It’s been ages, I know. I’ll get to a more detailed update of what’s keeping us busy around here (spoiler alert: it’s processing gallons of fruits and veggies while wrangling a toddler!), but in the meantime, have a summer scone recipe.
Looking for another way to use zucchini that’s not used in yet another loaf of zucchini bread? (Hot take: Zucchini bread is not even close to the best way to use extra zucchini. Fight me.) How about a tasty, savory scone?
I make these with a lot of eyeball measurements, especially depending on just how much zucchini I want to use, since they vary in size, and I tend to double the recipe because of this. However, I’ve done my best here to scale it down for those of you who don’t have a plethora of veggies to work with, and just want the regular eight scones.
You can customize your herbs here, or use none. I’ve had great success with basil so far, and may branch out to other flavors as the season rolls on.
In this recipe, like any fruited scone recipe, you’ll want to adjust ingredients based on moisture content of the zucchini. Don’t skip the sitting and salting step for the squash – not only does the salt add flavor, but it also helps to expel a good deal of the moisture that would otherwise make your scone dough soggy. Use the least amount of buttermilk or milk called for, and add as necessary to make a pliable, yet still flaky dough.
The dough also freezes beautifully for future baking endeavors. If you’re looking to do this, just make the recipe up to the shaping on a pan, freeze the raw triangles (or whatever shape you’re going for) on the pan for about two hours until completely solid, and store in a freezer bag for up to a few months. Bake directly on the pan from the freezer, but for about 5-7 minutes longer.
That’s enough of that. Let’s make scones!
Cheddar Zucchini Herbed Scones
Like biscuits, you don’t want to mess with this dough too much - just mix, pat, and bake. You can change up the herbs as desired.
you will need:
- 2 c all-purpose flour (you can sub up to 1 c wheat flour), plus more for kneading
- ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more for salting the zucchini
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 4 tbsp cold salted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ c fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 c shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 c shredded zucchini (about 1 small or ½ medium zucchini. I don’t know how big your veggies are, dude.)
- ½-¾ c buttermilk or sour milk, plus 1-2 tbsp for brushing
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper (you can also just leave it bare – I just like less cleanup).
- Place shredded zucchini into a colander or strainer in the sink (or over a bowl), and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt (not too much, since you’re not rinsing the squash). Allow to rest and drain for at least 10 minutes. Press the zucchini lightly to expel extra liquid.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, herbs, and baking powder. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can also do this step in the food processor, with 3-4 pulses. Fold in the shredded cheddar cheese, then the shredded zucchini.
- In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk the egg with ½ c of the milk, then fold into the flour mixture enough to get a solid, fairly sticky dough. Add milk, 1 tbsp at a time, if your dough is very dry, until you reach this consistency.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured countertop, sprinkle the dough with flour, and lightly pat the dough until it just comes together. Pat it into a circle about 10 inches diameter and 1 ½ inches thick. Cut the dough into eight equal wedges.
- Transfer each wedge to the prepared baking sheet, spacing each wedge about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops of the wedges with buttermilk. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack, allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the scones to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
The Crunchy Baker 