What’s up buttercups?
It is so hard to believe that I have been sleeping with the AC switched off for the past few days. I mean it is the hot and humid Singapore we are talking about. Although I am loving the weather, it is pretty scary as drastic changes can be alarming. As my good friend’s husband was saying “the earth is unhealthy now.” Yes, worrying indeed.
Anyways, let’s move on to this light, fluffy and scrumptious cheesy scones. When you hear the word “scone” what comes to your mind? I think of a fancy British tea-time spread. An assortment of scones served with butter, clotted cream and jam plus a teapot of freshly brewed tea covered with a cosie to keep it warm. Obviously, beautiful cups and saucer trimmed in gold and accented with a floral bouquet is a must. I wouldn’t mind a platter of cucumber sandwiches by the side too.
A girl can dream, right? ♡
Scones are wonderfully British and some people are confused as to whether scones and biscuits are the same thing or not. They are both very similar actually. Usually, scones are a little sweeter as they tend to have some fruits in them at times and can be drizzled with a glaze too. Traditionally, scones are spread with jam and clotted cream, biscuits are more commonly in savory applications, like with gravy..bacon…etc.
I personally love scones, be it a Blueberry Scone or Pumpkin Spice Scone. Scones + jam + clotted cream = totally-my-kinda-thing. ♡
I am mostly baking sweet scones but I have been wanting to try baking a savory version for a long time and finally, it has materialized thanks to my cousin since I baked these for her.
I added some freshly grounded black pepper and smoked paprika to the dough. Of course, there was a lot of cheese in it too. The scones turned out cheesy, buttery and flaky. They’re crispy on the outside and have a pillow soft and flaky interior. The flavor was spot on with what I envisioned. I would have loved to add some fresh chives but since I wanted to keep this for a bit, I dropped the idea of the fresh herbs. I would definitely recreate this with the chives next time round.
Just remember that scones should be mixed with a light hand as you do not want to over mix the gluten. The humps and bumps are the characteristics of a scone, so do not bother to smooth it off.
Do give this quick, easy and Delicious Cheese Scones a try. I love the subtle hint of spice from the paprika and black pepper. This recipe yields about 6-8 scones, so feel free to double the recipe as you might want to stash some in the fridge for breakfast over the next few days.
- 225g self-raising flour, sifted
- 60g butter, cut into little cubes
- 100g cheddar, grated
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp freshly grounded black pepper
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Fat pinch of salt
- 80 ml half-and-half (or milk)
- Milk/cream for glazing
- Extra cheddar cheese for topping the scones
- ½ tsp mixed dried herbs
- Preheat oven to 190.C.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, paprika and black pepper.
- Rub the butter into flour with your fingertips to make breadcrumbs.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese into the breadcrumb mixture and rub in until the cheese is evenly distributed.
- Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in enough half-and-half to give a fairly soft but firm dough.
- Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to approximately 2cm thick. Cut out the scones with a medium cutter and then place on a baking tray. Glaze the tops with the cream/milk and sprinkle a little cheese and mixed dried herbs on the top of each scone before putting in the oven for about 12-16 minutes.
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