Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones

The Olympics are almost here! We weren't going to go to any events but then ended up buying some last minute preliminary curling tickets - one of the few tickets that were left and were relatively cheap. I'm really curious and excited to see how insanely busy it's going to be downtown Vancouver, but I'm also scared at how long it's going to take to get anywhere. The universities/colleges are closed for the two weeks (at least the main ones) so I'll have some time off and will finally catch up on people's blogs and hopefully bake up some exciting stuff! I'm thinking doughnuts, but we'll see.

Looking back over all the food I have yet to blog about, I notice that I haven't been baking much! Since Christmas I haven't baked anything sweet at all actually. I've been making lots of scones though, like these cheddar & black pepper scones. The first time I made them I used all whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and they were so aggravatingly crumbly. I even added more yogurt than was suggested and it still wasn't enough - how can 3/4-1 cup yogurt be enough for 3 cups flour? Anyway, I persevered and made them again the next week, this time adding even more yogurt and substituting some all purpose flour. Great success! I've also made some other scones/biscuits recently, but these ones have the best texture - not too doughy, just nice and biscuity. These are my new favourite scones for sure. I'm in the mood to make lots of other kinds of savoury scones or muffins - any suggestions?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Apple Cheddar Scones
Baking Powder Biscuits
Caramelized Onion, Sage & Cheddar Muffins
Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits

Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones
Adapted from The Best American Recipes 1999

Makes 12 scones

2 cups whole wheat flour (280 grams)
1 cup all purpose flour (140 grams)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (I used 2%)

Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Cut in the butter and cheese.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack on the upper-middle level. Grease a heavy baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

Gently stir enough yogurt into the flour mixture to make a soft, sticky dough. Gather the dough into a ball with your hands. On a well-floured surface, roll or pat the dough into an 12-x-8-inch rectangle approximately 3/4 inch thick. Try not to handle the dough too much, and don't worry if it looks rough. Use a dough scraper or knife to cut the dough into 12 squares/rectangles. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet. (I find it easiest to cut them in squares/rectangles but feel free to cut them any way you want or use a rimmed glass or cookie/biscuit cutter to cut out circles.)

Bake the scones for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are brown on the bottom and very lightly brown on top. Don't overbake; break one open to test for doneness. Transfer to cooling racks to cool briefly and then serve as soon as possible.