We have been making mini savoury scones for years as a wonderful option for pre-dinner snacks and canapés. These freeze well, so bake a batch and take a few out when you need them. For perfect results, the dough should be wet and soft, and handled as little as possible to give a light texture.
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 30
Ingredients
- 15g (1 tbsp) lemon juice
- 250g milk
- 500g self-raising flour
- 5g (1 heaped tsp) baking powder
- 3g (1 tsp) dried dill or other herbs
- 100g butter
- 25g parmesan, grated
- good pinch salt
- 1 egg
Method
Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the lemon juice to the milk and set aside.
Put the flour, baking powder and herbs into a bowl and add the butter, cut into small pieces.
Rub the mixture between your fingers and thumbs until you get a mix that looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Add the cheese and salt, and mix well.
Beat the egg into the milk and lemon juice, and pour into the flour.
Bring it together using your hands – it should be a soft, slightly sticky dough. If it’s firm, add a little more milk.
Turn onto a well-floured work surface and knead it briefly to bring it together but only just, then flatten out by hand to 2.5cm thick. Cut into little squares or 2.5cm diameter rounds using a mini pastry cutter, reshaping and cutting the trimmings as necessary.
Bake for 10 minutes until slightly browned and risen. Serve halved and topped as desired (see below).
This recipe is vegetarian and nut-free.
Savoury toppings suggestions:
Tomatoes and anchovy – mix 100g cream cheese with 5g tomato purée and 5g Worcestershire sauce. Add 3 anchovies, chopped. Pile onto the mini scones and top with more anchovy.
Gravadlax and beetroot – grate 1 cooked, small beetroot and mix with 100g cream cheese and seasoning to taste. Top with a good slice of gravadlax or smoked salmon.
Dried tomatoes and mozzarella – tear off pieces of fresh mozzarella and place on the scones. Top with chopped bought or homemade dried tomato and drizzle with a little of the tomato oil, then add a caper or two if you like. Season well and pop into the oven at 200°C for 5 minutes before serving.
Stilton and cranberry – blend 100g Stilton with 100g plain yoghurt and pile onto the scones. Top with a spoon of cranberry sauce.
Recipe taken from Lucy’s Bakes by Lucy Cufflin
You can purchase Lucy’s Bakes at cooked.com.
Published by Hardie Grant Books.
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Cream Cheese Crumble Muffins
Flo’s Pumpkin Scones
