cheesy time

I grew up in a small town where the only commercial-named companies belonged to the bank and the gas stations. There was the local Five and Dime where we could literally get penny candy for a penny (oh how I wish that was still true), the hair salon me, my mom and sisters all went to and the pizza/sub shop around the corner from our house. We were supporting local businesses before it became a trendy thing to do.

And then there was Special Tea's. The name alone evokes an air of mysterious wonder. It's really a little restaurant that only serves lunch and afternoon tea and is located in an old house so the restaurant is full of quirky character with mismatched chairs and tables... I just love it there. Of course they have a large offering of tea's (and amazing desserts!), but I love their veggie sandwich on an herbed scone- it's filled with fresh veggies, marinated artichokes and plenty of goat cheese.

I have to confess that one of the main reasons I made these scones is because I entered a bakers challenge where each month there's a new recipe to try and everyone comes up with their own version of it. Well this month was scones and since I already made the Strawberries and Cream Scones and the Irish Soda Pull-Apart rolls (which are very scone-like) I thought a savory scone was in order. These would be a wonderful accompaniment to soup or tea, or as I said above, they'd make for the best sandwich.

Garlic Cheddar Dill Scones

Recipe adapted from here and here

Makes 12-16 triangle-wedge scones

Recipe Notes:

- These would make excellent “bread” for a sandwich. Instead of cutting them into wedges, roll out the dough to ¾” thick and use a 3” or 4” (round or square) cookie cutter. Proceed with the rest of the directions.
- One clove of garlic is a perfect amount to complement the other flavors, but it's not necessary if you don't want it. A sharp or extra-sharp cheddar is best here- any other kind and the flavor will get lost against the dill and garlic. Also, I love the sprinkling of sea salt on top, but it's totally optional. 

- To reheat room temperature scones, place on a baking sheet, tent lightly with foil, and warm in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. salt

1 Tbs. baking powder

½ cup (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cold

2 large eggs

½ cup heavy cream, or half and half

1 clove of garlic, finely minced (optional)

8 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

½ to ¾ cup fresh dill, finely chopped

topping:

1 large egg, sea salt

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, lightly mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Dice the cold butter into small cubes and slowly add to the flour mixture, with the mixer on low. Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.

2. In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, garlic and cream, or milk.

3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, add the shredded cheese and dill mixed with ½ tablespoon of flour. Coat the cheese and dill completely with flour and add it to the dough. Mix the dough just until incorporated.

5. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough in half. Round and flatten each half into a 6-inch circle, about ¾” thick and then place the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment, or a Silpat. Using a knife, or a bench knife, slice each round into 6-8 equal-size wedges (or you could roll out the dough and use whatever particular shape you wanted). Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about ½” space between them, at their outer edges.

6. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and, with a pastry brush, brush on the egg wash on top of the wedges. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Place the pan of scones in the freezer, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425° F while the scones are in the freezer.

7. Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown. When you pull one away from the others, it should look baked all the say through; the edge shouldn't look wet or unbaked.

8. Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. When they're completely cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days.