Cheese Scones

With fresh garlic and pumpkin seeds

Savoury scones rarely get the attention they deserve, with the luxurious soft enriched dough reserved for jam and cream. Not that I’m complaining, a world without jam and clotted cream on a fresh scone would be a sad place indeed. Cheese further enriches the dough but with a salty twang, a deserved equal to jam and cream.

While scones can be made with many delicious flours and wholemeal grains, the decadence of a cheese scone deserves a good quality white flour for that luxurious experience. 

Fresh garlic is the perfect partner, after all cheesy garlic bread is many peoples guilty pleasure. Here I have suggested one stem but 2 wouldn’t be excessive. Alternatively a few chives or parsley would be a delicious addition. 


Makes 12 standard size scones
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 14 minutes
Ingredients:
450g strong white flour
25g baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
Lots of fresh ground black pepper
A few good shavings of nutmeg
90g butter
120g strong firm cheese
1 fresh garlic
160g milk
2 eggs
a handful of pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 190°C

1. Begin by slicing the fresh garlic finely and grating the cheese, then line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. Add the baking powder, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to a large bowl or mixer. Then rub in the butter until the texture and colour appears uniform. Add the cheese and garlic then mix again until the cheese has stopped clumping.

3. Beat the eggs and add almost all of them to the milk, reserving a small amount to glaze the scones.

4. Mix the milk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients until a dough begins to form. This should be we and very slightly sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured worksurface and briefly work to bring the dough together. 

5. Roll out to around 3cm’s thick and cut out into rounds or squares. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet wit ha little room to grow, glaze with beaten egg and sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for around 14 minutes, or until golden brown and well risen, then cool.

Serve with spinach soup, or simply a soft goat cheese and fresh radish.


Chef Notes:
1. Don’t be deterred if the dough is wet, this makes for great scones. Rather than adding more flour, handle lightly with a delicate touch.
2. A preheated baking stone or roasting tray gives bottom heat and helps the scones lift.

Robin Popham
Chef at ‘Create Terroir’ and Sandy Lane Farm veg box customer