Preheat oven to 375°. Position rack in top half to third of oven.

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Add butter and work into dry ingredients with hands until dough is sandy but with pea-sized to slightly larger pieces of butter remaining.

Add buttermilk and 1 1/4 cup cheese and gently mix by hand or with a wooden spoon. Dough should be completely moistened but not overly wet.

Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons flour over dough and then scoop a generous 1/3 cup dough into mounds on parchment-lined cookie sheet. (They do not have to be exact in size and shape). Leave room in between, as they will spread.

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of each mound with the egg wash, pressing down a little as you brush so tops of mounds flatten. Sprinkle tops of uncooked biscones generously with Old Bay Seasoning.

Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate pan and top each biscone with remaining 3/4 cup cheddar cheese (about 1 tablespoon each). Bake another 10 minutes, or a little longer for more crispy edges (as desired). Biscones should have a marbled golden look and be firm to the touch.

Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes.

Nancy Pedersen, owner of Sunflowers on the Square Kitchen and Bakery in Ventura, adapted this recipe from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook (Artisan, 2012) by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day. These are a savory variation of Pedersen’s popular Blueberry Biscones with Lemon Glaze and Zest available at the bakery.