These Easy Cheese Scones are cheesy, savoury, buttery, and flakey. Full of smoked cheese, cream cheese, and thyme, they are a great addition to a cheese platter. Perfect for Mother's Day Brunch or an afternoon tea.
In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, if using, and mix a few times.
Add the cold butter, cream cheese and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.Alternatively, you could cut in butter and cream cheese into the flour mix by using a pastry knife.
Add both cheeses, thyme and pulse a couple more times to mix it in or mix it in by hand.
Add the egg, mix it in.
Add the half and half cream and mix until the mixture starts to come together. If using a food processor, it may still look like crumbs, but if the mixture is pinched between fingers, it should stick together.
Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead a few times until a ball forms.
Now for the interesting part: fold the dough toward you, flatten it a little bit with your hands, move the dough quarter turn and fold again. Repeat 10 times. This will make the scones slightly flakey.
Place the dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and flatten into a 9-10 inch circle.
Cut into 12 wedges and slightly separate.
Brush the wedges with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the scones are baked through, springy to the touch and golden brown.
Notes
I've made scones with heavy cream, half and half, milk or yogurt. This particular version was made with half and half, but any dairy could be used. You may also need a bit less, so add a little bit at a time.
I recommend using smoked cheese as it gives the scones a very unique flavour, but it's not required. You can just use all one cheese.
My oven always takes longer to bake, but these could be done in as little as 30 minutes. My oven took 40.
You can also use chives or other herbs instead thyme.