Triple Cheese Scones

Cheese scones are great. And there are so many wonderful variations – Cheddar and Chive, Stilton and Walnut, Wensleydale and Apple. Now, here’s my “pure cheese” version, triple cheese in fact: Stilton, Red Leicester and Cheddar. They all bring something special to the party.

Makes: 10 – 12

Time: 50 minutes or a bit less if you exclude such chores as grating the cheese.

Level: Easy

Equipment: 2 baking trays; a 6cm round cutter

Ingredients

450g/1lb self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
100g/3½oz butter, cubed
75g/2½oz Stilton
75g/2½oz Red Leicester
75g/2½oz Cheddar
250m/9fl oz milk or buttermilk + 50ml/1¾fl oz in reserve if needed

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C / fan 200°C / 425°F /Gas 7. Grease and lightly flour the baking trays, or put a piece of baking paper on them and dust lightly with flour.

2. Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3. Grate the cheeses & stir most into the bowl. Reserve some to top the scones, later.

(Don’t grate too finely, rough will be enough – hey, I’ve just invented a good phrase.)

4. Add in the milk or buttermilk then mix to make a soft dough.

5. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead it briefly and lightly then press or roll it to a roundish, flat shape about 3cm thick, or about the height of your cutter.

6. Without twisting the cutter, press out as many scones as you can and place them apart on the prepared baking trays. Gently fold together any leftover dough, keeping the “reworking” to a minimum. Press out more scones. (Dip the cutter into flour regularly.)

7. Brush a little milk or buttermilk over the top of each scone, trying to avoid it dribbling down the sides. Sprinkle a little of the reserved cheese onto each scone and bake for 12 – 15 minutes, until golden and/or there is a clear hollow sound when you tap them underneath.

8. Place scones on a wire rack to cool fully, or eat them soon, while still fairly hot – they’re so nice it’s probably worth the risk.

NB Scones are best eaten on the day they’re baked; they’re especially good while still warm. But, if you and/or your household can’t consume all 12 immediately, they can be frozen. Once thawed, they still taste good, almost as good as those eaten “on the day”. I’d advise thawing them slowly, not in the microwave.

Gallery

I hope you enjoy baking and eating these scones. For more scone recipes click here. If you’d like to make a comment or ask a question please do, via the contact page, or have a look at the rest of my site for lots of other great sweet and savoury recipes.