Black Pepper Bellavitano Cheese Scones

I know the name sounds fancy but pretty much these are just cheese scone with pepper. I got the idea while studying; I wanted something savory and delicious. Also the morning after Hurricane Irene there was a slight chill in the air. I decided I wanted to make a something that that reminded me of Fall. When I think of fall, I think of Scones. I must confess these scones are not made from Scratch I used Harry and David Original Scone Mix. I love this mix because by itself it makes simple scones with no extra frills. If you want to get creative than this is the mix for you it lends itself to sweet or savory scones. Before I describe the recipe I would like to give a little history on the origin of scones.

Scones are British quick bread more specifically Scottish in origin. Scones are popular in the United Kingdom, and countries colonized by the UK (ie United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland), but are also eaten in many other countries. They are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent. The scone is a basic component and complimentary portion of the cream tea. The original scone recipes were round and flat, usually the size of a medium size plate. Originally scones was made with unleavened oats and baked on a griddle, then cut into triangle-like quadrants for serving. When baking powder became available to the masses, scones began to be the oven-baked, well-leavened items we know today. Modern scones are widely available in bakeries, grocery stores, and supermarkets or (overpriced at Starbucks). As of 2005 market report estimated the UK scone market to be worth 104 million dollars. The increase is partly due to an increasing consumer preference for impulse and convenience foods. But instead of purchasing Scones here is a recipe to make them at home.

Black Pepper Bellavitano cheese Scones
1 package of Harry and David Scone Mix
1/3 cup ice cold water
½ cup of Heavy Cream or half and half
2 tsp of Course Ground Black pepper
¾ cup of Bellivanto Cheese (if you don’t have this type of Cheese than you can try this with another rich, nutty, creamy artisan cheese or Parmesan)

1. Preheat the oven to 425*F. Grease you cookie sheet and set on the side.
2. Mix the Scone mix, cold water, and Heavy cream together in the bowl. I like to mix it for at least 2 minutes. While mixing slowly add in the black pepper so it can be evenly distributed. Due to the fact that the cheese also has black pepper you may want to add less black pepper.
3. Begin to slowly add in the Bellavitano cheese, you can save some of the cheese to place on the top of the scone.
4. Bake for 11-13 minutes. I suggest 13 minutes for a nicer golden brown scone. But 11 minutes is sufficient also.

Serve these scones by themselves or with an evening dish. I made these on Sunday and my little cousin decided to eat the scones with his tortellini. I did find that they tasted amazing fresh out of the oven. The cheese and black pepper will play with your senses and is very delicious. The day after, the cheese flavor dissipates and the black pepper is more pronounced. Next time I make these scones I will use less pepper and let the pepper from the cheese be enough to give hints of a peppery flavor.

If I rated this recipe it would be 3 out of 5. There is always room for improvement.

--Deaverster

References

1. ---

Harper, Douglas (2001). "Scone". Online Etymology Dictionary. Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2009-11-19.

2. Weiner and Albright. "Simply Scones." St. Martin's Press, 1988, p. 3.
3. Ingram, C., Shapter, J. (2003). Bread: the breads of the world and how to bake them at home. (Originally published as The World Encyclopedia of Bread and Bread Making.) London: Hermes House. p. 54.
4. "The History of Scones". Food History. The Kitchen Project. 2001-03-01. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
5. "History of Scones and Griddle Cakes". CakeBaker.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
6. Goldman, M. (2007). A Passion for Baking. Birmingham, Alabama: Oxmoor House, Inc.. pp. 85.