Savory Ham and Cheese Scones

  September 16, 2022
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Lastly, Some Savory Scones!

Berries, banana, and chocolate are flavors that, undoubtedly, style scrumptious in scones. And I’ve recipes for every—meet my blueberry scones, banana nut scones, and chocolate scones. (Observe that these are sweeter than conventional British scones!) As a substitute of staying put within the candy scones class, I’m venturing into savory territory.

I’ve a dozen scone recipes printed on my web site, however none of them embrace salty, savory flavors. At this time you’re assembly the primary. (And possibly the very best!)

You’ll begin with my fundamental scones, cut back the sugar, add somewhat extra liquid, skip the egg white and put it aside for brushing on the scones, and add savory flavors. Let’s name them flaky cheddar cheese pastries:

Why You’ll Love These Ham & Cheese Scones

  • Excellent for breakfast, snack, or aspect dish
  • Scrumptious alongside scrambled eggs and even pumpkin chili (a fall favourite!)
  • Flaky, buttery, not dry
  • Somewhat softer than biscuits (use much less flour and add an egg yolk)
  • Tacky and garlicky
  • Crisp-crumbly edges proper out of the oven

Key Components You Want & Why

You want some pantry staples like all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, & pepper. Listed here are different components you want and why they’re integral to the recipe:

  1. Sugar: It sounds odd to incorporate sugar in a savory scone recipe, proper? Properly, with out it, the scone’s taste falls flat. 1 Tablespoon of sugar balances the robust savory flavors.
  2. Garlic Powder: Taste.
  3. Chilly Butter: Apart from flour and cheese, chilly butter is the primary ingredient in these cheddar scones. It provides flakiness, taste, crisp edges, and rise. The colder, the higher.
  4. Cheddar Cheese: Use your favourite cheddar cheese. Mainly, in case you get pleasure from the way it tastes, use it right here. For greatest outcomes, freshly grate it your self as an alternative of shopping for a bag of shredded cheddar.
  5. Chives: A number of Tablespoons of recent chopped chives provides taste. Be happy to make use of one other herb or chopped scallions as an alternative.
  6. Buttermilk: The dough wants liquid and buttermilk is greatest. There’s no baking soda on this recipe, so that you don’t have to fret about including an acidic liquid. If you happen to don’t have buttermilk, you should utilize heavy cream. Keep away from thinner liquids like milk or almond milk—your scones received’t be practically as tasty.
  7. Egg: An egg is what units these scones other than biscuits. Biscuits are flaky and buttery, interval. The ham and cheese scones are, too, however they’re richer, softer, and cakier.
  8. Ham: Chop cooked ham into little bite-size cubes and blend into the dough as your add-in. Use a ham steak, or you may chop some deli slices as an alternative.

Success Tip: Grate the Butter & Cheese

Frozen grated butter is the important thing to scone success.

Like with pie crust, minimize the chilly butter into the dry components. The butter coats the flour. When the butter/flour crumbs soften because the scones bake, they launch steam, which creates pockets of air. These pockets add a flaky heart, whereas protecting the perimeters crumbly and crisp. Refrigerated butter would possibly soften within the dough as you’re employed with it, however frozen butter will maintain out till the oven. And the finer the items of chilly butter, the much less the scones unfold and the faster the butter mixes into the dry components. You don’t wish to over-work scone dough.

I like to recommend grating the frozen butter with a field grater. And because you want a field grater for the butter, you would possibly as properly grate your cheddar cheese too. Simply as I like to recommend freshly grated carrots for carrot cake, I like to recommend freshly grated cheese in scones. It can combine simpler, soften simpler, and style higher.

These Step Pictures Will Assist:

Combine the shredded chilly butter and cheese into the dry components utilizing a pastry cutter or a meals processor. That is just about the identical approach we combine biscuits dough & pie dough.

Whisk the chilly buttermilk and 1 egg yolk collectively, after which pour into the dry components. Calmly combine till the dough clumps collectively:

Pour the messy dough out onto a floured work floor and, utilizing floured arms, carry the dough collectively right into a ball. Flatten into an 8-inch disc after which minimize into triangles (like a pizza):

Brush with an egg white & buttermilk combination, after which sprinkle with sea salt earlier than baking.

