Luscious Cheese Scallion Scones

No Tuesdays with Dorie for me this week, as I’m on vacation (I’ll be back tomorrow.) But I did whip up something else before I left . . .

I bake a fair amount of scones and biscuits for a variety of reasons: they’re quick, easy, affordable, and a great way to Clean Out the Pantry. So, recently when I found myself with some scallions and cheddar that needed to be used up, and little time for baking, I turned to The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook for some inspiration, and found it in the recipe for Scallion Cheddar Scones.

These were a big hit at Chez Chow. I have no idea why, but they smelled like bacon when I was baking them. And whether you eat bacon or not, you have to admit that nothing else smells quite like it does.

Will I be making these again? In a heart beat. I’ve hidden some scallions and cheddar in the back of the fridge expressly for that purpose! Scallion Cheddar Scones
Adapted from a recipe in The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion

2 cups (8.5 oz.) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (omit if you’re using a cheese with a pepper in it)
6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and frozen
2 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup (2-3/4 oz.) sour cream
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup (4 oz.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 to 5 scallions (1 cup, 2 oz.) scallions, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 F and position rack in the middle of the oven. Like a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat (not foil – the scones will stick).

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Add the butter and pulse until blended, but do not overmix.

In a separate container, preferably with a spout, mix together the eggs, sour cream, cayenne, and mustard. Through the feed tube of the food processor, add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and pulse just until mixed. Remove the dough from the food processor and place it on a lightly floured surface. Gently mix in the scallions, but do not overknead the dough. It will have the consistency of drop-cookie dough.

Form the dough into two circles 1-inch thick, or pat into a rectangle, about 6 x 9-inches and 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into 12 triangles.

Place on the prepared cookie sheet (if you don’t have parchment of a Silpat, be sure to grease the cookie sheet very well). Bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and a cake tester inserted into the scone comes out dry.

The raw scones freeze very well, and you can make a batch, freeze them, and bake off a few at a time.