Cheddar and Dill Scones

This is my entry for Stage 3 of MarxFood's Ridiculously Delicious Challenge.

There are some people who are morning people.  I am not one of them.  Normally, this makes me rather proud but lately, I've been trying to throw caution to the wind and be an early riser.  It's not working all that well.  Especially because the hubster is a particularly chirpy early bird.  Most mornings, I will do or say just about anything to continue sleeping.  And this Saturday was no exception.  Apparently, in an effort to win myself an extra ten minutes of sleep, I promised the hubster I'd make scones for breakfast.

Of course, I had zero recollection of it when I finally dragged myself out of bed at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m.  But the hubster's not a man who forgets.  Luckily, I'd seen Brian's chocolate cherry scones recently and knew I wanted to give 'em a makeover for Round 3 of the Marx Foods Ridiculously Delicious Challenge.

Scones it was!  The problem was that I needed to use three of my remaining six ingredients in the made over recipe.  The remaining ingredients were dried cherries, coconut sugar, saffron, Szechuan peppercorns, dill pollen, and of course, the dreaded juniper berries.  It was early (for me) and well, I couldn't see three ingredients I could use in a sweet scone without well, copying Brian's recipe verbatim.  That is, unless I figured out how to use those darn juniper berries.  And given that I'd only had two cups of coffee until that point, that just wasn't happening.  So, savory scones it was.

Enter, the cheddar and dill scone.  The cheddar was sharp, the dill pollen was fragrant, and the seasoning was spot on with the combination of Szechuan peppercorn, saffron, and a bit of garlic and onion powder.  And Brian's not lying when he says his recipe is totally versatile.  The scone base is the perfect canvas for any mix-in.  Maybe even the dreaded juniper berry.

All in all, the cheddar and dill scones were the perfect accompaniment to creamy scrambled eggs.  And you know how I know they was good?  The scones won me an extra fifteen minutes of sleep the day after. 

PS:  I was also asked to pick my second choice recipe.  I pick Joanne's chicken and waffles.  Is it breakfast?  Is it dinner?  I don't know but I'd sure like to find out.

Cheddar and Dill Scones

Makes 8-10 scones

2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground Szechuan peppercorn
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dill pollen
1/4 tsp of saffron
1/2 cup medium or sharp cheddar, grated
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
3/4& cup half & half
Place rack in middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the first eight ingredients. Crumble the saffron threads in your hand and add them to the dry mixture. Add the butter to the bowl and, using two knives or a pastry blender, cut into the dry ingredients until the butter has mixed in.  Add the cheddar cheese. 

Slowly add the half and half to the dry ingredients, whisking to make sure it is fully incorporated. If the dough looks like it is moist enough, you can leave out a little of the liquid.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead a couple of times. Flatten the dough out until it is about 1 1/2 inches thick (should be about 8 or so inches wide). Cut into 8 to 10 triangles and transfer the wedges to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

Brush the top of each scone with a little bit of half and half. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Let cool on wire rack and enjoy!

Adapted from A Thought for Food's Chocolate Cherry Scones with Saffron.