Scones are the blended cousin of biscuits and muffins. While we tend to focus on the sweetest versions, a good savory scone can do so much on a plate any time of the day. This particular version gets its flavor from shredded sharp cheddar cheese and finely chopped fresh chives. The result is a tender, flakey pastry that will have you reaching for the mixing bowl again and again.
I like to grate frozen butter to use in making my scones. I always end up with excellent texture and flavor. My scones are easy to slice for sandwich or filling purposes and they freeze and thaw well. If you don't have buttermilk, add one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup measuring cup and fill it the rest of the way with milk. Use the resulting mixture measure for measure in place of buttermilk. The acid in the lemon juice or vinegar will give you what you need for perfect scones.
Obviously breakfast and brunch are home turf for these scones, but slice them in half to create the most amazing lunch and dinner sandwiches you can imagine. Pile them high with everything from smoked turkey to crispy bacon, by way of glorified BLTs and more. And, of course, they are lovely alongside a cup of your favorite tea. Enjoy!
Cheddar Chive Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
Grate the cold/frozen butter using a cheese grater. This is an easy way to get it into small pieces to incorporate in the dry ingredients. If you do not have a cheese grater, you can just cut into small cubes. Blend the grated butter in with the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or 2 knives or your clean, dry fingers. The mixture should be clumpy and look like course crumbs.
Mix in the cheese and chives. Add the buttermilk and mix it into the flour mixture until JUST incorporated. DO NOT over mix, this will make the scones tough.
Put a small amount of flour onto a clean surface and knead the dough briefly. Shape the dough into a circle that is about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut the circle in half and then each half into 3-4 wedges (depending on how big you want your scones).
Place the wedges on a baking sheet covered with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Brush the tops of the scones with a little bit of buttermilk.
Bake the scones for 20-22 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Yields: 6-8 scones
- Preparation Time: 40 minutes