Spicy buttermilk scones with goat cheese and chives.
Ever wondered what the difference is between scones and cookies?
The light, sweet scones enjoyed in England have nothing to do with the heavy, slightly dry scones we usually have here in the States. They’re more like our cookies, but sweet.
I set about making a light, savory scone and learned that what I was making, at least here in America, was more commonly called cookies. (According to some, scones have eggs while cookies don’t.)
But even here in America, if the pastry in question is round, it’s called a biscuit, and if it’s triangular, it’s called a scone.
So call them whatever you want. Here’s a recipe for delicious buttermilk scones/biscuits made with goat cheese and chives and shaped into wedges. You can shape them any way you like.
Spicy scones with goat cheese and chives
ingredients
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon of sugar
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
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1/4 cup to 1/2 cup freshly chopped chives (can also use chopped green onions)
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1 5-ounce chunk of soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
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1 cup buttermilk (plus an extra tablespoon for finish)
method
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Preheat oven to 400°F:
Line 2 heavy baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.
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make dough:
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse flour forms.
Stir in the chives. add cheese and buttermilk; Stir with a fork until a sticky dough forms (chunks of cheese are visible in the dough).
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Knead the dough and shape into rounds, cut into wedges:
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently knead 8 times with floured hands. Don’t over knead!
Shape into a round dough about 3/4-inch to 2.5 cm thick. Cut the round into 8 wedges.
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Use a pastry brush to apply some extra buttermilk:
over the surface of the wedges.
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Bake:
Arrange the wedges about 1/2 inch apart on an ungreased large baking sheet and bake at 400°F in the center of the oven until golden, about 20 minutes.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Tastes best simply baked and warm, with a little butter.
