These Sun dried tomato scallion cheddar scones are Savory, buttery and so delicious. Serve these for your next weekend brunch, your family and friends will fall in love!
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The inspiration for these incredible savory scones came from one of my absolute favorite cafes in downtown Stroudsburg, PA in the Pocono Mountains – Cafe Duet.
Every morning the baker makes scratch made cookies, cakes, croissants, and scones. If I’m lucky, and they’re completely sold out, I always go for the savory scones that are topped generously with rock sea salt.
This recipe is my attempt at recreating their incredible scones, and I think I’ve come so close!
Love this recipe? Be sure to check out:
Flaky Weekend Sour Cream Biscuits
Garden Quiche with Mushrooms, Leeks, and Cheddar
The Origin of Scones
Scones are a delicious, flaky pastry that originated in Scotland in the early 1500s. Traditionally made with flour, butter, sugar, and milk, scones have become a popular breakfast, brunch, and tea-time treat around the world.
INGREDIENTS
The classic ingredients for scones include flour, butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, and milk or cream. Optional add-ins can include fruit, nuts, spices, or chocolate chips. The possibilities to customize these scones are endless, and that’s where the beauty lies.
- unsalted butter – I’m using unsalted Kerrygold pure Irish butter for this recipe (and ALL of my recipes, really). Go with unsalted because the cheese naturally has plenty of salt in it, and the vegetables are seasoned as well.
- unbleached all purpose flour – it’s unbleached all purpose flour for me, specifically King Arthur Baking Company. I really appreciate their attention to quality and detail, and fair business practices.
- eggs – For the most consistent results, use AA large organic eggs here. Organic eggs are usually richer, as you can see by the color of their vibrant yellow yolks.
- baking powder – Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. It is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods.
- sun dried tomatoes – go for sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil. Do not rinse the tomatoes. Simply use a fork to remove from the jar, letting an extra oil drip off, then chop them into smaller pieces.
- scallions – finely chop the white and the green parts of the scallion for these scones.
- cheddar cheese – I use Kerrygold cheddar for these scones. Their Blarney, Skellig, or Aged Cheddar work perfectly here. Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the cheese.
- spinach – I use fresh spinach here. I slowly wilt it in a dry pan, then chop it up. Make sure that it has cooled to room temperature before adding it to the dough.
- kosher salt – this recipe is formulated using Morton’s Kosher salt. If you’re using Diamond Crystal, use an extra 1/4 teaspoon.
ingredients
POPULAR SCONE FLAVORS
Some of the most popular flavors of scones include blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, lemon, and vanilla. Savory scones, on the other hand, tend to include ingredients like cheese, herbs, bacon, and garlic. Sun dried tomato and feta, cheddar and chive, and bacon and onion are common savory scone varieties.
How to serve scones
Sweet scones are typically served with jam, clotted cream, honey, or butter, and make a perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of tea. These Sun Dried Tomato, Scallion, Spinach, and Cheddar Scones can be serve with salted butter, fresh cheeses, and a delicious leafy salad topped with a vinaigrette.
How to make Savory Cheddar Scones
- Place the cup of fresh spinach in a small sauté pan (dry, do not add oil or water), and cook over medium/low heat for about 3 minutes. Remove the wilted spinach from the pan, and chop. Let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, sugar, kosher salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
- Add the very cold, diced butter to the bowl, and use your fingertips to smoosh the butter into the flour, flattening each piece of butter, coating all of the butter with flour, squeezing as you go.
- Add the Kerrygold Aged Cheddar, crumbled feta cheese, grated parmesan to the bowl, chopped scallions, and chopped sundried tomatoes to the bowl. Use a wooden spoon to combine.
- To another small bowl, or large measuring cup, add the ½ cup heavy whipping cream, the egg, and the cooled chopped spinach. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the cream and egg mixture into the well. Use a wooden spoon to mix all of the ingredients together until just combined, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
How to Shape Sun-dried Tomato Scallion Cheddar Scones
You can usually find scones in two common shapes: round and wedge-like triangles. For these delicious savory scones, I went with a generous wedge shape for two reasons. First, I didn’t want any leftover scraps to re-roll. Second, I love a generous savory scones that a very substantial snack, or even a light meal.
