Is is a scone or is it a biscuit? I’m not quite sure either, but these fantastic Cheddar Onion Scones (biscuits) are my family’s new favorite bread to butter along with dinner or brunch! And guess what? No “cutting in” of butter!
Ah….the all-important age-old question. Is it a biscuit or a scone? I used to think they were two entirely different things. And, I have to admit, before I moved to Seattle (so so many years ago), I’m not sure I’d ever even heard of a scone. But then I tasted one. Mmmmm, this is good, why haven’t I had this before? Or even heard of it for that matter? I encouraged a good friend to try a scone. Well, that’s just a biscuit with fruit in it, he said. “No! It’s a scone, clearly an entirely different thing!,” I insisted. But, deep inside, I wondered. Was he right? Had I been eating “scones” all my life and calling them biscuits?
Turns out, like many things, the answer is – He was right, and, he was wrong. How do I know this? Well, I asked Google. Here’s what I found: In general, scones and biscuits have the Same ingredients, different proportions. Or maybe “scones” are just the British version of the thing we call a biscuit. Turns out, some of the biscuits I often make are really somewhere between true biscuits and true scones. Hmm….is there a name for that?
I decided to make these scone-biscuits (really, I need a name – neither “sconscuit” nor “biscone” work for me) after watching this Scone-maker, Sara Duggan, use a BOX GRATER, to cut cold butter in tiny bits to to help create the loft she wanted in her scones. So this, and her recipe, inspired me to make these super-yummy Cheddar Onion Scones. My first attempt resulted in these kind of pale, soft, albeit mostly (a bit too much baking soda) delicious, blobs, which I attributed to adding a too much buttermilk. So I reduced the baking soda and buttermilk content and added an additional egg, and these scones were born!
So call them what you want – Scones, Biscuits, or whatever – let me know if you have name better than those pathetic names I came up with – but you NEED to make some easy Cheddar Onion Scones – you won’t regret it! What would be better with a nice bowl of soup? Enjoy!
Cheddar Onion Scones
These scones are the BEST! Kind of half biscuit/half scone, the best of both! Crisp outside, tender inside. Buttered or plain, you may just need to double this recipe!
So easy to make – you can cut in the butter as you normally do for biscuits, or when super-cold or even frozen, run it over a grater, and it’s perfect for mixing into the dry ingredients.
- Prep Time: 10 min.
- Cook Time: 18-20 min
- Total Time: 28-30 mins
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
- Category: Quick Breads
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 c AP flour, plus a little more for flouring the counter or board
- 1 1/2 T Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/2 t Baking Powder
- 1/4 t Baking Soda
- 1/2 t Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 c Butter, frozen preferred, but well-chilled is ok
- 1/2 c Buttermilk
- 2 eggs (a third if you would like an egg-wash for the scone tops)
Mix-ins
- 3 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese (or any other you like), grated (approx. 1 cup)
- 3 Green onions, sliced fine (white and light green only), approx. 1/3 cup
Instructions
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 400F. Put a silicone or parchment sheet on top of a 11×18 Baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Dry Ingredients. (You can sift them for extra lightness, but I didn’t). Set aside.
Mix Wet Ingredients
- Crack the two eggs into a small bowl. Whisk well. Add buttermilk and whisk to incorporate.
Form the Scones
- Grate the Butter into ribbons. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a spoona or a rubber spatula.
- Grate the cheese.
- Stir 3/4 cup of the cheese and the diced green onions to the flour mixture. Make a “well” in the dry ingredients.
- Pour in the Buttermilk-egg mixture.
- Stir until the a dough begins to form and just about all of the flour is incorporated. Pour onto lightly floured board.
- Form the dough into 2 equal-sized balls. Press each into a 1” high circle, about 6-7” in diameter.
- Cut each circle into quarters, and move each of the quarter-circles to the baking sheet.
- If desired, brush with egg wash (whisked egg with 1 T water or milk).
- Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese atop the scones.
Bake
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until done. The tops should be brown and crispy. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
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Beautiful scones ! Whatever you name it, if it tastes good, I’m in ! Thank you !
I’m with you on that, I could’ve called it either scone or biscuit or really anything else, and it would still be de-Lic-ious! Thanks for your visit and kind words!
AHHH THAT GOLDEN BROWN COLOR! and those crispy lacey cheesey edges + the buttery, fluffy scone sounds like such a texture dream (:
Thanks, Heather! It most definitely is a party of texture as well as flavor! Thanks for visiting!
Yes! I love the box grater technique when it comes to cutting in butter. I have one of those dough cutters, but ever since I learned about the grater, I’ve used it instead. So easy! As far as biscuits v. scones, you make valid points. Scones often have added ingredients, but if you left those out then you are pretty close to a classic biscuit. (On a side note, now I want biscuits!) These scones sound delicious with the cheddar (I love cheese!!) and onions. I definitely need to make these ASAP!
Thanks, David! Now that I know the box grater “secret” you can bet there will always be butter in the freezer! Thanks for visiting!
Hmmmm, I’m with you–biscone just doesn’t sound quite right. But really, who cares what we call them when they’re so delicious? I’d easily gobble three or four of these down all by myself 🙂
I agree, Kelsie – I was happy to hear from a Blogger in Great Britain, that she feels these are certainly scones. So I named them appropriately. I’ll take whatever “wins” I can get some days! Thanks for your kind words and for visiting!
Wow! The scones look fantastic with all that cheese and green onion in them. I can not wait to bite into these!
Thanks so much, Neha! I think cheese and onion are such a great combination, don’t you? Thanks for your visit!
These scones look so good to be true!! Those crunchy crisp exteriors and the cheesy interiors are mouthwatering! I love the addition of onions.. More yummy!!
Thanks, Deepika! You’re right, my mouth is watering just at the thought of making them again. (Sigh…) Thanks for visiting!
You know, I had never actually thought about the fact that biscuits and scones are so similar. Thanks for doing the research on that for me, before I started doing my own wondering 😉 Savory biscuits/scones are so good – I don’t do it often enough!
Your biscuits/scones look wonderful! I love the onion in it. Biscuits in the UK are cookies. Actually, I’ve been sitting here trying to remember what biscuits are called there. Yes, scones abound there, but they really are their own thing. How my memory fades so quickly. I mean, I only lived there about 10 years and I’ve only been gone about 3 years. Whatever you call them, they look suuuper delicious! 😉
Thanks, Tonia! I know what you mean about memory. Crazy how it just goes sometimes, isn’t it? Thanks for your visit!
No matter to me if they are biscuits or scones, I want them all up in my mouth! They look amazing Laura! I bet they would pair dangerously with fried chicken. Oh snap, now I have ideas. Pinning!
Thanks, Christina! I agree – they would be perfect with fried chicken – go ahead, be dangerous! Thanks for the pin! And thanks for visiting!
Well I can confirm that over here in the UK these would definitely be called scones! But I agree with Ben, these look so good it doesn’t matter what they’re called!
Thanks so much! I was hoping my UK friends would let me know which seems the best name! Thanks for visiting!
Sometimes it’s hard to precisely assign food to one category. I often have some hard time deciding what I’ve actually made 🙂 On the other hand, the proper name isn’t the most important. And you’ve got something very delicious Laura – love savory biscuits/scones.
Thanks, Ben! I agree – I feel like a “pie” and a “tart” are often just a matter of the vessel which holds them. Glad you like the scones! And thanks for visiting!