One other Success Tip: Chill the Formed Scones

I like to recommend chilling the scones within the fridge for quarter-hour as you preheat the oven. By doing this, the cheese scones maintain their form higher and rise taller (extra flakes!).

Can I Depart Out the Ham? Use One other Cheese?

Sure and sure! Be happy to make use of one other favourite cheese comparable to feta, gouda, or pepper jack, and you may skip the ham solely, or exchange with the identical quantity of cooked, chopped bacon or sausage.

Print

Description

These savory ham & cheese scones are filled with taste and have a delightfully flaky, mushy inside. You may freeze the scones earlier than or after baking. You too can skip the ham or exchange with cooked bacon or sausage. Evaluate recipe Notes earlier than starting.

  1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper collectively in a big bowl. Stir within the chives and shredded cheese.
  2. Grate the frozen butter utilizing a field grater. Add it to the flour combination and mix with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers till the combination comes collectively in pea-sized crumbs. Place within the fridge or freezer as you combine the moist components collectively.
  3. Whisk 2/3 cup buttermilk and the egg yolk collectively. (Save egg white for step 5.) Pour over the flour/cheese combination, add the ham, after which combine till the dough clumps collectively.
  4. To make triangle scones: Pour dough onto a evenly floured work floor and, with floured arms, work dough right into a ball as greatest you may. Dough might be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add somewhat extra flour. If it appears too dry, add 1–2 extra Tablespoons chilly buttermilk. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a pointy knife or bench scraper, minimize into 8 wedges. See recipe Observe for smaller scones. To make 10–12 drop scones: Maintain mixing dough within the bowl till it comes collectively. Drop dough, about 1/4 cup of dough per scone, 3 inches aside on a lined baking sheet.
  5. Whisk 1 Tablespoon buttermilk with reserved egg white. Brush evenly onto scones and, if desired, sprinkle with flaky sea salt. (You are able to do this earlier than or after refrigerating within the subsequent step.)
  6. Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (in case your fridge has house!) and refrigerate for at the least quarter-hour.
  7. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
  8. Line a big baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat(s). If making mini or drop scones, use 2 baking sheets. After refrigerating, organize scones 2–3 inches aside on the ready baking sheet(s).
  9. Bake for 22–25 minutes or till golden brown across the edges and evenly browned on prime. Take away from the oven and funky for a couple of minutes on the baking sheets earlier than serving.
  10. Leftover scones maintain properly at room temperature for two days or within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Scones change into softer by day 2.

Notes

  1. Freeze Earlier than Baking: Freeze scone dough wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. As soon as comparatively frozen, you may layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container and freeze for as much as 3 months. Bake from frozen, including a couple of minutes to the bake time. Or thaw in a single day within the fridge, after which bake as directed.
  2. Freeze After Baking: Freeze the baked and cooled scones for as much as 3 months. To thaw, omit on the counter for a number of hours or in a single day within the fridge. Heat within the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes.
  3. In a single day Directions: Put together scones by step 4. Cowl and refrigerate in a single day. Proceed with the recipe the next day.
  4. Butter: Use frozen butter if in case you have a field grater. If you happen to don’t have a field grater (extremely really helpful for this recipe), minimize very chilly butter into very nice cubes and use that in step 2 as an alternative.
  5. Can I omit or substitute the chives? Sure. Exchange with the identical quantity of one other recent herb comparable to parsley or use chopped scallion/inexperienced onion.
  6. Can I take advantage of one other sort of cheese? Sure. Be happy to make use of one other favourite cheese comparable to feta, gouda, or pepper jack.
  7. Can I omit the ham? Sure. Skip the ham for cheese scones or exchange with the identical quantity of cooked, chopped bacon or sausage.
  8. Over-spreading: Begin with very chilly components and really chilly scone dough. Count on some unfold, but when the scones are over-spreading as they bake, take away from the oven and press again into form with a rubber spatula.
  9. Mini/Petite Cheese Scones: To make smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and minimize every into 8 equal wedges. Make sure that the ham is minimize very small. Bake scones for 18–20 minutes or till evenly browned.
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