Ham & Cheese Scones

So, not being too big on scones, I decided to be adventurous and give this recipe from Cooking Light a try. I'm not sure what a scone is technically supposed to even be like, since I don't usually eat them, but I suspect it's not quite like these.  That being said, these were quite yummy, if you're a buttermilk biscuit kind of person.  They tasted just like the buttermilk biscuits my grandma used to make - the ones I didn't like as a kid, but love now - only with ham and cheese thrown into the mix, rather than being slathered with butter and jelly.  The cayenne gives them a good kick without adding too much heat, and they smelled so good baking! The only substitution I made was a reduced-fat mix of monteray jack and colby, rather than cheddar, because I didn't have cheddar on hand.  They were good with the colby-jack, and I'm sure they'd be just as good, if not better, with the cheddar. They would be extra yummy slathered with butter, but I'm watching my calories, so I opted to skip the butter slathering festivites.

Ham & Cheese Scones

Prep: 15 min. ~ Cook: 20 min.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar

3/4 cup finely chopped low-sodium ham (about 3 ounces)

3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk

2 large egg whites

Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 knives) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese and ham. Combine buttermilk and egg whites, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 or 5 times with floured hands. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut dough into 8 wedges, cutting into but not through dough. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 servings (seving size: 1 wedge)

CALORIES: 217 (30% from fat); FAT 7.2g (sat 4.1g, mono 1.6g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 10.4g; CARB 27.1g; FIBER 0.9g; CHOL 26mg; IRON 1.8mg; SODIUM 519mg; CALC 235mg

Tip: The less scones are handled, the better. Sir just until moist, and use a soft touch when kneading and patting the dough!