Cheese Scones

I experienced a real craving this morning, a super strong urge to bake. I felt like I really had to be in the kitchen with my apron on, creating something warm, fragrant and tasty or else the day would not feel right. Usually when a craving hits hard it's for something sweet and naughty, but today the craving was different and it had to be savoury. Mmmmmmmmmm, warm cheesy scones I thought.

I sent a message to my friend who had produced the most marvellous cheesy scones at a picnic in the park early last week. When she emailed me the recipe (it was from Paul Hollywood's Bread book), my heart sank a little as it required Strong White Flour and I didn't have any of that in. And I couldn't possibly wait you see, I needed to bake right there and then. So I looked in my baking drawer and thought I would try using wholemeal self raising flour instead. Yeah...wholesome, good for savoury things. It'll work out, right?

I made up my dough. Flour, a wee bit of sugar and baking powder, milk and eggs. I put butter in the  microwave for 10 seconds to soften. Mixed it all messily in a big bowl with the hands. Sticky. Not particularly pleasant, but keep going, it's gonna be good. Savoury! Warm and fragrant! Stick with it!

Got the dough out on the work top, dusted with flour, attempted to knead for the required four minutes, but nope, it was not working out. This was not kneadable dough. So I pondered for a moment, and then thought arrrrgggghhhhbloodyhell I forgot to add the bloomin' cheese! Quick! Wap some grated cheese on top of the unkneadable dough and try to work it in. Push it in with fingers, pokey pokey, work the dough around a bit, flatten it out roughly with palm of my hand, bang, bang. I feel I am being a bit brutal, aren't you sposed to be light and airy with scones?

But anyhow, joy of joys, I got to use my most excellent and colourful round cookie cutters with the fluted edge, yaaayyy! I managed to cut out 12 scones, roughly 1.5inches tall, some considerably flatter than others. Onto a baking tray and into a hot oven, set timer for 15 mins.

I needed coffee then, fresh hot coffee. So I poured milk into a mug, opened the microwave door to pop it in to heat, and there sits a blob of butter in a dish. Eh? Butter? What the heck? Ah. Yes. Butter. The butter that should have gone into the scones. Pfffffff.

After fifteen anxious minutes of pacing and slurping coffee, I opened the oven door to take a nervous peek. I expected flattened cookie-shaped scone-biscuit hybrids. Fat-less ones. But LOOK!!!! The scones worked! They actually worked! Despite the wrong flour and the lack of kneading and the weird fingerpoky method of cheese incorporation, and the distinct Lack Of Butter, they rose up and looked remarkably edible!

Oh happy day!

I immediately went into lunch mode and prepped a scone for testing. Slice in half whilst still warm and butter liberally. Add some thin slices of strong cheddar, sliced cherry tomatoes, lots of seasoning and some snips of fresh chives....

.....oh yeah, look at that! It looks pretty darn good for a failure.

Mmmm. Mm-mmmm. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Taste wise, not cheesy enough. Texture wise...I think I would use the word "substantial". They weren't heavy as such, but wholemeal flour is pretty well, wholemeal isn't it? I would try half wholemeal/half white flour next time. And definitely more cheese added in at the correct moment.

The funny thing was that afterwards, I tried to search for the original Paul Hollywood recipe online, but could only find this one :: "wholemeal cheesy scones". Which happens to be almost identical to the fat-free recipe I inadvertently created in my kitchen this morning. And yup, just as I thought, he uses a wholemeal/white flour mix, and double the amount of cheese in this recipe. Plus he adds parmesan (good idea Paul!) Will need to give that a go then and improve on my scone making skills.

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PS.....thank you to Carole from Rossendale who reminded me to go look in my trusty little never-fail Be-Ro recipe booklet! Of course! This will be my very next baking adventure...simple, cheese scone triangles...genious!

 

 

Comments

[B.]

I had the cheese scone urge last weekend but never quite got round to it - this weekend - definitely this weekend!

[Barbara]

Thank you for the great scone story Lucy! I laughed out loud when I read it, because it sounds exactly like something that might happen to me... Thanks for the recipe.

[Ana]

Dear Lucy I like baking a lot and I really like baking scones, especially the cheese kind. Plain flour works just fine and you can mix whole and white (half and half). I find baking soda works better for scones than baking powder. I also like to use buttermilk as the liquid ingredient. I don't knead just mix (less work). And for the cheese kind I like to put a bit of mustard (collman's powder) and thyme. Anyway yours look really delicious and the most important thing is that you had fun.

[Bronchitikat]

Congratulations, Lucy, those scones look delicious. So good when baking turns out even when we've made major errors!

[Shirley A.]

Lucy, got quite a laugh reading your post this morning. You did great - they look delicious!

[Jane]

yum cheese scones are my favourite. nice as a savoury cream tea with onion marmalade or chutney and cream cheese!

