Cookie season is officially over. It's time for the mainstays of winter food: hearty stews, roasted root vegetables, and big bunches of sturdy greens. But that doesn't mean no baking! Winter is one of the best possible times to mix up a batter and produce a steaming loaf of bread, a platter of rolls, or a fluffy muffin. Who doesn't want to crack open the oven to release a gush of heat and a pan of delicious, crispy baked goods? I ask you.

So I made a pan of scones--but not just any scones. These guys are packed with grains and stuffed with chopped chard leaves and parmesan to produce a slightly sweet, slightly salty, mild, tender, and delicious result. It's the season of greens, after all. Why not push past the typical steamed and sauteed preparations and go for a scone?

I used AP flour, rolled oats, 10-grain cereal mix, and a little ground flaxseed to punch these guys up with as many grains as possible. The cornmeal in my cereal mix gave the end product a nice subtle crunch. If you don't have a similar mix hanging around your kitchen, you can always substitute in the flour of your choice. I would probably go for wheat or rye flour here, since we already have oats in the mix, but more exotic flours like buckwheat could also produce some really interesting results.


Multigrain scones with chard and parmesan
w ref to maple oat multigrain scones

1 1/2 cup flour of your choice
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup 10-grain cereal mix (or wheat, rye, or oat flour)
1 tbsp flaxseed meal (optional)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold butter
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped chard or other greens of choice
~1 cup grated parmesan, not packed

Start by preheating your oven to 375F and lining a baking sheet with parchment or silicone mats.

Mix all your dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add your butter, cut into small chunks, and combine with a pasty blender or two forks. I like to use grated frozen butter for maximum ease. You will definitely get butter all over your hands if you try to grate a big chunk of frozen butter, but it's worth it. Mix until your mixture resembles a pile of breadcrumbs.

Add your egg and milk to the dry ingredients and mix just enough to combine, using a wooden spoon or spatula. Fold in your prepared greens and cheese. It's super easy to substitute other greens or cheeses here if you prefer; for instance, spinach and feta is classic. I would reduce the amount of cheese to 1/2 cup if you use something more solid than fluffy freshly grated parmesan, however. Just use your judgement and you should be fine.

Knead everything together a few times and your dough will be ready. Flatten it slightly to form a round disk, and divide it into eight wedges with a pastry cutter.

Arrange your finished scones on your baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until your scones are golden brown underneath and sound hollow when tapped. If you want to, you can add some cheese to each scone in the last few minutes of cooking. I topped mine with cheese at the 18 minute mark, and then baked for another 5 minutes before checking for doneness. I don't think this is really necessary, but hey--cheese!


Let your scones rest for five minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a rack. Eat warm or let them cool; it's up to you.

These guys are good split in half, toasted, and spread with butter. They're good just by themselves, eaten in a few bites as you walk to the bus stop in the morning. I bet they would make some very interesting little savory sandwiches, if that's how you roll. And it goes without saying that they're the perfect accompaniment to a giant bowl of the dal, chowder, or bisque of your choice. Soup and homemade scones: together at last.

Hooray! Scones!

How are you eating your winter greens?