Cheese scones remind me of my sister; back in my childhood it seems like she’d always rustled some up. Her best addition was to mix grated cheese in with butter as a filling! So bad, but so good. That recipe – I think from an ancient Marks and Spencer Seventies baking book – is a great place to start on my ultimate cheese scones.

I often come back to making them as a comfort bake. Amidst the deluge of rain there was a rare sunny afternoon and it just felt right. So armed with cheese I set to making my ultimate version.

And here they are. There’s a blend of fats and cheeses, and getting height is so satisfying here. A little spike of spice really does make the difference; that heat pushes up the cheese flavour. It’s also important to work the mixture as little as possible to keep it loose and able to rise.

Slather them with butter, cream cheese or leave them plain – just try and devour them while they’re still warm. You can’t get a more satisfying snack.

Want more baked treats? Try masala cheese scones for a twist, or a tiger loaf.

ultimate cheese scones

Gary @ BigSpud

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine English

Servings 12 large scones

Ingredients

  

• 400 g plain flour
• 100 g wholemeal flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch paprika you could use cayenne pepper
• 75 g butter
• 25 g lard
• 100 g strong cheddar grated
• 50 g comte cheese grated
• 1 egg
• 75 - 100 ml milk

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 200C.
• Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder and paprika then rub in the fats until you get breadcrumbs. Fold through the cheeses, then blend in the egg. Add enough milk to form a soft, sticky dough.
• Turn out and loosely press into a 3cm thick patty. Cut out shapes with a cutter, but try not to twist - you need those vertical lines to encourage the scone to rise upwards. Transfer to a greased, lined baking tray, brush with milk and any spare grated cheese you have. Bake for 10 - 12 mins, until golden brown and a crust has formed on top. Allow to cool for as little as possible before devouring.