Buttery scones filled with caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, and fresh thyme. These scones are delicious for breakfast or brunch or serve as a side dish at dinnertime. Spread with thyme butter for an extra special touch.
1largeyellow onion(or 2 medium onions, cut into a medium dice)
2 teaspoonsoil
2cupsall-purpose flour
¾teaspoonKosher salt
1tablespoonbaking powder
1tablespoonfresh thyme(+ extra for garnishing)
1 ¼cupsshredded Gruyere cheese
1cupheavy cream(plus 2 tablespoons for brushing on top)
1large egg
whipped butter(for serving)
Instructions
Grate 7 tablespoons of butter and keep cold while prepping the rest of the ingredients. (I like to keep the grated butter in the freezer so it stays very cold.)
Preheat a skillet over medium heat with the remaining one tablespoon of butter and the oil. Add the onions to the skillet. Cook the onions until they have softened, about 5 minutes.
Turn down the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have turned a deep brown color, approx. 20-30 minutes. If the onions start to dry out, turn down the heat or add a splash of water or beef broth. Also, a pinch or two of sugar can be added to assist with the caramelization if desired. Set aside to let the onions cool.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and fresh thyme. Whisk to combine. Add the grated butter and use a fork to toss the ingredients together. Add the cooled caramelized onions and shredded cheese. Toss to combine.
In a small pitcher or bowl, whisk together the egg and heavy cream. Pour the cream mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. The mixture will be sticky but not wet.
Pour the dough out onto a floured pastry board. Shape the dough into a circle, roughly ¾ - 1 inch thick. Slice into 6-8 wedges. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet. Brush the tops with heavy cream. Sprinkle with thyme leaves.
Bake for 18-25 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown.
Meanwhile, mix together the thyme butter, if desired. Add fresh thyme leaves to the whipped butter and blend together. Serve with the scones. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Scones are best eaten the same day but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Notes
Grate the butter. Grating the butter creates small shards which can easily be distributed evenly in the flour by tossing the ingredients with a fork. Alternatively, cut the butter into small cubes and use a pastry cutter to "cut" the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles crumbs the size of peas.
Use cold ingredients. Keep the grated butter in the refrigerator (or freezer) while you gather the rest of the ingredients. Cold butter will create steam in the hot oven and this steam causes the scones to rise. It also minimizes spreading. Keep the egg and cream cold until ready to add to the dough.
Toss the cheese, onions, and thyme in the flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients. This helps to evenly distribute these add-ins throughout the dough.
Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing will create a tough scone. Mix the ingredients just enough to bring the dough together. Then, turn out on a floured board to shape the scones.
Place the scones close together on the baking sheet. This helps the scones to rise tall instead of spreading wide.
Brush the tops with heavy cream. The cream helps to brown the scones
Make sure your oven is properly preheated before baking the scones. Baked goods that are placed in a cool oven do not rise properly as the oven comes up to temperature.
A sticky, moist dough results in a light, flaky, delicious texture. Dough that is too dry and crumbly will not rise much, thus creating dense scones.