I was having some friends over for lunch and I made a big batch of chili. I got sour cream, cilantro, and cheddar cheese for chili toppings. I ended up with some leftover cheese and cilantro. I wasn't sure what to do with them, but then it occurred to me I could bake them into some savory scones. I had originally planned to make cornbread with the chili, but why not try something different?
Notes: I made drop scones because I wanted round ones, but I didn't want to bother patting the dough out and cutting them with a biscuit cutter. They're rough-looking, but of course that's the point!
I don't think the cheddar cheese is particularly overpowering in these, so if you're not a huge fan of strong cheeses, don't worry. It will taste more savory than anything else.
If you don't dig cilantro, you can easily replace it with chives or parsley.
This batch made about 9 healthy-sized scones.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro.
Directions: Heat the oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add in the butter and work it into the dry mixture with a pastry blender or your fingers. The butter should be the size of small peas when you're done.
Add the cheese and cilantro and mix to combine. Pour in the buttermilk or yogurt and mix with your hands until it becomes a soft sticky dough.
Drop handfuls of dough onto the baking sheets (try to form them into balls as best you can---the dough will be very sticky) leaving at least two inches between each ball. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or move to a cooling rack and then serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
