oven, your home smells fantastic and you have the makings of an inspired breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even afternoon snack on hand. And these scones in particular bring a delightfully savory side to the party.
You can always work room temperature butter into your dry ingredients, but I love the way the texture of my scones comes out of the oven when I use grated, frozen butter. Give it a try - I'll bet it will become your favorite method too. Beyond that, there are tweaks that can be made to the additions in this recipe. Regular garlic for roasted garlic - though it is a stunning way to use the treasure presented to you earlier this month with an air fried roasted garlic method. If you don't have or want to use spinach, chopped green onions or finely minced kale will also work. And the cheese is very swappable - just make sure you use about a cup of cheese in total.
I've been known to use these scones as the base for a sandwich with lunch or as an inspired part of my favorite breakfast and brunch offerings. However you choose to enjoy them, make sure you spend a little time with your oven during these chilly days. Baking brings so many benefits, particularly during this time of the season.
Roasted Garlic-Spinach-Chèvre Scones
- 2 c. all-purpose flour - I used a 50/50 blend of white and whole wheat flours
- 1 T. baking powder
- 1 T. granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 3 T. frozen butter
- 2 minced cloves roasted garlic - purchase from the store or make it at home
- ⅔ c. chopped spinach - fresh is best, but thawed, squeezed very dry frozen spinach will also work
- ⅓ c. grated sharp cheese - I used Irish cheddar
- ⅔ c. crumbled chèvre (soft goat cheese)
- ½ - ⅔ c. heavy cream, divided
- 1 tsp. seasoning of your choice - I used Ruth Ann's Muskego Ave Chicken/Fish Seasoning from Penzeys
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Combine the first 4 ingredients (all-purpose flour through Italian seasoning) in a large bowl and whisk them gently together.
Grate the frozen butter into the bowl and, using your hands, work the mixture together until coarse crumbs form.
Add the garlic, spinach, sharp cheese, chèvre, and ⅓ cup of heavy cream. Stir until a soft dough forms. You may need to add a bit more cream to get the dough to come together.
Place the dough on a well-floured surface and knead lightly and form it into a 9-inch round. Cut the round into 8 wedges and place the wedges on a baking sheet covered in a silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment paper. Brush the wedges lightly with some heavy cream.
Bake the scones for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and store any leftovers covered at room temperature for up to a week or seal in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Yields: 8 scones
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes