Ham and Cheddar Scones

Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of scones; the few that I’ve tried have just been a little bit too dry for my taste.  But for some reason, when I saw Rachael Ray make them on a recent episode of her daytime talk show, I had an instant hankering for them.  Rach made a few different varieties that April morning, two savory versions being among them.  I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, and, chances are, you might too.  In the oven, peacefully baking away mere minutes later, instead of making individual scones, I did mine a little more free-form, making one giant piece.  Although the texture is a bit more crumbly than I’d like (clearly undermining the word scone), they were quite tasty and served as a perfect midnight snack, spread with a little bit of Dijon mustard and topped with a slice of juicy red tomato – yum.  Or as Rachael would say, yum-o.

Ham, Cheese and Chive Scones
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
2 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick, plus a little extra for the worktable
1/4 cup sugar
10 thin slices deli ham, finely chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 egg
1/2 cup milk, half-and-half or cream (whatever you put into your morning coffee)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Yields: 4 servings

Preheat an oven to 425ºF.  In a large mixing bowl combine the baking mix, sugar, chopped ham, about 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the chives. In a small bowl, combine the egg and milk. Pull out about a teaspoon of the liquid in a small dish or coffee cup then add the remaining liquid to the bowl of dry ingredients. Give it a gentle stir with a fork or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.

Sprinkle a little bit of baking mix onto your worktable and turn the dough out onto it. Give it a quick knead, about 10 turns should do the trick. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and use your hands to shape it into a round that is flat on top and about 8 inches across. Brush the reserved liquid over the top of the dough and top with the remaining cheese. Cut into 8 wedges with a long knife. Leave the wedges together, though, you’ll break them apart after they’ve finished baking.

While the scones are baking, combine the softened butter and mustard in a medium-size mixing bowl. Set aside until the scones are ready.

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