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Cheddar, Parmesan, and Cracked Pepper Scones

February 12, 2011 by Nicole 48 Comments

These savory cheddar scones made with buttermilk and brushed with smoked paprika butter are tender, flavorful, and easy to make. Perfect with soup or salad! | pinchmysalt.com

Rich and savory, these cheese scones are quite a departure from the sweeter scones we know and love. But these savory cheddar scones made with buttermilk and brushed with smoked paprika butter are the perfect accompaniment to a steaming bowl of soup or crisp salad.

So what is the difference between a biscuit and a scone?  Opinions vary on this subject, so I’ll just tell you what I think rather than pretending to know a definitive answer.  I think that scones should be richer than biscuits.  They are a special treat, so I don’t hold back on the butter or cream or whatever else I happen to feel like using.

I really didn’t hold back when I was developing this recipe.  These scones are butter-rich and filled with delicious aged cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano.  As if that wasn’t enough, I brushed the tops with smoked paprika butter before popping them in the oven.

You’re right.  That was a good idea.

These scones are put together just like biscuits.  If you’ve never made biscuits or scones before, you might want to read this post before giving these a try.

First, the butter is cut or rubbed into the flour until the mixture looks like a bit like coarse crumbs and the larger pieces of butter are about the size of peas.  I like to use my fingertips to rub the butter into the flour, but you can also use a pastry blender or two knives (a food processor also works great if you don’t mind cleaning it).

Flour and Butter Mixture for Scones

Next, the shredded cheeses are added to the flour mixture and stirred in before the liquid is added.  Make sure to reserve a couple tablespoons of shredded parmesan to sprinkle on the scones before baking.

Adding the Cheeses

After the cheese has been stirred in, combine the buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce and add it to the dry ingredients.

Adding Buttermilk Mixture

I always use a wooden spoon to mix my dough.  Nothing else feels right to me!

Mixing with Wooden Spoon

Mix until all the flour has been incorporated and the dough gathers together into a big shaggy ball.

Mixed Scone Dough

Sprinkle a bit of flour onto your work surface and dump out the dough.

Scone Dough on Counter

Knead it a couple times to bring it all together, but don’t worry about the dough being completely smooth.  The key is to work the dough as little as possible.

Kneaded Scone Dough

Divide the dough in half.

Divided Dough

Shape the two pieces into circles, about 1-inch thick.

Two Rounds of Scone Dough

Cut each circle into 8 equal pieces.

Divided Rounds of Scone Dough

Move all the scones onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Unbaked Scones on Parchment Paper

Mix two tablespoons of melted butter with 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.

Smoked Paprika Butter

Brush the tops of the unbaked scones with the smoked paprika butter.

These savory cheddar scones made with buttermilk and brushed with smoked paprika butter are tender, flavorful, and easy to make. Perfect with soup or salad! | pinchmysalt.com

Sprinkle the tops of the scones with a little bit of shredded parmesan.

These savory cheddar scones made with buttermilk and brushed with smoked paprika butter are tender, flavorful, and easy to make. Perfect with soup or salad! | pinchmysalt.com

Bake the scones at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the edges have turned golden brown.  Move them to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes before eating.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

These savory cheddar scones made with buttermilk and brushed with smoked paprika butter are tender, flavorful, and easy to make. Perfect with soup or salad! pinchmysalt.com

Be careful where you let these cool… my cheddar-loving cat Thumbelina was about to help herself  to one of these savory cheese scones when I caught her!

Thumbelina stalking the scones

I was chosen by McCormick to participate in the McCormick Real Gourmets program. I have been paid by them and I received a big box full of McCormick Gourmet spices. I have been using McCormick Gourmet for years, and am thrilled for the opportunity to explore more of their spices and blends.  I used the following McCormick Gourmet spices when creating this savory scone recipe: Black Tellicherry Peppercorns, Ground Mustard, and Smoked Paprika.

