Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Scones
On September 01, 2011 in Baking
On a cooler day I like to make soup and have the oven going, so I whipped up some caramelized onion and cheddar scones to go with a nice corn chowder. I think we ended up eating more scones than chowder, but we couldn’t let them go to waste as biscuits tend to go stale within a matter of hours! The earthy sweetness of the onions, the sharp bites of gooey cheddar and the herbal note of sage… these are just too irresistable to pass up.
Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Scones
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/2 cups (about 300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons shortening or lard, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 3 ounces aged cheddar, cubed
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- salt and pepper
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onions, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until deeply caramelized, about 45 minutes to an hour. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with the rack positioned in the center.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients with a fork, then toss the butter cubes into the mixture. Freeze the bowl for 10 minutes to ensure the butter stays chilled.
- Remove the bowl from the freezer and mix in the buttermilk to make a cohesive and slightly sticky dough. Do not overwork. Fold in the cooled caramelized onions, cheddar and sage.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and, with floured hands, form into a rectangle. Cut the dough into approximately a dozen evenly sized squares and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the melted butter and sprinkle a bit more sage, grated cheddar and/or coarse salt on top. Bake until golden brown on top, about 13 or 14 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes to allow for carry over cooing, but eat soon afterward.
Ohhh!! Sco-o-o-o-p-p! Thanks for a great idea! Super nice! Cheers!