Asparagus Gruyère scones are a perfect addition to spring brunches. The Gruyère cheese pairs deliciously with the grassy flavor of fresh asparagus.
Now’s the time to take advantage of the asparagus you can find everywhere. Put out a plate of these buttery, flaky scones and they will disappear!
This recipe makes 12 very large scones.
Tips
- Make sure the butter is very cold.
- You can mix the dough by hand or using a stand mixer.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to make asparagus Gruyère scones.
- 36 asparagus spears
- 8 1/4 ounces Gruyère cheese
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/4 cups cold, well-shaken, full-fat buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream
- Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling
Directions
Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly steam the asparagus. They should be very crunchy. Pat them dry with a towel. When they are cool, cut 2-inch pieces from the tip end of each asparagus and wrap them in a towel. Choose the thinnest stems from the rest of the asparagus and cut very thin (1/8th of an inch) slices across the stems until you have 1/2 cup. Set the slices aside for later. (You can use the rest of the asparagus for another cooking project.)
Using the large-hole side of a grater, grate the cheese. Set it aside for later.
Sift the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Add the butter chunks to the flour mixture and cut the butter into the flour blend. You can use a pastry blender, two forks, or two knives to do this. You want the mixture to resemble coarse crumbs, with the butter pieces being about the size of peas. It won’t look like dough yet.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Gently combine the ingredients with a silicone spatula, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to incorporate the dry ingredients.
Add the Gruyère and chopped asparagus pieces to the dry ingredients. Try not to overmix the dough. The dough will be rough, shaggy, and sticky. It will come together as you shape the scones.
Using a No. 8 (4-ounce) scoop or 1/2-cup measuring cup, scoop packed portions of dough and arrange them on the prepared sheet pans. Using your hands, shape each mound into 2-inch-tall balls, roughly the size of a lemon. Work quickly so that you don’t warm the butter. If the scooped scones are too sticky or soft to work with, refrigerate them until firm (15 to 30 minutes), then shape them into balls. Press each scone down a little to flatten the surface.
Put the baking sheets in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm the scones and help them keep their shape.
While the scones are chilling, whisk the egg and cream together in a small bowl.
Take one sheet of scones out of the refrigerator and prepare it for baking (keep the other sheet in the refrigerator). Generously brush each chilled scone all over with the egg wash. Press 3 asparagus tips into the top of each scone. Sprinkle the scones with a little flaky salt.
Bake the scones until they are deep golden brown and glossy (30 to 35 minutes), rotating the sheet front to back after they’ve baked for 15 minutes. You may see some fat pooling around the scones as they bake, which is fine.
Remove the scones from the oven, let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack. Repeat the baking prep and baking with the remaining pan of scones.
Serve the scones warm or at room temperature.
Refrigerate leftover scones. For the best flavor, warm them in the oven before serving.
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