[Jo Roberts]

Triumph! I am taking part in Tea Party Tuesday and posted my cake recipe yesterday - Rhubarb crumble cake, I know cake and crumble together! See here http://joeveryday19.blogspot.co.uk Happy baking! Jo x

[neera]

This is a lesson for life: go for it, never fear to make a mistake, the outcome might be even better than you thought!
And also: no use crying over left-behind butter, have a scone instead!
Lucy, you are a great crocheter and a sublime life coach!!! ;-)

[Anna-Marie Field]

Hi Lucy,Oh we(me,hubby and kids) had such a good laugh!!!Thank you for starting our day with such joy!!!I must say though,they look really really scrumptious!!!Have a fab day!!!
Love
AMarie

[Sarah]

All this baking must be because the Great British Bake Off started again last night - yea! It definitely makes me think more of morning coffee treats and afternoon tea! I made Tunnock-like teacakes yesterday - seriously delish, but a bit too addictive though! Wholemeal cheese scones with no fat sounds like a much healthier alternative!

[Stel]

Whoop! Grabbing the book from my shelf :-)

[maypole]

I love cheese scones. Always make a batch on a Monday before friend and I go off on our bikes, then she bakes them the next week when we meet at hers. It's like a ritual.

No fancy dan stuff I like mine a bit crispy not doughy, but plenty of cheese. OOH! I feel a baking session coming on!

Been loving your colourful blog lately x

[Allison]

Just as well you didn't knead it much as that tends to make baking powder risen items heavy. Yeast breads are what need kneading. They look beautiful and cheesy in the photos at least. Its actually quite reassuring how much one can change a recipe and it still turns out edible, isn't it?

[J]

Those don't look like a failure at all! I had a similar experience once, only it was far worse, it was a cake in a box and I messed it up! Can you imagine, messing up a boxed cake mix??? I threw about 2/3rds of the mix in the mixer along with the water and egg and oil and meant to toss in the last 1/3rd after it had mixed a while but completely forgot! I threw it in the oven and then turned around to discover the missing 1/3rd of the mix still sitting on the counter! I did the same nervous pacing back and forth until the cake was done, it turned out rose and everything! Didn't taste like much but I added an extra lemon glaze on top which helped it out. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who goofs up baking!

[Rosanne USA]

This post is the reason I always read your blog!! So enjoyable to read. Thank you

[sue]

for more cheesy flavor, try some parmesan or romano. It's bizarre that the recipe called for strong (aka high gluten?) flour. I use whole wheat pastry (low gluten) flour for my scones as I want them tender, not chewy or hard. And kneading? Horrors, NO. They rise beautifully and are tender but not crumbly.
Cheese-y Cream scones:
Mix dry ingreds together well in lg bowl:
2 c pastry flour
1 tsp or less sugar
pinch salt and dry herbs as desired (cumin, oregano etc)
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cold (frozen) butter, grated
1/4 c cream or top milk
2 eggs room temp
1/2 c shredded gouda, fontina, or other strong cheese
1/2 c parmesan
2 tbl. snipped fresh herbs of choice
Cut butter into flour mixture, add herbs, toss in shredded cheese, add cream and beaten eggs tossing with a fork till just moistened well. Bring together with floured hands, turn onto floured board, knead 3 or 4 times only, press into round about 1" thick, cut into desired shapes. Brush tops with additional 1 T cream, sprinkle with finely grated parmesan cheese, bake on parchment-covered sheet in preheated hot (400 degree) oven till light browned. Excellent with chili.

[Cyd]

It struck me that the cutters all nested look quite a bit like your flower cushion. Just an observation...and I'm wishing we could taste things via the blog as well!

[Jen]

Another Learning Experience! I've had a few myself -- okay, a lot.

[Zuleika]

hehe Thanks for the laugh. Luckily they were edible in the end and you didn't waste your time. They look really good actually. :-)

[jen]

I swear I Pin or bookmark half of your lunches and have made quite a few this summer. Spent a good part of last week searching for an apple corer to make apple rings after finding an old pin from a snack you made your kids months ago. Now I'm going to have to make scones tomorrow :) My husband thanks you!

[diana]

Those scones look yummy - no finger pokey holes showing. LOL
I will give this recipe a try as soon as I get a scale to weigh the ingredients. Here in Canada, most recipes use volumes rather than weights.

[Emmy]

Oh my, Lucy! That's the kind of thing that is so frustarating at the time, but afterwards it's funny ;D Thank you for giving me a laugh..

[Dorothy Griffiths]

These look delicious Lucy, never had any luck with scones but will certainly follow your recipe and have a go, thanks. Love your post as always
Lots of love
Dorothy
:-)xxxxxxxxxxxx

[Anne Marie]

Heee heeeeee! Love this post.

[Karen@Mix•Ture43]

Delish!! I only ever use normal flour in my scones- have never used strong bread flour but had success like you with wholemeal. As I'm coeliac, I might try these with rice flour - lots of cheese varieties too to try. Wonder what mozzarella and tomato in the scone would be like... hmmmm. I can see a Blogland Bake Off coming on!! Ha ha. Karen.x