I find it hard to find a good scone nowadays as they truly are best when fresh out of the oven. The ones served in cafes are often dry and flavorless so I prefer to bake my own. This is the recipe I’ve been using for years and I always make the scones within an hour of serving them so that they are warm and crisp. Using high quality organic butter and the best cheddar (i.e. Cloverleaf) you can find definitely makes this a scone experience to be remembered! Sometimes I add some chopped rosemary ham (I’ve only found it at Save-On-Foods so far) which adds a hint of rosemary to the scone.

Cheese Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablepsoon baking poweder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 large egg whites

Optional: 3/4 cup finely chopped ham

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

Lightly mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the butter in using pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese (and ham if adding).

Combine buttermilk and eggs whites, stirring with a whisk. Add this to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times with floured hands (dough will be quite sticky).

Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve warm.