Apple, Cheddar & Chive Breakfast Scones

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The kitchen was cool this morning.

Not cold exactly, but cool enough that the butter stayed firm on the board and the window had begun considering whether it might like to fog around the edges.

Early autumn is arriving in small administrative ways.

I wanted something warm for breakfast, but not sweet. Something sturdy enough to eat beside a cup of tea without becoming an event.

Maeve pats shaggy scone dough into a round on a floured board, surrounded by diced apple, cheddar, chives, and cold butter.

So I made scones with tart apple, sharp cheddar, and fresh chives.

The apple is important here, but it is not in charge. It adds little crisp, bright pieces between the cheddar and pepper rather than turning the whole thing into a pastry pretending to be pudding.

I diced it quite small.

A few pieces escaped.

Smokey pursued one briefly, discovered it was fruit, and withdrew from the investigation.

The dough comes together shaggy and rather untidy, which is exactly what it should do. Cold butter, minimal stirring, no kneading. The less it is fussed with, the more tender the scones will be.

This requires restraint.

Fortunately, I had tea.

By the time the eight wedges were cooling near the window, the kitchen had flour on the board, cheddar on the floor, and a warm buttery smell that made waiting five minutes seem unnecessarily strict.

I waited almost four.

Diced apple, grated cheddar, chives, cold butter, and flour cover a worn board while Smokey skeptically investigates a fallen apple piece.

Apple, Cheddar & Chive Breakfast Scones

Yield: 8 scones
Preparation: 20 minutes
Baking: 18 minutes
Total: 38 minutes

Dice the apple before you begin mixing, and chill the shaped scones for 10 minutes before baking.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup sharp cheddar, grated
1/2 cup finely diced peeled firm tart apple
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2/3 cup cold buttermilk
1 tablespoon buttermilk

Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet.
Peel one small firm tart apple and cut it into approximately 1/4-inch dice or smaller.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper. Cut in the cold butter until pea-sized pieces remain.
Fold in the cheddar, diced apple, and chives, tossing lightly to distribute the apple. Add the buttermilk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms. Add the final small amount only if needed. Do not knead.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a 1-inch-thick, 7-inch round, then cut it into 8 wedges.
Transfer the wedges to the lined baking sheet, brush with buttermilk, and chill for 10 minutes.
Bake for 16–18 minutes, until the scones are risen, golden at the edges, and firm in the center.
Cool for 5 minutes.

Method

They are especially good while still warm, when the cheddar is fragrant and the small pieces of apple remain visible in the tender crumb.

Smokey was not offered cheddar.

Smokey nevertheless believes cheddar was withheld from him personally.

Maeve’s Kitchen Notes

Keep the butter cold and handle the dough as little as possible. A shaggy dough is correct. It does not need to become smooth, agreeable, or particularly photogenic.

If your dough seems dry, add the final small amount of buttermilk only as needed.

For an optional substitution, replace the buttermilk with plain yogurt thinned with water.

Irregular wedges are welcome.

They taste the same near the window.

Recipe Note

This recipe was developed for Moonbeam Cottage and has not yet been household-tested. Kitchens and ingredients vary, so use your judgment and adjust as needed.

— Maeve