Related Recipes:

  • The BEST Buttermilk Biscuits
  • Herbed Cheddar Biscuits
  • Apricot Cream Scones
  • Cherry Banana Muffins with White Chocolate Chips
  • Buttermilk Cranberry Scones
  • Pumpkin Spice Scones

Around the Web:

  • Savory Cheese and Scallion Scones at Farmgirl Fare
  • Buttermilk Biscuits with Goat Cheese and Chives at Simply Recipes
  • Strawberry Goat Cheese Scones at Baking Bites
  • Apple and Cheddar Scones at Smitten Kitchen
  • Savory Parmesan and Black Pepper Scones at Chez Us
Cheddar, Parmesan, and Cracked Black Pepper Scones

Cheddar, Parmesan, and Cracked Pepper Scones

Yield: 16 mini scones
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (keep butter in refrigerator until ready to use)
  • 1/2 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
  • 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce or other hot chili sauce (optional)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and ground mustard. Rub butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips (or use a pastry blender or two knives) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the the shredded cheddar and most of the shredded parmesan (reserve about 2 tablespoons to sprinkle over the tops of the scones).
  3. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, sriracha, and egg. Pour buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until a ball of dough comes together. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surfaced and knead a couple of times (using a bit of flour if the dough is too sticky) just to bring the dough together.
  4. Cut the dough into two equal pieces and flatten each piece into a circle, about 1" thick. Cut each circle into 8 triangles and move them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Stir together the melted butter and smoked paprika and lightly brush the butter mixture over the tops of the scones using a pastry brush. Sprinkle the scones with the remaining shredded parmesan cheese.
  5. Bake scones in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown along the edges. Let cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before eating. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 250mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g
© Nicole Cross
Category: Breads
These savory cheddar scones made with buttermilk and brushed with smoked paprika butter are tender, flavorful, and easy to make. Perfect with soup or salad! | pinchmysalt.com

Filed Under: Adventures in Baking, Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, McCormick Real Gourmets, Snacks

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. natehk says

    March 27, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    Wow, just made these for a brunch; they were absolutely delicious, it is the first time i've made a biscuit from scratch, and they turned out perfectly. the step-by-step pictures were perfect
    Reply
  2. M from Germany says

    April 7, 2011 at 6:37 am

    Hi, I just made them for lunch and they were amazing ! It was my first time making scones so they turned out rather misshaped since I was afraid to overwork the dough...but they are so delicious ! I made them without the paprika butter ( never heard of it before) and they still turned out great !
    Reply
  3. Liz says

    October 11, 2011 at 3:04 am

    These are fabulous and very easy to make. I made them when some friends came for lunch and they disappeared very quickly! Thank you so much for the recipe.
    Reply
  4. melissa says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:39 pm

    I can't thank you enough for this recipe. For the past month (since you posted your "best of" near the beginning of the year) I've made these at least once a week. We eat them with chili - soooooo yummy. I never have the specified cheeses so I substitute. We've done cheddar and pepper jack and today asiago and sharp cheddar. Mmmmmm!
    Reply
  5. Olga @ MangoTomato says

    January 28, 2012 at 8:14 pm

    Made these today, but used a round biscuit cutter. SO FLIPPING good!!! Will be sharing photos and of course linking to you next week. Thanks for a great recipe.
    Reply
  6. LenusKitchen says

    October 10, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    I was looking for a scone recipe that used smoked paprika and I found yours! I've just made these and they are delicious. I substituted the cheddar & parmesan with what I had at home which was a hard, salty greek cheese called 'kefalotyri'. All I can say is yum!!!! & thank you for the recipe. Lenu
    Reply
  7. Ashley says

    January 6, 2015 at 11:30 pm

    I have been craving some prosciutto and and cheddar scones and couldn't find a recipe so I tweaked this to match my mouthdemands by omitting the mustard, hot sauce, and paprika and instead went for a dryer scone with about 1/2 a cup of it added instead. I think, now that the craving is completely and utterly given in to, I might have to just make some more with the original recipe this time. Definitely putting it in my recipe binder. Thanks!
    Reply
  8. Gwen says

    May 6, 2018 at 9:37 am

    These look amazing! Can I use all cheddar or substitute mozzarella for the parmesan?
    Reply
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