Dr Mobeus
Cheese Scones
Cheese scones are the savoury cousin of the cream tea scone, and arguably the better one. They cost very little to make, use ingredients most kitchens already have, and come out of the oven golden and smelling of toasted cheese in about 25 minutes. There is no yeast, no proving and no kneading, just a quick rub of butter into flour, a stir, a pat into shape and into the oven.
The secret to a good rise is a hot oven and a light hand. Work the dough as little as possible, exactly as you would for regular scones, and the raising agent will puff everything up into soft, layered middles. A brush of milk on top before baking gives the cheese a golden, glossy blanket to sit on.
These are at their best on the day they are baked, split and buttered while still warm. They also make the cheapest possible accompaniment to a bowl of soup, turning a 30p bowl of carrot and coriander into something that feels like a proper lunch.
Cheese Scones
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Mix the flour, mustard powder, salt and cayenne in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in three quarters of the grated cheddar, then pour in the milk and mix with a knife until a soft dough just comes together. Do not overwork it.
- Tip onto a lightly floured surface and pat the dough out to about 2.5cm thick. Cut out scones with a 6cm cutter, re-patting the trimmings until all the dough is used.
- Place on the tray, brush the tops with milk and scatter over the rest of the cheese.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden and well risen. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before eating warm or moving to a wire rack.
Tips and Variations
Grate the cheese finely so it melts evenly through the dough. Freeze any scones you will not eat within two days and reheat from frozen for 10 minutes at 180C. A pinch of mustard powder or cayenne lifts the cheese flavour without adding cost. If the dough feels too dry to come together, add more milk a tablespoon at a time.
