If you have not yet experienced the delicious taste and texture of a savory scone, the delicious, crispy yet tender, almost savory-butter-cookie-biscuit kind of sensation of a Cheese Scone, you must, must, must spoil yourself a bit and bake these today!
Do yourself a favor and spoil your family at dinner or breakfast today with some Cheese Scones. These beautiful little baked concoctions have incredible taste and texture and are a welcome treat after a ho-hum kind of dinner week.
Do you ever get those glazed looks at dinner that means your family’s tired of your usual carousel of rotating dinners? That’s when I realized, they’re trying to tell me favorites can’t stay favorites if they’re all the time!
So I started experimenting and adapted this cheese scone recipe so that you’ll have something delicately delicious to treat you and your family to that won’t take all day!
The Secret to Perfect Cheese Scones
Scones do not have to take all day, nor will you have to toss them out and remake them if you follow my tried and true methods for making tall, perfectly raised scones.
First, pretend like you’re making pie crust. If you don’t make pie crust, then I must tell you, this means keeping every single thing in your kitchen that will touch that dough cold.
This is the fastest way to create delicious scones because you won’t have to continuously stop and re-chill your dough. Instead, if you chill your bowl, butter, heavy cream – and keep everything in the fridge as you’re making them until the very second you have to use them, you simply cannot go wrong.
Also, make sure you put a significant scone on the tray. You’ll want these to be at least 1/4 inch thick. Don’t roll or press them into too narrow a triangle.
On kneading, if you’re going to use a dough hook, freeze the dough hook until you use it and do not knead these to death or you will ruin your scones. If you’re going to use your hands, rinse them in cold water and keep them cold throughout the kneading. I recommend kneading with cold hands for this so you can feel the gluten developing in your dough and stop right then. All you need is a bit of “chewy” for these, after all.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
You can freeze unbaked scones up to three weeks before quality goes down. It is better to freeze already shaped scones, because this isn’t a dough you can cut well while frozen without hurting your dough. Freeze baked scones up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving these Cheese Scones with a beefy dish where you want bread but not garlic bread. So, I serve them with my Easy Goulash, my Best Ever Beef and Noodle Casserole, or my Hamburger Stroganoff.
Cheese Scones
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup cold butter cut into pieces
- 1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Milk for brushing the scones
- 2 tablespoons melted salted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F, setting the stage for perfectly baked scones.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Then, fold in the shredded cheddar cheese.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs and heavy cream. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined and a dough forms.
- Lightly flour a flat surface and knead the dough gently for about 10 to 12 strokes. Shape the dough into an 8-inch circle and slice into 8 even wedges.
- Arrange the scone wedges on an ungreased baking sheet, spaced about 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with a bit of milk for a golden finish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the scones turn a lovely golden brown. Once done, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly on the baking sheet.
- While the scones are still warm, mix together the melted butter, chopped chives, and garlic powder. Brush this flavorful chive butter over the scones before serving.
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