Melt in your mouth cheese and chive scones make the perfect savoury treat. Best eaten warm with lashings of butter, these easy savoury snacks are quick and simple to make.
Savoury Cheese and Herb Scones
There is just something about a warm scone slathered with butter. And as much as I love a plain or fruit scone (with jam and cream on special occasions) a savoury cheese scone is such a delight. Buttery, flaky and full of flavour, just like my Sun Dried Tomato and Cheese Scones, these Cheese and Chive Scones make the perfect savoury snack.
Not only are these cheese and herb scones delightfully tasty, but they are also incredibly easy to make. Scones are great because there is no yeast or rising involved, and no complicated steps. They are quick to prep, cook and eat!
Ingredients
- Self Raising Flour
- Baking Powder
- Mustard – or mustard powder to add a depth of savoury flavour.
- Butter – straight from the fridge and cut in cubes. Use a block of real butter, not a spread.
- Fresh Chives – you can also use wild garlic (ramps) if in season or diced spring onion. Dried chives will work in a pinch.
- Cheese – I use a mature cheddar for flavour. Choose a strong cheese which melts easily – parmesan or gruyere also work well, or experiment with a mix of a couple of cheeses. I don’t recommend mozzarella as the flavour is too mild.
- Milk – I use full-fat cows milk for my cheese scones but you can also use skimmed or plant based milk like almond or soy.
- Salt and Pepper
Tips for Perfect Scones
- Use COLD butter – straight from the fridge.
- Get the air in – sift the flour at least once and raise your hands as you rub in the butter for light, flaky scones.
- Weigh Ingredients with a kitchen scale. For baking recipes I really do advise using a scale to measure ingredients instead of cups as it really does pay to be precise. I use and love these digital kitchen scales.
- Use proper measuring spoons to measure tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp), as above it can make a big difference in baking if you are not using precise measurements.
- Don’t over-work the dough. Handle it just enough to bring it all together and shape. I prefer to use my hands to gently flatten the dough to 3-4cm thick before cutting, instead of using a rolling pin. Rustic scones look tastier in my opinion too…
- Use a sharp knife or cutter. Cut carefully and don’t twist if using a round cutter as this will twist the edges of the scone dough and affect the rise.
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-grated cheese usually has a starchy coating to stop it sticking so it doesn’t melt well and can alter the scone texture.
- Preheat the oven and baking tray for the best rise on the scones.
Serving and Storing
Cheese and Chive scones are best served freshly baked with a generous spread of salted butter.
Savoury scones go really well with soup – spread with a little butter they are perfect for dunking. You can also serve them as part of a lunch or brunch spread, or as a savoury snack. They make a great option for a light lunch too.
For best results, reheat cooled scones before eating – I love to pop sliced scones in my air fryer for about 5 minutes at 200c/400f. You can also reheat scones in the toaster, oven or microwave.
I love to spread my warmed cheese scones with butter and a little marmite or chilli jam.
Store cooked and cooled scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze scones for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or wrapped in clingfilm.
Cheese and Chive Scones Are Perfect with Soup:
- Roasted Pepper and Gouda Soup
- Chicken Minestrone
- Lentil Soup with Bacon
- Cream of Vegetable Soup
- Butternut Squash and Harissa Soup
- Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
- Leek and Kale Soup
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment if you make it to let me know what you think. Your feedback is really important and helps me keep making recipes you love!
Cheese and Chive Scones
Ingredients
- 225 grams self raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp mustard
- 55 grams chilled butter in cubes
- 3 tbsp chopped chives
- 120 grams grated cheddar cheese
- 100 ml milk plus extra for glazing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220℃/Fan 200℃/400℉/gas 7 and place a large baking tray in to preheat.
- Sift the flour at least once, twice if you have time, and stir in the salt, black pepper and baking powder.
- Add the butter and use clean fingers to rub it into the flour mixture – the texture should resemble breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the mustard and 100 grams of grated cheese (save the rest for topping the scones) and the chopped chives.
- Create a well in the middle of the mixture and add about 75% of the milk. Use a spatula to mix together to form a slightly sticky dough – add more milk as needed but you may not have to use it all.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to shape into a circle roughly 3-4cm thick. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 6 or 8 equal wedges or cut with a round cookie cutter.
- Brush the top of each scone with a little milk then sprinkle over the remainder of grated cheese.
- Place the scones on the warm baking tray then cook for 14-18 minutes until risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
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