The Cooking Chronicles: Cheddar-Dill Scones

Using the fresh dill I bought at the City Centre Market over the weekend, and armed with a recipe out of The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, I set out to make Ina's Cheddar-Dill Scones on Monday.

Back in April, I had tried her similar recipe for Strawberry Scones, but I found the freeze-dried fruit a little on the bitter side. I thought the combination of cheddar and dill would likely work better, and I was not disappointed.

This was my first time cooking with dill, so it took me longer than it should have to get the leaves off of the stems. Also, as I prefer to bake without the assistance of a KitchenAid mixer, hand cutting in the butter and working in piles of cheese undoubtedly takes more time. But somehow, the process of baking feels more "involved" that way.

I was very happy with the finished product, and they really are best fresh out of the oven. The butter melts, gets into every crevice of the dough, and the texture is perfect - crunchy on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside. And though this version is better than the strawberry, both resulted in flaky, golden brown scones. So here's to you, Ina.

Cheddar-Dill Scones