With a little practice and some handy advice, you’ll be creating golden Cheese and Herb Scones in no time! Serve Cheese and Herb Scones with butter for breakfast or for lunch with hot soup. These scones have a good amount of cheese and the perfect hint of herbs.
Cheese and Herb Scones Recipe
Makes: 8 scones
Ingredients:
1½ cups self-raising flour
60g cubed, chilled butter
1 cup grated tasty cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsely
¾ cup milk, with extra for brushing
Sea salt flakes
Method:
Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan forced). Lightly grease a 20cm square cake pan.
Sift 1½ cups self-raising flour into a large bowl. With your fingertips, rub 60g cubed, chilled butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 cup grated tasty cheese, 2 tbsp finely chopped chives and 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley. Stir until combined.
Add ¾ cup milk and stir quickly with a flat-edged knife until just combined. On a lightly floured board, knead mixture lightly and quickly into a 2cm thick round. Don’t overwork dough or the scones will be heavy and tough.
Using a 5cm round scone/biscuit cutter, cut 8 scones from dough. Put scones in prepared cake pan. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and scones sound hollow when tapped.
Tips for the perfect scones
With a little practice and some handy advice, you’ll be creating golden perfection in no time!
High Rise
Make sure you don’t soften your butter. Cold, cubed butter will make sure the scones rise higher when they come out of the oven.
Oven Door Closed
An oven’s temperature can ruin a recipe. But what can also throw it is off is constantly opening and closing the door for a peek.
Freeze for later
While scones are best fresh, you can make them ahead of time and freeze the dough. Cut out the shapes and freeze onto a baking sheet before storing in a resealable bag. Bake them from frozen and add a few minutes onto the cooking time.
Knead gently
When kneading the scone dough, make sure not to overwork it as the scones will turn out heavy and tough. Light and quick is the way to go. Kneading is important because it helps distribute ingredients and gives it shape. It can also be a lot of fun!
Cut it
Ever wondered why you mix wet and dry ingredients with a knife? The technique is called ‘cutting’ and works by coating the gluten strands with fat, without overworking the dough.
Ingredients
Measure them before starting a recipe. There’s little room for error when you start recipes this way.
