CHEDDAR & CHIVE SCONES
Makes 8 Ingredients
350g (2⅓ cups) self-raising
flour, plus extra for dusting sea salt and black pepper 150g cold unsalted butter,
cubed
150g sharp cheddar,
grated
50g Comte, grated
1 bunch of chives, finely chopped (you want about 1 cup)
1 egg, lightly beaten 150g chilled full-fat sour
cream salted butter, to serve
Milk wash
50g full-fat sour cream 1 tbsp full cream milk
My mum loved to make scones for us when we were growing up and we always requested them for afternoon tea. I especially love savoury scones now, with probably far more butter than my mum used to put in hers.
These ones are almost more like an American biscuit than a fluffy British scone and are filled with cheese and chives. The sour cream helps to make them incredibly flaky. Serve them warm with a generous spread of butter.
Recipe Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Place the selfraising flour in a large bowl and season really well with salt and pepper. Toss the butter through the flour to coat, then rub the butter into the flour until you have peasized lumps.
Add the cheeses and chives and mix to combine. Add the egg and sour cream and mix until the flour is fully hydrated – no floury bits! Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring it together to form a rough rectangle. Gently roll the dough until it is 2.5cm thick (keeping it in a rectangular shape), then cut the dough into eight rectangles. Arrange the rectangles on the prepared trays.
To make the milk wash, combine the sour cream and milk in a small bowl, then brush the mixture over the tops of the scones. Transfer to the oven and cook for 23-25 minutes, until risen and lightly golden on top.
Allow the scones to cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm with plenty of butter.