Cheese Scones

Course Bread, Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword best-cheese-scones, cheese-scones-recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 18

Total Time 33

Servings servings

Calories 367kcal

Freeze butter in advance. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside
In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper.
Use a box grater to shred frozen butter on the medium side of the cheese grater. Use a fork to stir the butter shreds into the flour mixture until evenly distributed.
To the bowl add 2 cups cheddar cheese and fresh chives. Stir until coated with flour and evenly distributed.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour in the buttermilk. Use a rubber spatula to gradually mix the buttermilk into the dry ingredients until fully absorbed. (You may need to bring the dough together using your hands toward the end of mixing.)
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured nonstick surface. Turn a couple of times to bring together and lightly coat with flour, just enough until it's no longer sticky.
Press or roll the biscuit dough into an 8 or 10-inch circle 3/4-inch thick. Using a sharp knife dipped in flour, cut into wedges.
Place wedges 2-inches apart on the prepared pan. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with reserved 1/2-cup cheese. (Reserve some butter for after baking).
Place pan into the oven. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Serve immediately brushed with additional butter or transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Flour - You can use self-rising flour in place of all purpose flour. When doing so, omit the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Baking Powder - You can use aluminum free baking powder in place of classic baking powder, if you’re sensitive to the taste of aluminum.

Seasonings - You can add one teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic to the dry ingredients.

Fresh Herbs - You can add fresh rosemary, parsley or thyme to change the flavor profile.

Buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk on hand you can use whole milk or make your own. To every one cup of whole milk add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Stir, then continue with the recipe.

Cheese Substitutions - You could use colby jack cheese, gouda cheese, gruyere cheese or pepper jack cheese for spice. You could also add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan to the flour mixture. A mature cheddar will give you the best pop of flavor.

Fresh Cheese Tastes Best - Freshly grated cheese offers far better texture and flavor than pre-shredded bagged cheese. For these scones, I grate 2 cups of sharp cheddar using the large holes of a box grater for the dough, then use finely shredded cheese to sprinkle on top for a perfectly melty finish.

Shape - Just like Southern biscuits, scones come in all shapes, though the most common are round or triangular, like in this recipe. You can also cut them into squares or use biscuit or cookie cutters for fun shapes. If you make smaller scones, just keep in mind that the baking time may need to be adjusted.