Scones are a baked product with a pastry similar to that of a brioche. A typical UK specialty, it is often served at tea time with jam, cream, butter and other sweet or savory toppings. Classic scones are delicious on their own, but you can add lots of other ingredients. Those with cheese are one of the most popular variations. Using a good cheese with a strong taste, it is possible to prepare scones with a strong and intense flavor.
Ingrediants
Cheese Scones
- 340 g of all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) of granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons (13 g) of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of baking soda
- 1, 25 g of cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt
- ½ cup (115 g) of cold butter cut into cubes
- 1 cup (125 g) of grated aged cheddar
- 1 cup (250 ml) of buttermilk
- 1 lightly beaten egg
Spicy Cheese and Shallot Scones
- 2 cups (240 g) of all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of baking powder
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) of cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup (115 g) grated strong flavored cheddar
- 3 shallots
- 2 large eggs
- 80 ml of milk
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of mustard
- 1 teaspoon (6 ml) of hot sauce
Dessert Cheese Scones
- 2 cups (300 g) of flour
- 60 g of sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) of cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup (100 g) of fresh or dried berries
- 180 g of grated or diced cheese
- 160 ml of heavy cream
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water
- Granulated sugar (to sprinkle)
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Make the Cheese Scones
Step 1. Prepare everything you need and preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 220 ° C. This recipe makes about 12 scones. In addition to the ingredients you will need:
- Large bowl and spoon;
- Sieve;
- Dough cutter or 2 table knives;
- Fork:
- 6cm cookie mold;
- Bowl and whisk;
- Pastry brush;
- Non-greased pan;
- Cooling grid.
Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients
Place the sieve on a large bowl and pour all the dry ingredients into it, i.e. flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper, and salt. Tap the sieve against the palm of your hand to drop the ingredients back into the bowl.
If you don't have a sieve, put the ingredients directly into the bowl and beat them
Step 3. Add the butter
Put the cold butter cubes in the bowl and cut them with a dough cutter or knives to incorporate them into the flour. Continue mixing the butter and dry ingredients until you have crumb-like lumps.
Incorporating the butter in this way allows you to make soft and light scones rather than thick and heavy
Step 4. Add the cheese and milk
Once poured, mix the ingredients with the fork. The ingredients are blended to form a slightly sticky ball of dough. Stop mixing once all the ingredients are incorporated, otherwise gluten will begin to develop in the flour and you will end up with hard scones.
To make them even tastier, you can also add a clove of grated garlic
Step 5. Knead, roll out and cut the dough
Roll out the dough onto a floured flat surface, such as a kitchen counter. Flour your hands and knead for 30 to 60 seconds, repeating about 10 times.
- Roll out the dough with your hands. Do not use a rolling pin, as it is too heavy. Flattening the dough excessively will prevent the scones from rising. Roll it out until it is about 2 cm thick.
- Use a cookie cutter to get circular shapes. If you don't have this utensil, use the rim of a glass or cup. Once you have finished cutting the dough, work the leftovers into a sphere and flatten it again.
- Spread the scones on the baking sheet, leaving at least 2.5 cm distance between them.
Step 6. Brush the surface of the scones with diluted beaten egg
Break the egg into a small bowl and beat it with a whisk. Spread a thin layer of egg on the surface of each scone using a pastry brush. This way they can brown during cooking.
The egg can be replaced with milk
Step 7. Bake the scones
Place the pan on the center rack of the oven and bake them for 12 minutes. At this point check them. If necessary, let them cook for another 3 minutes.
The scones will be ready once golden
Step 8. Serve hot
Remove the scones after 12 to 15 minutes. Move them to a cooling rack and let them cool until you can pick them up.
Serve the scones on their own, or accompany them with butter, jam or larger amounts of cheese
Method 2 of 3: Make Spicy Cheese and Shallot Scones
Step 1. Preheat the oven and prepare everything you need
Set it to 190 ° C. For this recipe you will need the ingredients listed at the beginning of the article, a large and a small bowl, a whisk, a greased baking sheet, a sharp knife and a spoon or fork.
Instead of greasing the pan, you can line it with wax paper or silicone sheet
Step 2. Incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients
Sift or beat the flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl. Then, incorporate the butter into the flour with the help of your fingers. The dry ingredients and the butter should be blended to form crumb-like lumps.
To incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients, you can also use a dough cutter or 2 tablespoons instead of hands
Step 3. Cut the shallots
Remove the ends from the shallots and wash them under cold running water. Chop them with a knife.
To prepare a particularly tasty dish, you can also shred some cooked ham to make ham and cheese scones. Add it along with the shallots
Step 4. Add the remaining ingredients
Add the cheese and shallots to the flour and butter mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk, then pour them into a large bowl. Also add the mustard and hot sauce.
- Milk can be replaced with cooking cream, ricotta or sour cream, which allow for richer and slightly more full-bodied scones.
- Some of the more suitable mustards include spicy, horseradish or Dijon mustard.
- Mustard and hot sauce are optional ingredients. If you exclude them, you will get flavorful but not spicy scones.
Step 5. Knead and cut the dough
Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Flour your hands and roll out the dough until you get a circle with a diameter of 20-23 cm and a thickness of about 2.5 cm.
Cut the dough in half horizontally, then vertically again. To make smaller scones, cut each quarter into thirds, for a total of 12 scones. To make them larger, cut each quarter in half, for a total of 8 scones
Step 6. Bake and serve
Spread the scones on a baking sheet, leaving about 2.5cm of space between them. Bake them for 20 to 23 minutes. They will be ready once they become golden and compact to the touch.
- Remove the scones from the oven when cooked and serve them immediately as soon as they cool enough to be picked up without getting burned. They can also be served hot or at room temperature.
- Put the leftovers in an airtight container: they can be stored at room temperature for a few days.
Method 3 of 3: Make Dessert Cheese Scones
Step 1. Preheat the oven and prepare a baking sheet
Grease a baking sheet or line it with wax paper or silicone sheet. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C.
Step 2. Mix the butter with the dry ingredients
Sift or whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter cubes and mix them with the dry ingredients using a dough cutter, 2 knives or your hands.
The mixture will be ready when the ingredients have assumed a consistency similar to that of wet sand
Step 3. Add the cheese, berries and cream
Gently mix the ingredients with a spoon or fork until you have a slightly sticky ball. Stop mixing once you have fully incorporated them.
- For this recipe we recommend cheeses such as ricotta, camembert, brie, goat cheese and gouda.
- As for berries, fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, dried apricots and Corinth grapes are recommended.
Step 4. Knead and cut the dough
Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and use your hands to flatten it until you have a circle about 2.5cm thick. Cut it in half horizontally, then vertically. Cut the quarters in half, for a total of 8 scones.
- Move the triangles on the pan, leaving some space between them.
- You can also cut the dough into circles with a cookie cutter.
Step 5. Garnish the scones with diluted beaten egg and sugar
In a small bowl, beat the egg, then spread it over each scone with a pastry brush to get a golden color.
Sprinkle some granulated sugar on the surface of each scone. If you want the flavor of the scones to have notes that recall even more caramel, use muscovado sugar instead
Step 6. Bake and serve
Bake the scones for about 15 minutes, until golden. You can serve them hot, lukewarm, or at room temperature.
