Cheshire Cheese and Chive Scones

Cheshire cheese and chive scones
  • 8 servings
  • 40 minutes to prepare
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Ingredients

  • 250g plain flour, plus more for rolling/cutting out
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Demerara sugar
  • 60g butter, softened
  • 20g fresh chives, finely chopped
  • 200g Cheshire cheese,finely grated
  • 60ml milk
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds or flaky sea salt, to decorate
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt

Instructions

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 220℃/200℃ fan/gas mark 7. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar and 1/4 tsp fine salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Alternatively, whisk together in a large mixing bowl if not using a machine.
  2. Add the butter to the food processor in 4 pieces and pulse until fully blended into the flour – it should look like very fine crumbs. If not using a food processor, rub the butter fully into the flour with your fingertips. Add the chives and briefly pulse/stir to fully combine. Tip the flour and butter crumbs into a large mixing bowl and stir through 100g of the Cheshire cheese with a fork.
  3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg and set aside 1 tablespoon to glaze the scones. Add the rest to the flour mix, folding everything together with a spatula to make a shaggy dough – do not overmix as it will make the scones tough.
  4. Press the dough together with your hands inside the bowl, then tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 4-5 times to bring together into a smooth dough – do not over knead. Press the dough into an even disk.
  5. Lightly flour the work surface again and roll the dough about 2cm/1-inch thick with a rolling pin. Fill a small bowl with flour, dip in a 6cm/2.5-inch round cutter, then stamp out 6 rounds, flouring the cutter each time you stamp. Don’t twist the cutter as you press down – this will seal the edges and stop the scones from rising properly. Briefly re-knead the dough (try not to over knead) and cut out the last 2 scones, flouring the cutter again.
  6. Line a large baking tray with baking paper (this is important as the cheese can stick) and use the remaining 100g cheese to heap 8 piles of grated cheese on the tray, evenly spaced (about 2 tbsp per pile). Place a scone on top of each pile of cheese. Brush the scones with the reserved egg wash and decorate with fennel seeds or flaky sea salt.
  7. Bake the scones for 10-12 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through so they cook evenly, until well risen and expanded, golden brown on top and surrounded by a puddle of crispy cheese.
  8. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to carefully transfer to a cooling rack.

CHEF’S TIPS

Serve with butter or turn into a brunch with scrambled eggs, avocado or smoked salmon.

Storage

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Not suitable for freezing (the cheese will deteriorate). Baked without the cheese crisp, the scones are freezable in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Defrost thoroughly at room temperature.

Rewarm in the oven at 160℃/140℃ fan/gas mark 3 for 5 minutes.

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