Di's Savoury Scones from The New Blue Ribbon Cookbook
- Allen & Unwin
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Check out this delicious prize-winning recipe from The New Blue Ribbon Cookbook by Liz Harfull.
This prize-winning version of savoury scones is a favourite in the Pratten household. Rather than mixing it into the dough, Di sprinkles the cheese on top to create a lovely golden crust.
75 g (½ cup) finely diced bacon
300 g (2 cups) self-raising flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
125 ml (½ cup) thickened cream 160 ml milk, plus extra for brushing
25 g (½ cup) finely chopped chives
½ teaspoon garlic powder 45 g (½ cup) grated cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cook the diced bacon in a small frying pan over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, to render out any fat. Set aside.
Sift the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the cream and milk, and stir with a butter knife until the dough starts coming together. Add the bacon, chives and garlic powder and keep mixing until well distributed.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it out until it is about 2 cm thick. Cut the scones out using a round 6 cm scone cutter. Place them on the tray. Brush the tops with a little of the extra milk and then sprinkle generously with the cheese.
Bake for 12 minutes until the scones are golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Makes 12 scones
VARIATIONS
Use garlic chives instead of the chives and garlic powder, or 1 tablespoon of Italian mixed herbs.
TIPS FROM THE COOK
The bacon needs to be finely chopped—if you buy diced bacon, chop it to about half the size again.
Australian metric cups don’t give you a neat 160 ml for the milk. Use scales to weigh 160g, or measure out two-thirds of a cup and remove 1 teaspoon of milk.
A knife with a round end and broad blade is best for mixing. The dough should be a little bit elastic once mixed, and not too sticky.
Dip the cutter in flour to stop the dough from sticking, and place the scones apart on the tray so they won’t touch when cooking.
Prepackaged shredded cheese is too coarse for this recipe. Finely grate your own cheese—it will stick better to the top of the scones and give better coverage.
TIPS FROM THE JUDGES
Have the milk at room temperature and choose a nicely flavoured type of cheddar.
Check the schedule for specifications regarding the size and shape of the cutter to be used—some judges dislike fluted cutters.
Do not twist the cutter— it will contribute to the scones becoming lop-sided as they rise.
The scones should be well risen with a light, moist texture, and the bottoms clean of flour.
The New Blue Ribbon Cookbook
by Liz Harfull
From country shows to kitchen table, discover the secrets of blue-ribbon cooking.
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