Ham and Rosemary belong together. Like Peanut Butter and Jelly, Sonny and Cher, Ross and Rachel… you get the point. That’s where I got the idea for these savory scones. They are so freaking good! The saltiness from the country ham goes really well with the herby rosemary and melty cheddar. There is even a hint of sweetness from a touch of brown sugar in the dough. I mean if you aren’t drooling already, what’s wrong with you?!
Scones are a great place to start if you’re not a fan of dough making or if the world of breads and baking seems intimidating. I think scones are even slightly easier than making biscuits. You don’t have to do any kneading to this dough, no crimping like a pie crust, nothing complicated at all. In fact scones turn out best the less you touch them. Score! Try these out and thank me later 🙂
Start out by prepping your ingredients. When it comes to dough making of any sort, it’s important to prep any ingredients that need to be chopped and set them aside before mixing. When that butter comes out of the fridge, time is ticking and you want it to remain as cold as possible to yield the best results. So chop your ham and shred your cheese first!
Just a note about interchanging items in this recipe… if you have leftover sweet spiral ham or parmesan instead of cheddar, they can easily be substituted. This recipe will work with most other cheeses and other herbs as well. I just think this combo works best personally.
Next, you’ll want to mix your dry ingredients together and then you’ll be ready to cut the cold butter into the dry mixture.
Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the dough until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Some people also use a food processor but I think that’s too much work and mess. Put some arm work into it and use a pastry cutter… we know you could all use some arm work in quarantine 😉
Once the butter is cut in, pour in the milk and egg mixture, then use a fork to mix just until combined. DO NOT over work the dough here.
Now you can add in the chopped ham, rosemary, and cheddar.
You can use a spoon or spatula to mix everything in but it’s pretty sticky and thick. Most of the time I just use my hands in this step. Only mix until things are most evenly distributed, again, you don’t want to over mix. Lightly flour a work surface, dump the dough out, and pat into an 8 inch circle.
Now just cut the dough into 8 triangles, like you would cut a pizza. Carefully move them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I added a sprinkle of extra ham and cheese on top, but that’s just for looks, not necessary.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges start browning. They will look like this:
They are the best when they are fresh and warm out of the oven! Let them cool for a few minutes and serve.
Country Ham, Cheddar, & Rosemary Scones
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 stick (8 oz) unsalted butter, COLD cut into small squares
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. whole milk
- 4 oz cheddar cheese, finely shredded
- 4 oz country ham, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. If you haven't already, chop the ham and shred the cheese then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and brown sugar. Cut the butter into small cubes and then add to dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg into the milk, then add that into the dry mixture. Use a fork to stir everything together until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add in the cheddar cheese, country ham, and rosemary and stir till just combined.
- Lightly flour a working surface and dump the dough onto the surface. Gently pat the mixture into an 8 inch circle. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and carefully transfer to prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until tops are lightly browned. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then serve warm.
