Chive Goat Cheese Scones

I’m back in savory territory with these chive and goat cheese scones! Savory scones are one of my favorite things to make and eat, and they are the perfect entry into scone and biscuit making.

These are salty, herby, and they taste absolutely amazing. The texture I shoot for with scones is slightly softer and fluffier than a classic flakey biscuit, but the process is fairly similar. These are easy to pull together and they are the perfect breakfast treat- let’s get to it!

How to Make Chive Goat Cheese Scones

This recipe uses pretty simple ingredients with the addition of goat cheese and chives- I’ve made this recipe with both fresh chopped chives and partially dried chives- both are great options here!

We’re going to start out by stirring together the dry ingredients in a large bowl- in this case that’s flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Then it’s time to cut in the butter to the dry mixture. I like to use a pastry cutter for this, but you can use forks or even just your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it becomes sandy.

Once your mixture has small chunks of butter running throughout, toss in the chives and then it’s time to work on the wet mixture. We’re working together the goat cheese, heavy cream, vinegar, and one egg until it’s well combined. You should have small chunks of goat cheese, but nothing bigger than pea-sized.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and work it together with a fork until you have a shaggy dough that looks like this.

Then dump the dough out onto your work surface and knead it together until well combined. You want to avoid over-working this dough or warming up the butter too much, so work quickly at this stage.

Then it’s time to cut the scones into triangles and give them a little rest in the fridge while you preheat your oven. Brush the tops with more heavy cream and sprinkle them with flakey salt. Then it’s off to the oven to bake until they are golden brown all over and puffed.

These scones turn out crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and super savory and delicious. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks for Chive Goat Cheese Scones

Here are my tips to help you along the way to the perfect savory chive goat cheese scones:

• Do I have to use a pastry cutter? No, you can use clean hands to work the butter into the dry mixture until you have small pieces. You may find that the butter softens more quickly this way, so don’t be afraid to pop the bowl into the fridge for a few minutes.
• Do I need to use fresh chives? You can also use dried or partially dried if you prefer here without any change.
• Do I need to use chives or can I use another herb? You can use any fresh herbs you prefer here- rosemary is another great option!
• What if my goat cheese isn’t mixing well into the cream? You can use an electric mixer or an immersion blender to better break up the cheese into the cream. It does not have to be perfectly smooth, you just don’t want any huge chunks.
• Avoid over-working the dough. You want to knead it until it’s relatively even in texture, but avoid over working this dough. Once there are no dry pockets of flour remaining, pat it into a disc and cut the scones.
• Don’t skip the chill time. This gives the dough time to re-chill and the butter to cool down and rest. Don’t skip this step!
• Do I have to brush the tops with more cream? Yes, this contributes to the browning and crisping of the tops.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

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Chive Goat Cheese Scones

Servings 8 scones

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbs. baking powder
• 2 tbs. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 tbs. cold butter cut into small chunks
• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• 2/3 cup heavy cream plus more to brush the tops
• 2 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 tbs. flakey salt optional

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until there are pea-sized chunks of butter running throughout the mixture and it has a sandy texture. Stir in the chopped chives.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the goat cheese, heavy cream, vinegar, and egg until well combined. You will still have a few small lumps of goat cheese in the mixture, and that’s ok. If you’re having trouble mixing this, try using an immersion blender or an electric hand mixer to help break down the goat cheese. It doesn’t have to be smooth, but you want chunks of cheese no bigger than pea-sized.
4. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a fork to work them together as you go. Switch to a spatula and gently press the mixture together to combine and distribute the wet ingredients throughout.
5. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and gently knead to fully incorporate everything together until you have a fairly even dough. You want to work quickly here and avoid over working the dough, so just mix until everything is combined and there are no dry pockets of flour remaining.
6. Gently pat the dough into a disc about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Cut the disc into 8 triangles and place each scone onto your prepared baking sheet. Place the whole pan into the fridge for about 20-25 minutes while your oven preheats.
7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Once the scones have chilled and your oven is preheated, brush the tops of your scones with additional heavy cream to coat, and optionally sprinkle the tops with flakey salt.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown all over, puffed, and set. Cool for 10 minutes on the pan before enjoying warm!

Nicole Hampton

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!