I had not had a bowl of tomato soup in a very long time and so I wanted to have some for my lunch today. Tomato soup is one of the few tinned soups that I enjoy, or at least that I have always enjoyed. I was brought up on tinned tomato soup. I never tasted homemade until I was an adult.
I usually don't think of it until later in the day and at my age, eating anything tomato later in the day is not a good idea. 😟 It plays havoc with my digestion and I end up paying for it all night long.
Today I thought about it earlier in the day and so I decided that was going to be my lunch. I thought of making a grilled cheese to go alongside, but then decided that I would rather have a savory scone or biscuit. Something not quite as heavy as a sandwich.
I remembered a recipe I had bookmarked from a site called Salty Ginger a few weeks back and determined to bake those. Not only did they look delicious, but they also looked relatively simple and quick to make.
I don't know about you, but when it comes to lunch, I don't want anything too complicated. To be honest, these days, I don't want anything too complicated for most meals. I don't know if I am getting lazy in my old age or what!
I think I dealt with enough complicated cooking to last several life-times when I cooked at the Manor. I did enjoy it, not complaining, but once you are retired you don't really want to be chained to a stove. I am quite capable of pulling out the stops for special occasions and do from time to time, but for the most part, simple is what works best for me.
And these are simple. There is nothing complicated here. They are also incredibly delicious. I find that if you use good, quality, fresh and simple ingredients, your food just tastes better, so I try to buy the best that I can afford. A good recipe will speak for itself, and this is a very good recipe.
Simple, delicious, and easy to make. Works for me.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEDDAR CHEESE & CHIVE SCONES
A few simple ingredients. Make sure you use a good quality cheese to get the best flavor from these!
- 1 1/3 cups (160g) grated mature cheddar cheese (sharp), divided
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) plain all purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 -1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 4 1/2 TBS (60g) cold salted butter
- scant 1 cup (200ml) whole milk, plus 3 TBS to brush
- 1/3 cup (16g) finely chopped fresh chives
I used a really good British Cheddar for this. Castello Tickler, Extra Mature, aged for 17 to 18 months. It is a white cheddar and has a lovely flavor. You want a good strong, quality cheese to get the best flavor from these scones.
I used fresh chives from my garden. If you can't find any, but you can find spring onions (scallions), use an equal quantity of finely chopped scallions.
I use whole milk, salted butter and organic, unbleached flour.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING GREAT SCONES
If you follow my hints and tips you cannot go wrong! I promise you scone success every time! The perfect scone is crisp and almost caramelized on the outsides, and tender and buttery, slightly sweet inside.
1. Always use cold butter, or even frozen butter. This will give your scone a much better rise. As the scones bake the cold butter, melts and creates lovely buttery air pockets.
2. Never overwork the dough. Use as light a touch as possible. Overworking the dough toughens the scone. This is the same for biscuits as well. If using a cutter do not twist the cutter when you cut or you will end up with lopsided scones.
3. If you have enough time, it is helpful to chill the scones for about 10 minutes prior to baking them. Although not specifically necessary this will help to relax the gluten in the flour somewhat and give a nice tender texture, and also ensures that your butter stays nice and cold.
4. For crisp sides leave at least two inches of space between each scone. For softer sides, crowd them closer together. Personally I like crisp sides.
5. If using fresh fruit in scones, try not to use fruit that it too juicy. This will mess with the integrity of your bake if the fruit is too wet. Rinse and dry it really well prior to using it. I like to use paper towels. Also if using loose frozen fruit, use it frozen. Do not thaw it out first.
6. Don't overbake the scones. Overbaking will make them really dry. Scones are done with they are a light golden brown on the bottom. If you are in doubt, break one open. They should not appear doughy or wet inside. They should be slightly moist and tender.
HOW TO MAK CHEDDAR CHEESE & CHIVE SCONES
These are a really quick and simple make. So simple that you will find yourself making them fairly often!
Preheat the oven t0425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and set aside.Whisk the flour together in a bowl with the baking powder, pepper, and salt. Grate in the cold butter and then quickly rub it into the flour mixture with your finger tips using a snapping motion until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs with some pea sized bits.Stir in most of the cheese and the chives, mixing everything well together. (Reserve about 1/3 cup of cheese/40g to sprinkle on top at the end.)Pour in the milk and mix to a shaggy dough, using a fork. You may need more or less milk. The dough should not be really wet, but it should all come together as well.Tip out onto a lightly floured clean countertop and knead gently a couple of times. Pat into a rectangle. Fold the sides over the center and pat out again. Repeat two times more. (This is a type of laminating and results in a higher rise.)
Pat or roll out to a rectangle that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a four inch floured cutter, stamp out 6 to 8 large scones, using a sharp up and down motion. Do not twist.
Place, well spaced apart, on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with the extra milk and sprinkle the reserved cheese over top.Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before serving, if serving warm.Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. These may be frozen for up to 3 months (baked or unbaked) so long as they are tightly covered.
Not all scones are sweet or meant to be served with jam. The following savory scones are lovely next to soups, stews, salads, or with cold meats, cheeses, pickles, etc. Great for picnics as well!
CHEESE, SPRING ONION & BACON SCONES - These lovely scones are beautiful served for breakfast with eggs, or thick slices of ham. They are also great for lunch with some pickle and ham, or as a side for soups and salads. These are delicious any which way. Buttery, crumbly and loaded with cheese, spring onions and smoky bacon.
EVERYTHING BAGEL DROP SCONES - These Everything Bagel Drop Scones have crunchy flavor-filled outsides and soft, fluffy, flaky insides. I would consider them to be the perfect savory scone! I created my own Everything Bagel Seasoning to use for these with excellent results. You could of course, use a commercially prepared seasoning in it's place.
Yield: 8 large sconesAuthor: Marie Rayner
Cheddar Cheese & Chive Scones
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 MinThese lovely scones come together very quickly and are deliciously savory. A switch from the usual sweeter type of scone, they are delicious served warm, split and spread with butter with a hot soup or stew. They are also delicious cold and buttered with a salad. Fabulous also with jam, believe it or not!Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (160g) grated mature cheddar cheese (sharp), divided
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) plain all purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 -1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 4 1/2 TBS (60g) cold salted butter
- scant 1 cup (200ml) whole milk, plus 3 TBS to brush
- 1/3 cup (16g) finely chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven t0425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and set aside.
- Whisk the flour together in a bowl with the baking powder, pepper, and salt. Grate in the cold butter and then quickly rub it into the flour mixture with your finger tips using a snapping motion until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs with some pea sized bits.
- Stir in most of the cheese and the chives, mixing everything well together. (Reserve about 1/3 cup of cheese/40g to sprinkle on top at the end.)
- Pour in the milk and mix to a shaggy dough, using a fork. You may need more or less milk. The dough should not be really wet, but it should all come together as well.
- Tip out onto a lightly floured clean countertop and knead gently a couple of times. Pat into a rectangle. Fold the sides over the center and pat out again. Repeat two times more.
- Pat or roll out to a rectangle that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a four inch floured cutter, stamp out 6 to 8 large scones, using a sharp up and down motion. Do not twist.
- Place, well spaced apart, on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with the extra milk and sprinkle the reserved cheese over top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before serving, if serving warm.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. These may be frozen for up to 3 months (baked or unbaked) so long as they are tightly covered.
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