A Caprese Salad, but in a scone. A salad scone. A scone with some salad. A perfectly cheesy, herby-fresh, caprese salad-inspired scone.
Whatever you choose to call it, my Caprese Scone is the epitome of summer. It is loaded with garden fresh basil, hunks of mozzarella, and speckled with bursts of sun-dried tomato. And the best part? It is another savory scone! My favorite.
This recipe is inspired by the best salad ever, Caprese. DUH. How could you not love something that is 85% cheese, 10% tomato, & 5% fresh basil, yet still claims to be a salad? I adore it. (Fun Fact: I am not good at math and had to sit for quite a few seconds longer than I should have had to to make sure the above % came out to a clean 100. I blame my father for this lack of skill because he let me stay home from the 3rd grade a total of 25 days. We did have a lot of fun though. Worth it!!! Maybe.)
But, back to the salad. It’s truly the perfect crime. Ingenious, if I do say so myself. And I felt the need, nay, the DRIVE, to bake this salad into a scone. My mom’s herb pot was also overflowing with basil, begging me to get crafty in the kitchen and make something other than pesto. Don’t get me wrong, I still made a buttload of pesto. Again, DUH. But I knew this basil had a greater purpose, and I think this scone was it.
Much like my Broccoli Cheddar Soup Scone, this little guy packs a mad savory punch into teeny, flavorful bites. If ya don’t have a big ol’ basil plant to work with, pop by your local grocer and splurge a lil, these scones are worth it. You are worth it! So, get to baking, enjoy the aroma your kitchen is about to be encompassed in, and eat ’em up, preferably hot out the oven. Leggo!
Caprese Scone
Ingredients
Dry
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Shake of garlic salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Wet
- 1 stick unsalted butter (cold)
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp half & half
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- 1 cup fresh basil (coarsely chopped)
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella (diced)
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (coarsely chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease, and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, spices and baking powder. Cut the cold butter into the flour and work into the dough (using your hands) until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, with some of the butter remaining in larger pieces.
- Add in the half & half and dijon mustard, stirring to combine. Squeeze the dough together and if it is still crumbly/pieces are hanging out around the bottom, add in more half & half until the dough comes together (~1 tbsp at a time).
- Dice the mozzarella, fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix all into the dough, dispersing evenly. Transfer the shaggy dough to a well-floured work surface.
- Pat the dough into a smooth, circular disc, about 1’ thick. Transfer the dough disc to the prepared baking sheet.
- Using a large kitchen knife, cut the disk into 8 equal wedges and separate the wedges slightly on the sheet.
- Brush the scones with a bit of half & half and, if you are feeling fancy, sprinkle the top of the scones with a bit of garlic salt or shredded parmesan.
- Bake the scones for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- If you do not have half & half, you can always use buttermilk as a 1:1 sub.
- Using sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, like this brand, makes it so that the tomatoes are still hydrated and will not become firm/tough during the baking process.
- You could use pre-shredded mozzarella, but I would highly recommend buying a block of fresh mozzarella, like this brand, for the recipe. It creates little gooey cheese pockets when diced & baked, which I think we all need in our lives right about now.
You could serve these scones with a Caprese Salad, or serve a Caprese Salad with these scones. Whatever your heart desires. I like to eat them fresh out the oven, or warmed slightly in a microwave, because the cheese gets a little gooey and it’s just, magic. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of you making these scones. So, go make some (now), tag me in your post about them (@mads.eatz), and share with your friends, family, fellow quarantine crew ( I didn’t want to include them in friends & family because you may view them as your nemesis now because of close quarters for such an extended period of time but hey, they still deserve a bite of scone)
Have a happy, healthy, Caprese Scone filled Wednesday! And, yaknow, keep wearing a mask because we are still in a pandemic and your health & safety is not more important/valid than anyone else’s!! Okay? Okay!! 🙂
XOXO – Mads