Savory Ham and Cheese Scones

Inspired by the French classic Croque Monsieur, our Savory Ham and Cheese Scones will be a delicious and hearty addition to your tea table. First appearing on French café menus around 1910, the Croque Monsieur is a baked or pan-fried ham and cheese sandwich with melted cheese on the outside. Our easy-to-make scone version pulls in the same classic flavors of thinly sliced ham and Gruyere cheese that pair wonderfully with our Hesperides Golden Delight with its flavor of roasted apple, or our Fortune’s Favor with notes of sugared pear. Pull these scones out of the oven when they’re a light golden brown and enjoy them warm!

Savory Ham and Cheese Scones

Makes 8 large or 16 mini scones

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. mustard powder
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 10 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 ¼ cups thickly shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 6 slices Black Forest deli ham, coarsely chopped into small pieces 
• 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp. water for brushing on top

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, black pepper, mustard powder, and baking powder.
3. Cut the cubed butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or using two butter knives until it looks like coarse meal.
4. Stir in the Gruyere cheese.
5. Gently stir in the buttermilk until the dough just starts to come together.
6. Add the ham and gently fold until it is well distributed and the dough doesn’t have dry spots.
7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or press the dough out to a circle about 7 to 8 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick. Cut the circle of dough into 8 equal wedges. For smaller scones, divide the dough in half and make two smaller discs, cutting each into 8 smaller scones.
8. Whisk the egg yolk and water together until well combined, then brush the tops of the scones with the mixture (there will be some egg yolk mixture left over).
9. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet and bake until puffed and light golden brown on top and bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes (10-12 minutes for small scones).
10. Cool for 10 minutes, then serve with your favorite tea.

Enjoy!