Cozy Fall Sweet Potato Scones with Rosemary and Sharp Cheddar
I participated in a collaboration on Instagram that was to highlight anything ORANGE! It is the fall season after all and at the time I could only think of pumpkin and carrots. They seem to be the most common produce used to bake goods in the fall so I switched things up a little…
I opted for a savory, sweet potato, sharp cheddar and rosemary scone! If you have had cheddar type scones before, you know they are rich and filling. If you use sharp aged cheddar especially, the flavor is so much more pronounced.
Whenever I go to a bakery, I usually scout out for a croissant, muffin or scone. While I usually opt for sweet, when it comes to scones I love eating the savory kinds. Don’t get me wrong; cranberry and orange or cinnamon swirl ones are delightful, but savory scones are just something else.
I added rosemary for a nice herby touch, because I thought it need a contrasting flavor against the sweet potato and cheddar. I love that both sweet potato and cheddar were great choices to highlight orange, and the scone felt like something you could serve during the cooler months.
As I alluded to before, I decided to use a sharp, aged cheddar vs. regular, I find that it has more flavor and bite which comes through in the scone. I think the rosemary could be swapped for chives as well if you wanted to change things a little and add more color.
What makes a scone really wonderful in texture is definitely the chilled butter, but also the use of buttermilk. If you use non-dairy milk or skim, it will result in a scone that is not as flakey. I usually do not use any dairy in my baked goods if I can substitute it with non-dairy items, but this is something you don’t want to swap!
I am pretty much lactose intolerant but I still eat these (among other dairy products) and suffer through the consequences lol. Life is short to not enjoy good food, am I right?!
See below for the recipe, as long as you have the chilled butter cut into pieces, this is a fairly easy recipe to follow along. Enjoy one with a cup of tea or coffee!
Sweet Potato, Sharp Aged Cheddar and Rosemary Scones
It's a savory scone y'all; sweet potato and cheddar bring this scone together for a hearty snack, a little rosemary makes all of the difference.
- 1 medium sweet potato (peeled, cut into cubes )
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp cold butter, cubed
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 cup aged sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and boil a pan of water over medium high heat
Peel and cut sweet potato into small cubes and boil the potatoes until tender (10-15 minutes) – if you can poke a piece of potato with a fork and it slides right off, it is ready
Strain the potatoes once cooked, mash the potato so the pieces are smaller, does not need to be completely mashed, and set aside.
Pour in buttermilk in a glass container and add in the baking soda. Mixing the two creates a carbonation effect in the buttermilk, contributing to the flakey texture you find in scones.
In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt.
Using your fingers or a pastry cutter to crumble the cold butter into the flour mixture, thoroughly until the flour resembles a rough sand consistency. It's ok to have some butter pieces that are bigger.
Add and mix in the grated cheese and rosemary.
Combine buttermilk with the mashed potato and whisk together.
Fold into the flour mixture until everything is well incorporated.
Flour a surface to round out the dough into a 12 inch circle
Cut the circle in fourths so you have 8 triangle pieces
Place your scones on a silicone mat / baking sheet. Feel free to add more cheese on top of the scones here if you'd like. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
Serve warm, but cooled is just as delicious! I freeze mine after being stored for a few days in an airtight container.
