Rosemary Cheddar Scones
One of the cafes I worked at in college had the most delectable scones. There were traditional blueberry and cranberry scones, a chocolate chip one, and the pièce de résistance was a rosemary cheddar scone. Anytime a customer would ask for my recommendation, I always excitedly told them to get the rosemary cheddar scone (warmed up, no doubt). But rarely did they seem as excited by the prospect as I was. In fact, sometimes I would get a flat out look of disgust.
It’s made me come to realize that people don’t appreciate cheese scones as much as they should. Although so many of the treats I love to bake are sweet, scones are an area that I consider gray—like bagels—where the savory varieties are just as good as the sweet ones.
The other day, as I was getting ready for my friend’s monthly craft night, I wanted to make absolutely nothing more than a scone. The theme of the monthly craft night just so happened to be cheese, and the memories of my favorite scone from college came flooding into my brain. I whipped out this traditional scone recipe, added a smooth Tilamook cheddar and some fresh rosemary, and the resulting scones were an absolute hit with the other crafters.
Although I think you can enjoy scones with whatever topping you desire, this one is fantastic with butter and clotted cream. If you’re looking for a mix of sweet and savory, you might consider an orange marmalade. Trust me when I say the best way to enjoy these is warm!
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1/3 cups sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¾ cup cubed cold butter + 1 tbsp melted
1 cup buttermilk
½–¾ cup grated cheddar (if you like them cheesey, lean toward ¾ or even a full cup. It’s up to you!)
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
Directions
Set oven to 400.
Whisk dry ingredients.
Add cubed butter and mix with fingers until it’s the consistency of coarse sand.
Create a well in the center and add buttermilk, mixing until barely combined.
Fold in grated cheddar and chopped rosemary.
Transfer dough to a floured surface and form a disk. Cut into 8-12 pieces.
Brush tops with melted butter and bake for 18 minutes, rotating halfway through.