Easy cheesy scones

When we had our maison d’hôtes in France, these flaky buttery treats were often on the menu. This easy cheesy scone recipe is from a long-lost American magazine, and was written by one of my favourite US food writers, Dorie Greenspan.

Two brilliant things about this recipe… It’s made entirely in the food processor (no messy rubbing in), and because of the way they’re formed, you don’t waste any of the dough. (Unlike other scone recipes, where you end up with mis-shapes and scraps you can’t use.)

I demonstrated these recently at the Dartmouth – my favourite of all the food festivals – and the photograph was taken live by Janet Brinkworth, who masterminds the chefs’ tent (and keeps us all in order).

As the recipe started life in cup measurements, I’ve included them here for US readers.

300g (2 ½ cups) plain flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons dry mustard (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

110g (1 stick) chilled salted butter, cut into 1.5cm (1/2 inch) cubes

110g (1 cup) grated mature cheddar, or other strong cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

160ml (2/3 cup) whipping or double (heavy) cream, plus a little extra if necessary

1 egg, any size

1 Whizz the dry ingredients in a food processor to mix, then add the butter and process till sandy. Sprinkle over cheese and pulse once or twice to mix.

2 Mix the cream and egg, then add to the processor while it’s running. Stop the moment the mixture clumps, adding less or a little more liquid as necessary.

3 Turn out onto a board and, with a light touch, divide in two pieces. Pat  the first into a round and roll to a neat 15cm diameter disc, then use a sharp knife to slice into six wedges. Transfer to a lined baking sheet, spaced apart, repeat with the other piece of dough and sprinkle the triangles with a little grated cheese.

4 Bake at 375F/190C/170C fan till golden, 20-25 minutes (no need to preheat). Cool on a rack and enjoy warm or reheated, split and buttered.