Photo by T. Mike Fletcher
1 pound hot sausage
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 ¼ cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg, well beaten
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook the sausage and drain on paper towels. Set aside to cool.
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment if available. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture until the size of peas. Add the cheese and sausage, mixing until well combined. With the mixer running, pour in the buttermilk all at once. Mix just until all the ingredients are moistened. There may be a little unmixed portion at the bottom of the bowl. That is preferable to overbeating which will toughen the scones.
Turn the mixture out onto a work area. It should not be necessary to flour the area. Push together and knead 5 or 6 times to form a uniform dough. Roll into an 11-inch square. Mark three lines evenly across and down dividing into nine squares. Cut the squares on the diagonal into triangles.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with the beaten egg. Double pan, or place a second baking sheet on top to insure the baking is equal throughout. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until the tops are lightly browned. Do not over bake.
Yield: 18 scones
Notes: Store any leftover scones in the refrigerator or freezer as they have meat in them. Reheat briefly in the microwave or in a 350-degree oven.
To Make Ahead: In either case, double pan. These can be baked and frozen then reheated at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Alternately, they can be shaped and frozen, brushed with egg wash, then baked at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.
By Helen Fletcher, The Ardent Cook
