I can honestly say that I have made thousands of these scones.  They’ve been a highlight for any breakfast event that I’ve prepared.  They are so easy to prepare ahead and cook the morning that you need them.  They are delicious warm from the oven early in the day, or later on as part of a light lunch.  I used my mother’s old scone recipe, tweaked it a bit, and switched out dried currants for aged cheddar.

My favourite spreads for these scones are dollops of raspberry jam, or later in the summer, fresh blackberry jam.

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Makes 18

Ingredients

3 c flour

1½ T baking powder

1 T sugar

¾ c cold butter, cut into 1” pieces

6 oz sharp cheddar, grated

1 large egg

1⅛ c whipping cream, light cream or milk (all work, the only difference is the richness of the scones)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375° F

Put the flour, baking powder and sugar in to the bowl of a processor.

Process for about 5 seconds.

Add in the cold butter.

Pulse five times, for 5 seconds each.

Turn into a large bowl.

Add in the grated cheese, and stir well.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg.

Add in the cream (or milk) and whisk together.

Pour the egg & cream mixture into the dry ingredients.

Stir well until almost all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Turn out onto a well-floured surface.

Knead 10 – 12 times, collecting in all the loose scraps.

Form into a short log, about 3-4 inches in diameter, using your hands to pat the ends smooth.

Cut into 3 equal pieces.

Flatten each piece into a 6” round, about an inch thick.

Cut into 6 wedges.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, about an inch apart.

Bake in the center of a 375° oven for 23 minutes until just starting to turn brown.

Let cool on the baking sheet.

When cooled, store in a sealed bag or container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

 Do ahead:  As soon as the butter has been cut into the dry ingredients, and you’ve mixed in the cheese, pour the whole of it into a plastic bag, and store in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer up to 3 months.  If refrigerated, let the bag of ingredients sit out at room temperature for an hour before proceeding.  If frozen, put in the fridge over night to thaw, and then let sit out at room temperature for an hour before proceeding.

If you don’t have a processor:

Whisk together dry ingredients.

Cut in butter to dry ingredients until no piece is larger than a pea.

Continue recipe as written.