eat make read

It’s no secret that I love a good scone. Crispy and crunchy on the outside, rich and soft on the inside… sign me up! Rarely will I go for a savory scone because then it just creeps into biscuit territory. But then Aaron kept raving about this cheddar and chive scone he was getting at a local coffee shop. Of course the next time we stopped in we picked one up and holy smokes, that is an awesome scone. Not only was it full of flavor and had the perfect texture, but they also dusted the tops with black pepper which added a perfect bit of pizazz to each bite. You know what happened next… I had to try to make them myself.

I went to my favorite scone recipe and set about tinkering with it in order to make it fit the bill. I swear by this recipe because every time I’ve made it, it’s left me with mouthwatering, crispy edged, flaky-centered scones. A quick chop of some chives and a bit of grating some delicious cheddar cheese and I was on my way to some delicious scones. In addition to the recipe, I’ve perfect a technique of forming the dough into a square, then cutting it into 8 lovely little triangles. Into the oven they went while I sat waiting to see if they fit the bill.

Fit the bill they did! The fresh ground pepper on top of each really adds a nice bit of spice to each, while the chives bring a great oniony flavor. With butter, cream and cheese there was no way these wouldn’t be moist and flaky. While they weren’t exactly like the ones that inspired them (they weren’t as tall or quite as crispy) these certainly satisfied my craving and left me debating whether a second would be overkill.

cheddar + chive cream scones
makes 8 scones

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
freshly ground pepper

1
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2
Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.
3
Remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add cheese and chives and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.
4
Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
5
Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to the parchment covered baking sheet. Form dough into a 9″x9″ square. Once the dough comes together, cut it in into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper.
6
Gently brush each scone with a little cream and top with freshly ground pepper.
7
Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.