VegetarianNorth East English cuisine Baking

Cheese and Leek Scones

Name: Cheese and Leek Scones
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: North East English
Ingredients: 250 g self-raising flour; 1 tsp Baking powder; 1 tsp english mustard powder; 0.5 tsp fine salt; 55 g Unsalted butter; 100 g leek; 120 g mature cheddar cheese; 125 ml Whole milk; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Golden, tender savoury scones packed with sweet sautéed leeks and sharp mature Cheddar, perfect warm from the oven.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· North East England

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 285 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

250 g self-raising flour — plus extra for dusting
1 tsp Baking powder — for extra lift
1 tsp english mustard powder — enhances the cheese flavour
½ tsp fine salt
55 g Unsalted butter — chilled and cut into cubes
100 g leek — washed and finely sliced
120 g mature cheddar cheese — coarsely grated, divided
125 ml Whole milk — plus 1 tbsp extra for brushing
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Equipment

•Baking tray
•Greaseproof paper
•Frying pan
•Mixing bowl
•Pastry brush
•5cm fluted cutter

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 285 kcal
fat: 13 g
carbs: 33 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 9 g
calories: 285 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat the fan oven to 200°C and line a flat baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2
Melt a small knob of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat on the hob.
3
Add the sliced leek and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft, then leave to cool completely.
4
Sift the flour, baking powder, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper into a large bowl.
5
Rub in the chilled butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
6
Stir in the cooled leeks and 90g of the grated Cheddar cheese.
7
Pour in the milk and mix with a round-bladed knife to form a soft, spongy dough.
8
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat out to 2.5cm thickness.
9
Cut rounds with a fluted cutter without twisting, placing each scone onto the baking tray.
10
Brush the scone tops lightly with milk and scatter over the remaining grated cheese.
11
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until well-risen, crisp, and deep golden brown.
12
Transfer to a wire cooling rack to rest for 5 minutes before serving warm.

Chef's tips

Cool the cooked leeks completely before adding them to avoid melting the butter in the flour. Never twist your pastry cutter when stamping out rounds, as twisting seals the edges and prevents an even rise.

Ingredient substitutions

mature Cheddar cheese → Red Leicester cheese
whole milk → buttermilk

Storage

Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to two days.

Reheating

Warm in an oven preheated to 160°C fan for five minutes to refresh the crust.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding hot leeks straight to the flour, which melts the butter and makes heavy scones.
•Overworking the dough with your hands, resulting in tough and dense bakes.
•Twisting the cutter, which stops the scone from rising straight up in the oven.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm, split open and generously spread with salted British butter.Pair with a bowl of hot vegetable soup or tomato soup.Pack cold into lunchboxes with a crisp apple and pickled onions.