Name: Cheese Scones
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour; 1 tsp sea salt; 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 4½ tsp cream of tartar; 2 tsp mustard powder; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 50 g unsalted butter; 300 ml semi-skimmed milk; 150 g cheddar cheese (grated); 20 g Parmesan (finely grated ); 1 tbsp semi-skimmed milk; 20 g cheddar cheese (grated)

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Who doesn’t love cheese? And what better way to enjoy it than in some big fluffy Cheese Scones?! These are simple to make and a real crowd-pleaser.

A Cheese Scone to remember

Until now, the only cheese scones I remember eating are those made by my lovely friend SJ. I used to work with SJ and she would often treat us with her lovely cheese scones. She would get up extra early and bake them for us before work. Every time she made them they were absolutely perfect.

So obviously I had to ask for her recipe. And I have been meaning to make my own version for years. It was only when I was making baby friendly cheese scones for my nephew that I realised it was definitely time! So I dug out her recipe (that she gave me in 2015!) and got to work!

Tweaking an existing Cheese Scone recipe

So I had SJ’s recipe, but it had the amount of cheese missing! I saw this as an opportunity to add how much cheese I wanted. I did ask her how much cheese was meant to be in the recipe after I had made mine. Let’s just say my version is more generous with the cheese! I also added some Parmesan because I love the slightly salty flavour it gives.

The tweaks weren’t just with the cheese. Cheese calls out for mustard powder and cayenne pepper! These spices really enhance the cheese flavour without overpowering it. Another tweak was to brush the scones with milk instead of egg. I prefer to use milk because even if you use a small egg, you won’t need all of it and the rest goes to waste.

Cheese Scone baking tips

I am no cheese scone pro (that’s SJ) but I do have some tips! As with all scones, the less you can handle it; the better. Do not be tempted to start kneading the dough to get it smooth and soft. Because of this, some of my scones are a little rustic on top with a few cracks. I don’t mind this at all! I would rather have a slightly more rustic looking scone that is delicious and light inside rather than a smooth topped scone that is a bit dense.

Also make sure you don’t brush the milk on the sides of the scones as this can affect how well they rise. And one thing you don’t want is a flat scone!

Best eaten fresh!

As with all scones, these Cheese Scones are best eaten on the day you bake them. You could stretch it to the day after too if needed. If twelve is too much for you to eat, you could always half the recipe and make six. Alternatively you can freeze them for up to a month.

If after day two you still have the odd one left, you could put them in the microwave briefly to revive them!

5 from 1 vote

Cheese Scones

Who doesn't love cheese? And what better way to enjoy it than in some big fluffy Cheese Scones?! These are simple to make and a real crowd-pleaser.

Course Snack

Cuisine British

Keyword Cheese Scones

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 263 kcal

Author Curly

Ingredients

500 g plain flour
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4½ tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
50 g unsalted butter
300 ml semi-skimmed milk
150 g cheddar cheese grated
20 g Parmesan finely grated

To finish

1 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
20 g cheddar cheese grated

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan assisted, 220°C non fan). Line two baking trays with silicon liners or spray with oil
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, mustard powder and cayenne pepper
Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the flour. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips to get a very fine breadcrumb consistency
Add the grated cheddar and Parmesan and mix briefly
Add the milk and begin stirring with a knife to combine. Use your hands to finish bringing the dough together
Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and bring the dough into a circle roughly 2½-3cm in depth. Make sure you handle the dough as little as possible
Flour a 6½cm round cutter and then cut out scones and lay them on the prepared trays. Make sure you leave enough of a gap for the scones to spread when cooking
Gather up the remaining dough and bring together to form a smaller circle. Keep cutting out more scones until all of the dough is used
Brush each scone with milk and scatter with cheese
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until risen and golden brown