Cheese and chive scones with pear and honey
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Makes 8–10 scones
- Dietary
- Vegetarian
Rick Stein’s generously sized cheese and chive scones are delicious for lunch or afternoon tea, especially when served with extra cheese and sliced pears.
By Rick Stein
Ingredients
- 450g/1lb self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp English mustard powder
- 50g/1¾oz butter, cubed
- 225g/8oz mature cheddar, grated (I use Davidstow cheddar)
- bunch chives, chopped
- 200–250ml/7–9fl oz milk
To serve
- sliced cheddar (or other hard cheese), sliced pears and clear honey
Method
Preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6½.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and mustard powder into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mix resembles fine crumbs. Stir in about 200g/7oz of the cheese, and the chives. Add enough of the milk to bring the mixture together to a soft, but not sticky, dough.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and briefly knead. Roll out the dough to about 4cm/1½in thick. Using a 6–7cm/2½–2¾in cookie cutter, cut out the scones and transfer to a baking sheet.
Brush the tops with a little milk and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the scones. Bake for 12–15 minutes until well risen and golden.
Cool on a wire rack. Serve while still slightly warm. Cut in half and top each with a slice of cheese, a slice of pear and a drizzle of honey.
