cheese & chorizo scones
this week i’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic. the combination of annual leave, naff weather and lockdown regulations have left a lot of time to be alone with my thoughts, and this personal reflection has left me feeling a bit homesick.
because of this, i’ve found it hard to feel creative with my baking, and instead have wanted to revert to some comfort foods, familiar bakes that have accompanied me through childhood and adult life.
looking through the recipe books i have here in manchester with me, i remembered that for christmas i received the bero book of baking from my aunty, a recipe book from which my grandma made tons of bakes, and where she found her trusty cheese scone recipe.
it’s been a couple of years now since my grandma died, but making (and eating!) these scones makes me feel like she’s still here with us, and fills me with that warm childhood happiness of rushing out of the car from our journey down, straight into the kitchen through the back door, and being met with a big hug, a tuna cob and a cheese scone.
the bake
these scones are such an easy bake and don’t really require any special purchases either, the only thing i had to buy was mustard powder but if you do a lot of cooking you will probably already have this in the cupboard. the recipe makes 6 scones, and they are best eaten on the day of baking, still warm from the oven and smothered in butter.
preheat the oven to 220/200 fan, then you start by mixing together 175g self raising flour, a pinch of salt & pepper, and 1/2 tsp mustard powder, before rubbing in 25g butter. once the butter is rubbed in, stir in 75g cheese - the original recipe doesn’t specify which cheese to use, so i like to go for a combination of 60g red leicester for the colour and 15g parmesan for the strong cheesy taste. this is also the point to mix in any other additions that you might fancy - some suggestions in the be-ro book include sun-dried tomatoes & olives, or this time i went for some diced chorizo.
finally, you mix 3tbsp milk and one egg in a separate bowl to combine, then add to the dough and mix until a smooth dough forms, reserving some to egg wash the shaped scones.
the dough is rolled to a circle about an inch thick, then divided into six triangles as if slicing a pizza. these scones are put on a greased baking tray, covered in egg wash and topped with more cheese, before being cooked at 200 degrees fan for 10-15 mins, until golden brown.
leave the scones to cool as long as possible, but as above these scones do taste best still warm from the oven and spread with butter.
it really is as simple as that, no fancy techniques or ingredients, but they taste a million bucks. well worth a try for anyone wanting a quick and easy savoury snack! you can find the be-ro book to purchase here.