From the Barefoot Contessa herself these scones are so tender and light. I gravitate towards savory scones and have always loved a good herb/cheddar scone. When I last lived in Ontario there was a chain restaurant called Cultures. There was one in downtown Oshawa and then one in the mall as well. I could walk anywhere with my daughter in her stroller and stop for a nice salad and a Cheddar scone. She loved their fruit salad, so, it was always a nice place to have a little mother/daughter bonding.The Contessa also changes the basic recipe up and uses things like dried cranberries and orange zest to replace the cheese and dill. They are limited only by your imagination!! I have been eating these for days!!!
**Cheddar Dill Scones**
4 cups plus 1 T all-purpose flour
2 T baking powder
2 tsp salt
3/4 lb cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup cold heavy cream
1/2 lb extra-sharp yellow Cheddar cheese, small diced
1 cup minced fresh dill
1 egg beaten with 1 T water or milk, for egg wash
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Preheat the oven to 400F.
Combine 4 cups of the flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric m,mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Cheddar, dill, and 1 T of flour and add them, to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill weed are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 - 25 minutes, until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked.
Makes 16 large scones
