The Startup Cook – Cheese and Garlic Scones 

There is a reason why I have never posted a cheese based recipe. No, it is not because I don’t like cheese. On the contrary it is my insatiable love for cheese that never lets me make any cheese food. In my home, cheddar has a general life span of a few days (and depending on the weight) to maybe a maximum of a week. Yes during the day and even at night, there are several trips made to the refrigerator for some cheesy love. Hence there is never any remaining to make any kind of gooey delight.

So how did I manage to make this? When cheese comes in the form of a tin, it’s a little difficult to attack it constantly, especially if your tin cutting skills are as good as mine. Yes, therefore having discovered a tin of cheese in my refrigerator, and after a serious battle with a tin cutter, I dedicated it to making the most delicious savoury scones.

This recipe in its original form can be found on allrecipes.com. It’s a pretty flexible recipe, thereby letting me tweak it to a mouth melting level. It is also a convenient make and perhaps the only difficulty you will have is to how to stop yourself from eating the entire thing.

From the palate to the tummy - it is cheesy goodness all the way!

Ingredients 

1 cup of (all purpose) flour
½ cup of milk + 1 tbs of milk
100g of cheese (cheddar)
6 cloves of garlic
3 ½ tbs of butter
1 tsp of baking powder
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Oregano

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 200 celcius. Prepare a baking sheet and set it aside.

Cut the cheese in to bite size cubes and set it aside.

Pound the garlic cloves to pulp and set it aside.

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the baking powder to it.

Dump the garlic in to the flour mixture, then add half a teaspoon of salt, pepper, a teaspoon of paprika and oregano and mix gently.

Add the butter to the flour mixture and cut it with the flour.

Add the cheese to it and gently whisk the ingredients together.

Make a small hollow space in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour ½ a cup of milk in to this space.

Gently mix to form dough.

Place the dough on a floured wooden slab and knead it in to a ball.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough (to a ½ inch – to 1 inch thickness) in to a circular shape.

Slice the dough in to 8 pieces and place them on to the prepared tray.

Carefully, pour the tablespoon of milk over the scones.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the scones turn light brown in colour. (Rotate once in between) 

Disasters, Warnings and Tips 

Garnish with some chopped parsely before serving.

You have to have them just out of the oven. So so so goooddd….

I hate Stannis Baratheon. I will never forgive him.

Feel free to increase on the cheddar if you wish.

Honestly, I think the stupid tin cutter has a mind of its own.

Ensure the butter is slightly chilled and not melted - helps with the cutting.

Do not over knead the dough.

Salt is a vital component for this recipe.

If I could sing a song to these scones it would be Darren Hayes ‘Insatiable’.

Cheese is still damn expensive. Wonder if the Yahapalanaya people can do anything about it?

By Shazzana Hamid