Ham and Cheese Scones

Scones – they’re not just for breakfast anymore.

I know I usually talk about baking with massive amounts of butter and sugar, but I figure it’s about time for something not so incredibly sweet. But have no fear! This recipe still has plenty of butter. I haven’t completely lost my mind!

This is also a great clear-out the fridge recipe. I had some leftover ham and cheese after making omelets this past weekend and half of a tub of sour cream from yesterday’s Cinco de Mayo dinner. I can’t lie - the motivator for this recipe was to use up the sour cream before I went at it with a spoon. Don’t act like you’ve never done it. I love me some sour cream…

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper
6 tablespoons cold butter
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded or cut into small pieces
1 cup ham, chopped (I only had lunch meat on hand, but it worked)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 tablespoon whole milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. (The parchment was particularly important for this recipe. The cheese oozes while baking, so the paper was a synch to clean-up! Of course, you could also use a Silpat mat as well).

Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large metal mixing bowl.

Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg and milk. Add the wet mixture, ham, and cheese to the flour crumbs. Stir it all together until just moistened.

Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured cutting board. Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle, and using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into eight evenly-sized wedges. Place the wedges on the parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake them for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Enjoy with coffee for a savory breakfast or as quick lunch on the go.