Recipe: Savory Chive and Sharp Cheddar Cheese Scones (2024)

It's chive season

! I've been sprinkling freshly snipped chives on all sorts of things, but my favorite way to celebrate this easy to grow perennial is in a variation of my popular Savory Feta Cheese and Scallion Scones, a recipe I created 20 years ago during a scone craving when there was no butter in the house. It uses softened cream cheese instead of butter, which quickly mixes into the flour with a fork.

Fresh homegrown chives are an inexpensive gourmet luxury. You'll find more about growing and using chives, along with my simple homemade herbed yogurt cheese recipe

.

These scones are light and moist on the inside, with a pleasant little crunch on the outside. Serve them warm from the oven instead of rolls: plain, buttered, or with cream cheese, goat cheese, or

. I like to split and toast them in the toaster oven, then slather both crunchy halves with butter. They're great for making little sandwiches, and I've even used them in place of burger buns.

Farmgirl Susan's Savory Chive and Sharp Cheddar Cheese Scones

2½ to 3 cups organic all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)

1½ teaspoons salt

4 ounces cream cheese (or Neufchatel cheese), softened in the microwave 15 to 30 seconds (you want it very soft)

4 ounces (about 2 cups) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I like extra-sharp)

1/2 cup (about 7/8 ounce) chopped fresh chives

1 cup organic whole milk or half and half

1 large egg

Optional egg glaze:

Beat 1 egg and 2 Tablespoons organic milk (or half and half) well with a fork

1. Heat the oven to 400°.

2. Combine 2½ cups of the flour, the baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Add the cream cheese and cheddar cheese and toss gently with a fork until combined.

4. Add the chives and toss gently with a fork until combined.

5. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, beat the milk (or half and half) and egg with a fork until well combined, then gently fold it into the dry ingredients, mixing lightly with a rubber spatula just until a soft dough forms. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour if the dough is too sticky.

6. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, gently pat each half into a circle that is 1-inch thick and about 6 inches across. (To make 8 larger scones, don't divide the dough, just pat it all into a 1-inch thick circle.)

With a sharp knife (I use a large serrated knife dipped in flour), cut the circles into 6 wedges each. Place the scones on a heavy duty baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper.

7. Brush the tops and sides of the scones with the egg glaze if desired (I use a silicone pastry brush). Bake for 20 minutes (25 minutes for larger scones), or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm, or cool completely and refrigerate or freeze in a heavy zipper bag or airtight container.

More Farmgirl Fare muffin, scone, and quick bread recipes:

Still hungry? You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index.