Wild Garlic Ramps Scones

These tender and flaky ramps scones are unapologetically garlicky and make an irresistible breakfast served warm from the oven with a generous smear of butter.

I couldn’t be more excited when I saw wild garlic or ramps at Specialty Produce a few weeks ago. Ramp is hands down my favorite spring ingredient. They grow wild in only certain regions along the Appalachian ridge from Georgia to Quebec and appear for a short time in spring. Blink and you’ll miss them! They’re known for their unapologetically garlicky flavor and prized like truffles in the culinary world. In my kitchen, ramps turn into pesto, pasta, pizza, tarts, and other baked goods. I’m so excited to share the recipe for these cheesy ramps scones that I’ve been making every spring. Freshly baked from the oven and served with a generous smear of butter, these ramps scones make the perfect savory breakfast. 

Tips for flaky scones

The best tricks that I learned for making flaky ramps scones came from J. Kenji López-Alt's NYT article.

• Similar to making pie crust or biscuits, the key to flaky scones is keeping everything cold--cold butter, cold cream, cold eggs, and a cold surface to roll out the dough.
• I like to freeze butter for 15 minutes before grating it into the flour. When little pieces of butter melt as the scones bake, they release steam and create little pockets of air resulting in scones that are airy and flaky on the inside while remaining crisp on the outside.
• Avoid the heat from your hands by using a spatula to mix the ingredients.
• When it comes to mixing, less is best. Overmixing or overworking the dough makes tough, chewy scones.

How to shape the scones

To get the flaky layers in the ramps scones, laminate the dough. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle. Fold both sides across the center like a business letter. Finally fold the top and bottom across the center before rolling it again. For me doing this once creates 9 layers and enough flakiness in the scones. If you repeat this process multiple times, you gain additional layers but develop more gluten and denser scones.

For scones, cut them into whatever shapes you like-circle, square, triangle. I used a biscuit cutter to make 8 bigger ones. When cutting the dough with a biscuit cutter, press the cutter down into the dough firmly but don't twist it. Twisting it will seal off the scone edges, preventing them from rising properly. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, use the floured rim of a glass to cut them out. 

How long to bake the scones

The scones go into the oven at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes and baked until well risen and golden brown.

These ramps scones are lighter than the classic scones and make a delicious savory treat fresh from the oven with a generous smear of salted butter. They also make a nice accompaniment to a piping hot bowl of soup or as a breakfast sandwich with bacon and sunny side up egg. Store them for 48 hours in an airtight container and rewarm in the oven for about 3-4 minutes to heat through when you're ready to enjoy them. I always make a double batch and freeze them for when the cravings hit!

For more ramps inspiration, you might like these recipes: ramps and hazelnut pesto, ramps spring tart, ramp ricotta baked eggs, ramps pesto pizza.