- Lightly flour your work surface, and pour the shaggy dough out onto the work surface.
- Use your hands to gather the dough together in a mound, then press the dough into a flat rectangle about 8”x10”. Fold the top third of the dough into the center (like a letter), then fold the bottom third into the center. This will help create flakey layers in your scones. Press the dough back out into a larger rectangle, and repeat the folding process once more, pressing the dough out into a round shape.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife, or a bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 large scones, or 16 smaller scones. Place the scones on a parchment lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the scones from the fridge, and brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Sprinkle the tops with flakey sea salt, and bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Enjoy immediately!
shaped and ready to bake
Hot Baking Tips:
The most important part is: to keep all of your ingredients very COLD. I know this may be confusing, because so many baking recipes tell you that the ingredients should be at room temperature. When you want to create layers of flakey goodness (think pie crust or biscuits too!), you have to keep the butter, cream and eggs very cold. Warning, science ahead: You’re going to cut up the butter into small pieces that aren’t fully incorporated into the dough. Since butter is about 20% water, steam is released in those pockets during baking, which helps creates layers.
In the summer months, make sure to place the scones in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before you bake them off. Like a lot of recipes on my blog, you can take this formula and make it your own!
TOOLS I USE – LINKS ARE SHOPPABLE!
- The best baking sheets – your treats will never ever burn!
- stainless steel mixing bowls
- wire whisk
- bench scraper
- classic French rolling pin
- the best box grater ever
Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments below! I am warning you though: once you make a batch and share them, you’ll be getting a steady stream of requests for more and more.
If you make these Sun dried Tomato Scallion Spinach and Cheddar Scones, or any of the recipes from the blog, share it and tag me @lions.bread so I can see it! I love seeing how busy you all are in the kitchen, and hearing your feedback.
Don’t forget to save this recipe to your favorite board on Pinterest! Click on any of the images on this page to see the “Pin it!” icon.
happy baking – LeAnne
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and rate it to let me know what you think
Sun dried Tomato, Scallion, Spinach and Cheddar Scones
savory, flaky, cheesy scones studded with scallions, sweet sun dried tomatoes, and plenty of sharp cheddar
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh fresh spinach packed
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 g
- 1 tablespoon sugar 12 g
- ¾ teaspoons kosher salt 3 g
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder 9 g
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold, and diced 113 g
- 6 oz. Kerrygold Aged Cheddar Cheese grated, 155 g
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 25 g
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream divided 120 g
- flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
Place the packed cup of fresh spinach in a small sauté pan (dry, do not add oil or water), and cook over medium/low heat for about 3 minutes. Remove the wilted spinach from the pan, and chop. Let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, sugar, kosher salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
- Add the very cold, diced butter to the bowl, and use your fingertips to smoosh the butter into the flour, flattening each piece of butter, coating all of the butter with flour, squeezing as you go.
- Add the Kerrygold Aged Cheddar, crumbled feta cheese, grated parmesan to the bowl, chopped scallions, and chopped sundried tomatoes to the bowl. Use a wooden spoon to combine.
- To another small bowl, or large measuring cup, add the ½ cup heavy whipping cream, the egg, and the cooled chopped spinach. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the cream and egg mixture into the well. Use a wooden spoon to mix all of the ingredients together until just combined, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Lightly flour your work surface, and pour the shaggy dough out onto the work surface.
- Use your hands to gather the dough together in a mound, then press the dough into a flat rectangle about 8”x10”. Fold the top third of the dough into the center (like a letter), then fold the bottom third into the center. This will help create flakey layers in your scones. Press the dough back out into a larger rectangle, and repeat the folding process once more, pressing the dough out into a round shape.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife, or a bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 large scones, or 16 smaller scones. Place the scones on a parchment lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the scones from the fridge, and brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Sprinkle the tops with flakey sea salt, and bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Enjoy immediately!
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