Kia Ora, I’m back from traveling through New Zealand! While I was there I had the opportunity to try some great food, but one food kept coming back up – an abundance of scones. Normally I’m not a big fan of scones as I tend to find them very dry. However, at a hostel on the South Island I came across homemade scones (made with love from the owners every morning) and they were delicious! They were amazingly moist on the inside with the delicious crunch on the outside. They were served warm and with butter, they were fantastic! They were also great cold (I may have taken one or two extra for the road).

Coming home I decided that I needed to recreate this delectable goodie, and my coworkers/test-subjects can attest to results. These scones are super easy and quick to make, making them a perfect morning/brunch option or even an alternative to bread with dinner. In less than half an hour, you can have your delicious scones ready-to-go from start to finish.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups milk, room temperature
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp cracked black pepper (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stand mixer or food processor combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, pepper and salt. Gently stir to combine.

Cut the butter into 1 inch x 1 inch pieces. Distribute the pieces evenly throughout the flour mixture. Using a stand mixer, egg beaters or food processor mix until the butter combines with the flour to resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add the cheese and mix just enough to combine. While mixing, slowly add the milk to the flour mixture until the flour mixture is just wet enough that it all sticks together (about 1 1/2 cups milk). The dough should be slightly sticky, but not completely sticking to your hand. Please don’t over mix! It will lead to tough scones.

Using your hands, pull out the dough and knead it on a lightly floured surface 4-6 times.

Pull 1/4 cup pieces of dough off the larger piece and form them into a loose balls with your hands. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until you have about 24 pieces. With the remaining milk, brush the scones dough balls to glaze.

Bake for 12-15 mins until the scones start to turn a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

These are best served warm, however they can be made the day before and reheated.

Enjoy!

Serves 24 Small Scones