Cheddar Cheese and Chives Scones
These easy, light, and fluffy cheddar cheese and chives scones come together in a matter of minutes. Flavored with cheddar, chives, and a hint of black pepper, enjoy these scones hot out the oven with a smattering of butter.
servings8 scones
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Bench Scraper
- Mixing Bowls
- Pastry brush
- Cookie Cutters
Ingredients
- 160 grams cheddar cheese (grated)
- 300 grams plain flour (all-purpose/standard grade)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon of table salt (if using unsalted butter)
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 60 grams butter salted
- 200 mL milk
- 3 tablespoons milk
- ⅓ cup finely sliced chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425F/Gas Mark7. Line a baking tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or baking paper.
- Grate the cheddar cheese, keeping aside approximately 40 grams to place on top of the scones before baking.160 grams cheddar cheese
- n a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper).300 grams plain flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ - ½ teaspoon of table salt, ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Either grate the butter or cut it into small blocks. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with small pea-sized pieces of butter in the flour. This can also be done using a pastry cutter.60 grams butter
- Add the grated cheese and chives to the flour mixture, and stir through until well-distributed.⅓ cup finely sliced chives
- Pour the milk into the flour mixture, using a fork, and stir to make a rough dough.200 mL milk
- Lightly flour a clean surface. Place the scone dough in the middle of the lightly floured surface and bring the dough together into a rectangle. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into thirds and fold the outer edges on the middle section. Press down using your hands or a rolling pin until the dough is about 3cm thick. Repeat the process twice more. This laminates the dough.
- Either using a cookie cutter or knife, cut 6 to 8 large scones. If using a round cookie cutter, bring together the left-over dough, by gently kneading the dough together and forming a disk or square to cut out additional scones. Try to work with the dough as little as possible.
- Place the scones onto the prepared baking sheet. Then brush the tops of the scones with milk using a pastry brush, and sprinkle the leftover cheddar cheese on the tops of the scones.3 tablespoons milk
- Bake the scones in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The scones would have risen and be a nice golden brown when they were done. Remove from the oven, and place the scone on a wire rack to cool down slightly before serving.
All temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. Decrease the temperature by 20°C/25°F or gas mark 1 for "fan" or air-fryers.
Notes
- Plain flour (standard-grade or all-purpose flour) is used for this scone recipe. However, you can also use self-raising flour, but you will still need to add ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
- The butter, cheese, and milk must be cold for the perfect tender flakey scones.
- A hot preheated oven is crucial for a tender, flakey scone.
- Handle the dough as little as possible.
- For mini scones, divide the dough into 12-16 pieces and bake for 8 to 12 minutes.
Storage and Freezing
Scone dough can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two before baking. The scone dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Baked scones can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days. Baked scones can also be frozen for up to 3 months.Nutrition
Serving: 1scone | Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g