I love scones. I love them with a little vanilla bean glaze drizzled over them, I love them with some orange zest and sugar sprinkled on top, and I love them with fresh blueberries tucked right into the dough. What I love most of all, though, is their signature buttery, flaky crumble. It’s as if you brought together the best parts of a muffin and a biscuit. But recently I got to thinking, why don’t we ever see the savory side of a scone? Well, these Ham & Swiss Scones bring out that side and I can promise you it’s every bit as delicious as the sweet one you’re more accustomed to.

These start like any other scone – you cut cold butter into a flour mixture before moistening things up with some buttermilk. In this case, you stir in some cubed ham, nutty Swiss cheese and bright chives for flavor. It’s a nice savory mix and it works just as well as it does in a croissant or a cheddar biscuit.

It’s a dough you don’t want to overwork – the chunks of butter are what keep things nice and flaky. Once the dough holds together, you press it into a circle and cut it into wedges.

You bake the scones in a circle, which helps them rise a bit more so they end up with a light and fluffy texture. Once they’re baked, you simply re-score them and break them apart to serve them.

Every bite has that lovely tender, flaky texture you know and love, but also nutty, melty Swiss, savory ham, and bright chives. In other words, it’s a really good way to start your day.