Kiwis love their scones. And if you are looking for a cheese scones recipe that is seriously good then you come to the right place! It uses aged cheddar cheese to pack in as much flavour as possible.
The blend of spices used are spot on – salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper – all there for a good reason. And that little kick from the cayenne seals it for me. Does it make it spicy? No. It simply gives warmth and delight in every bite.
What are scones?
Scones are called quick bread because they do not need to rise before they go to the oven. The basic ingredients are flour, baking powder or baking soda, fat, and milk or cream.
Do you want to know an interesting fact about these cheese scones?
This is a recipe for the Ministry of Food, a café in Wellington, New Zealand. I saw it first on RNZ’s news article on 10 life-saving lockdown recipes, followed the link and found a gem.
Why is this recipe better and easier?
It does not require having to rub the butter into the flour mixture like many other recipes. The flavour and the fat in the cheese serve the same purpose as the butter. That saves us time and effort.
And there is no need to spend extra on heavy cream because a full fat milk will do.
This is adapted from Lucy Hoffman’s recipe, author of Life and Cheese website. I made it a few times and got convinced the recipe is a must try!
Each ingredient worked to make the best tasting cheese scones; I would dare say.
Some observations and suggestions
Using a tray lined with baking paper vs using a pre-heated tray
I baked the scones both on a tray lined with baking paper and on a pre-heated tray and found no huge difference in terms of results. Personally, I prefer using a tray lined with baking paper for easier clean up. It is up to you to choose.
Dough thickness
You can cut the the dough 2-inch thick or 3-inch thick. Mine was 2-inch thick and it worked well for me. So, I suggest you do what would work for you. And dust your cutter with flour if your dough is too sticky.
Feel free to cut the dough with a knife, a baker scraper, or a cookie cutter
If you want to use a a cookie cutter to cut the dough then go for it. I just did not bother.
A quick brush of milk
Finally, I brushed the top of the scones with milk before I baked them. Thought it would give the bread a nice golden colour once done baking.
Scones are a thing here in New Zealand. If you want to try it then you can use this quick, easy, tasty, and no-fail recipe.
How To Make The Best Cheese Scones
Best Cheese Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp white sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 cups (200g) aged cheddar cheese, grated Note 1
- 1 cup (250ml) milk, plus more for a wash
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 ℃ / 428 ℉. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Note 2
- In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and ground cayenne pepper.
- Add cheese to the flour mixture and stir to mix until well distributed.
- Pour all the milk and mix quickly until everything just comes together; Do not overmix.
- Tip the dough onto a floured worktop and gather it together. Roll it out to 2-cm thick rectangle shape. Note 3
- Using a knife or a baker scraper, cut the dough into 8 pieces and brush the top with milk. Get them immediately into the preheated oven. Bake for 15 - 17 minutes. Note 4