One of my first posts was my recipe for sweet white scones, only very slightly adapted from the Ballymaloe version (who I would trust with all things scone!). However, I find more and more that since France, I’ve lost some of my raging sweet tooth and now am more likely to crave something savoury, carby and preferably cheeeesy. This, like most of my better creations is a hodge-podge amalgamation of my favourite ingredients, and turned out very nicely. I feel the combinations here could be endless – smoked bacon, chorizo, different cheeses, herbs etc. Enjoy..
900g plain white flour
170g butter
3 eggs
a good pinch of salt
100g cheddar cheese, grated
3 good teaspoons baking powder
450ml (ish) milk
1 small birds eye chilli, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, crushed.
1 tsp smoked paprika
Glaze
egg wash (1 egg and a drop of milk)
First preheat the oven to 250C (you need it hot!)
1. Sieve all the dry ingredients together in a large wide bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour and rub in the butter. You can also do this is a food processor. Add the chilli, garlic, spice and salt and pepper. Add the grated cheese and mix to combine.
2. Whisk the eggs with the milk, and then add it to the dry ingredients slowly. Only add as much as you need to bring it to a soft dough.
3. Turn out the blob of dough onto a floured surface. Knead the mixture lightly, just enough to shape into a round. Roll out to about 1 inch thick and cut out scones using a cup or a cutter. Pop them on a floured baking sheet – no need to grease.
4. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake in the hot oven for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and smelling dee-vine.
