Ham and Cheese Scones

Funnily enough, these savory scones were actually the first recipe I experimented with for my blog. I probably made four different attempts and then put the recipe on the back burner (ha), because it was annoying me so much! I’m glad I finally came back to it, because this scone recipe is sooooo good!

It seems like most scones found in the US are sickly sweet. When I studied abroad in Scotland a few years ago I was introduced to the British style scone, and boy what a difference! Their scones are almost more of what Americans would call a biscuit – yes, even the “sweet” ones! They’re buttery, flakey and just utter perfection! That’s why this recipe took me so long; I had a very clear idea in my head of what these scones needed to taste like.

These savory scones are really quick and easy – you don’t even need to knead them. From start to finish they take me about 40 minutes to make. Yum! 

As usual, a few notes. This recipe is very versatile (my favorite kind of recipe), and the flavors can be mixed and matched as you please. I made these with Parmesan and fresh rosemary, and they were divine. So feel free to experiment!

The other thing: I completely despise cutting butter in by hand. I know, I know. It’s not like it’s a complicated process, I’ve just always hated it. I also seem to remember my sister always disappearing when my mom asked for a volunteer to cut butter in, and I’m thinking that wasn’t a coincidence. It’s just annoying. So, I use my food processor instead. Voila, problem solved!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbs granulated sugar
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold salted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely diced ham
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour a cutting board and set aside.

Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour through salt. Sift the ingredients through a fine mesh sieve to ensure your scones cook evenly.

Gently mix together the cheese, ham and green onion. Set aside.

Add the butter and dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Alternatively the butter can be cut into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter.

Transfer the mixture into a large bowl, and stir in the buttermilk. Gently fold in the cheese mixture until just evenly combined.

Working on your floured cutting board, shape the dough into an 8″ circle that’s approximately 1″ high. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 equally sized triangles.

Carefully move the scones to the lined baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.

Allow to cool for five minutes and then dive right in! Serve plain or buttered.

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