Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Scones

Seeing herbs in my container garden popping up is such a welcome sight, especially after the long winter we've had this year. I just had to use them to bake something! And these scones were it!

I went with this recipe for buttermilk scones but took out the currants and most of the sugar and put in chives and cheddar cheese for a savory scone...kind of like a biscuit. That's what I love about scones. You can make them sweet or savory just by changing up the ingredients. These are light and cheesy and a great change from rolls or bread with dinner.
 

Cut them into whatever size you'd like. I wanted them a little on the small side so I cut them into little triangles which gave me a dozen. But you can cut them into rounds or squares. Just remember, they do get quite a bit larger when baked. And if you don't want to bake them all, just freeze the remaining for another time. Pop them into the oven frozen and increase your baking time by a few more minutes.

Enjoy!


Use a nice sharp chaddar cheese for more flavor.


One you have the dough lightly mixed, gently fold in the cheese and chives.


Then turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and form into a round, square or rectangle, depending on the shape you will be cutting out.


Cheddar Chive Buttermilk Scones
Makes about a dozen, depending on the size you cut.

2 cups AP flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 oz.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tbsp. chopped chives
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
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Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times til the butter is in small pea size pieces. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Alternately, you can use a large mixing bowl and work the butter into small pieces with your fingers.
2. In a small glass measuring cup, beat 1/2 cup of buttermilk and egg together and pour into the dry ingredients. 
3. Using a fork, lightly stir the wet into the dry, adding more buttermilk, a few tablespoons at a time, if the mixture seems too dry. But be careful not to add too much. Don't overmix!
4. Add in the cheese and chives and lightly fold it in til just incorporated. Again, don't overmix.
5. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a round, square or rectangle, depending on what shape you'll be cutting out the sections. Gently pat the dough down to about a 1" thickness.
Hint: To avoid rerolling of scraps, shape the dough into a square or rectangle, then cut the dough with a large floured sharp knife or bench scraper into squares, then again into triangles ( if you want them smaller).
6. Transfer the scones to your prepared baking sheet. If your oven isn't yet up to the correct temperature, place the scones in the freezer to keep very cold. At this point you can freeze* some (or all) of the the scones to bake at a later time.
7. Bake the scones for 14 to 18 minutes, depending on the size you cut them. They should be nice golden brown on the bottom. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, they're done! If not, give them a few more minutes.
Once baked, transfer them to a wire rack to cool...but they're best served warm from the oven!
*To freeze:  Place the cut scones onto a baking sheet and freeze til hard. Once they've gotten hard you can wrap them in waxed paper and place into a zip loc freezer bag and bake as you want them. Just add a few extra minutes to your baking time.