Goats Cheese & Chive Scones

It’s been a year since my last cheese scone recipe, so probably about time I posted another!

Three things happened that lead to these scones being made.

• Joy the Baker posted this recipe Feta & Chive Sour Cream Scones 
• I was going to make Leek & Potato soup.
• There was some hard goats cheese in the fridge that needed using up.

I had been daydreaming about Joy’s scones since December, I wanted something different to dip in my soup, the cheese really did need to be used or else I was gonna scoff the lot on it’s own and so these scones were born.

As well as subbing the feta for goats cheese, I replaced the sour cream with buttermilk, as I had some buttermilk and no sour cream and I brushed the scones with milk rather than egg, because I didn’t have enough eggs!

The result was delicious, you can always trust a Joy the Baker recipe to be just that – even when you tweak it slightly.

Goats Cheese & Chive Scones
makes 12 

330g / 11oz plain flour
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
2½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
170g / 6oz unsalted butter – chilled & cubed
1 large egg
180g / 6.2oz buttermilk
bunch of finely chopped chives
90g / 3oz hard goats cheese – coarsely grated

to top – milk, sea salt, black pepper & smoked paprika

Preheat the oven to 200°c / 400°f / gas mark 6 and line two trays

In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb of soda, salt & pepper.

Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingers, until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.

Combine the egg & buttermilk and add to the flour and butter – mix together until it forms a scraggy looking dough.

Add the chives & cheese and lightly knead until it comes together – about 10 to 15 turns.

Flour a clean surface and roll or pat out the dough, so it is about an inch thick.

Cut of 2 inch rounds – I didn’t quite pat my dough out enough, so I only managed to get 11 scones but this recipe should make 12.

Place on the lined trays, brush with a little milk and sprinkle salt, pepper & paprika over each one.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until well risen and golden.

These are best served warm from the oven and should be eaten within 2 days – they really aren’t very happy after the 2nd day.