This recipe is for cheese scones, a great addition to any Sunday tea and a favourite of mine. I made these a couple of weeks ago as a quick snack, because as they use self-raising flour they do not need rising time; just chuck them in the oven. In fact a friend said to me the other day that her mother went by the adage of 10mins to make - 10mins to bake, but I think I would probably change that to 15 mins for each as I like mine crunchy on the top. The same recipe can be used to make 'cobblers' to go on top of oven baked stews (contact me via the comments if you'd like a recipe), the cheese substituted for dried fruit and a bit of sugar for fruit scones, or all of that left out for plain scones. But these are the best.
Leftover bits of trimmings when rolling and cutting the circles can be kneaded together, rolled and re-cut, but I like to leave them as crescents and bake them on a separate tray. They only take about five minutes because they are smaller and make a lovely hors d'oeuvre, alternatively, as in the picture, mini pizzas can be made by adding tomato puree and cheese (or any topping you like) for a great party finger food.
Another note is, if it is to your taste, to use the strongest hard cheese you can find. Cheddar is nice, especially a good mature one, but I have had excellent results with parmesan too; though the cost here could be prohibitive.
I'll be back with more recipes and pics soon (including one that, though traditional, is guaranteed to clog the arteries at the same time as it tickles your taste buds!).
Till then, bring on the baking.
