2 Cheese Scone Recipes

While scones often feature as a sweet treat in afternoon tea, slathered in jam and cream, they can be equally delicious as a savoury bake. Cheese scones are a British classic – perfect for picnics or a tasty afternoon snack. Fancy giving them a whirl? Here are two ideas for cheese scone recipes.

How To Make Cheese Scones

Cheese Scones with Ricotta & Balsamic Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 275ml whole milk, plus extra for glazing
• 1 medium egg
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• 450g self raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 225g mature cheddar
• ½ tsp baking powder
• A pinch of smoked paprika (optional)
• 250g ricotta
• A handful of chives
• 250g baby plum tomatoes
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Dust a large baking tray with a little flour. Measure out the milk and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Give it a stir and set aside for five mins. It should start to look a little lumpy and curdled – this is what you want. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it to break it up. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and a pinch of sea salt into a large bowl. Coarsely grate the cheddar and stir most of it into the flour, keeping back a few pinches of the cheese.
3. Pour the curdled milk into the flour and add the beaten egg. Use your hands to stir the dry and liquid ingredients together to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
4. Dust your work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Gently knead it to bring it together and then pat it into flat round, roughly 3cm high. Stamp out scones with a 7cm cutter and put them on the baking tray. Bring the dough trimmings together and pat them back into a round 3cm high. Stamp out more scones and put them on the tray. Repeat till you have used all the dough – remember, the faster you work and the less you handle the dough, the lighter your scones will be when they are baked.
5. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and a pinch of smoked paprika, if you’re using it. Bake them for 15-20 mins, till they are risen, golden and feel light when you pick them up. Cool them on a wire rack for 5-10 mins.
6. While the scones are baking, tip the ricotta into a small bowl. Finely chop the chives. Add them to the ricotta with a little salt and pepper. Stir to mix. Halve the tomatoes. Pop them in a bowl with the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to mix.
7. Serve the warm scones with the herby ricotta and the balsamic tomatoes. These scones are best eaten on the day they’re made, although they can be frozen for up to three months.

Recipe from Abel & Cole

Wild Garlic and Smoked Cheddar Scones

Ingredients:

• 225g self raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 50g salted butter, chilled & cut into cubes
• 100g smoked cheddar cheese, grated, or cheese of choice
• 150ml milk, plus extra for brushing
• 30g dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 30g wild garlic, washed & finely chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside for later.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Then add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
3. Add 75g of the cheese, the wild garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and mix until well combined.
4. Pour the milk into the crumb mixture and mix through with a small knife until a rough dough forms. Handling lightly, roll the dough around the bowl to pick up any crumbs and fold over.
5. Dust a clean work surface with a little flour, then tip the dough out of the bowl onto it. Using your hands, gently bring the mixture together.
6. Pat down the dough until you have a square that is 2-3 cm tall. If the dough is sticking to your work surface, dust with a little more flour.
7. Use a cookie cutter to cut the scones and place them on the prepared baking tray. Press remaining trimmings together without overmixing and repeat the process until you have used all of the dough. Alternatively, you can cut the dough with a knife into squares.
8. Brush each scone with milk and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. If you wish, add a wild garlic leaf on top to garnish.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until well risen and a lovely golden-brown colour on top. Leave to cool on a wire rack or enjoy straight from the oven with lots of butter!

Recipe from Riverford