Cheese & Walnut Scones

Cheese and Walnut scones make a great addition to any afternoon tea. Top them with butter or cream cheese- fabulous. I always think they're best served warm but they are great at room temperature. Try toasting them the following day or even a 10 second blast in the microwave will do the trick. I will often serve these with a brunch of bacon & eggs, or even instead of cornbread with a bowl of chilli.... just fabulous. 

If you're not keen on Walnuts just leave them out. The cheese scones on their own are lovely.

As you can see they are very simple to make and can be on the plate within 20 mins of weighing out the ingredients. 

12oz/300g self raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
2oz/50g butter
6oz/150g of strong cheddar or similar cheese grated finely
1tsp salt
a big pinch of cayenne pepper
1tsp of Colman's mustard powder
2 eggs
around 5 tbsp of milk
3oz/75gms chopped walnuts (optional)
will make around 16 scones

Heat the oven to 220c/425f/gas 7

Grease a large baking sheet

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne & mustard powder into a bowl
Rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
Add almost all the cheese reserving a little to sprinkle over the scones prior to baking
Add the walnuts and mix all the dry ingredients together
Beat the eggs with around half the milk in a bowl
Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and add the egg/milk liquid
Gradually bring together adding more milk as necessary to make a soft but not wet dough.
Handle very carefully and don't overwork at this point
Roll out on a floured surface to around ¾"/2cm thick and cut into rounds using a 2½ inch /6cm cutter.
Brush the tops with a little milk and sprinkle over the cheese.
You add a sprinkling of either paprika or cayenne for extra colour if you like
Bake on the top shelf for around 15 to 20 minutes

Cool on a wire rack, these are delicious served whilst still warm or I often halve & toast them lightly the next day and spread with unsalted butter.

Malted Walnut Bread

This is my favourite bread to serve with cheese or soup. I make it with both blitzed walnuts to
give it a real bitter/sweet nuttiness and chopped walnuts for a good crunch. Slightly sweet with the addition of malt extract but it truly enhances this lovely bread.

Recipe.

500g of strong wholemeal bread flour. I used Duchy Estate (I sure the Prince of Wales will be pleased)
a 7g sachet of dried fast acting yeast
1 heaped tbsp malt extract
100g of walnuts blitzed to a rough 'flour'
50g walnuts roughly chopped
1 heaped tsp salt
1 tbsp rapeseed oil (or olive oil)
350ml warm water

either make in your mixer with a dough hook or by hand

Warm the  your mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, yeast, and oil, quickly mix together
Add the malt extract to the warm water to dissolve it and pour most of it into the flour mix.
Mix to a sticky pliable dough adding a little more water if needed.
Either knead in your mixer for around 7 mins or by hand for approx 12.
Now add the blitzed walnuts and mix in well, then the chopped walnuts.
adding the nuts any earlier will produce a greasy bitter finish to your bread.
cover the bowl with greased cling film and leave in a warm place to prove for around an hour or until doubled in size.
Return to your work top and knock the dough back
Roll and shape into a long baguette.
place on a floured oven tray, cover with greased cling and leave to rise for approx 30-40mins.
Once well risen slash a few slits through it with a very sharp blade.
Sprinkle over with a little more flour
Bake in a preheated oven 200c/400f/gas 6 for 10 mins
Turn down the oven to 190c/ 375f /gas 5 for around another 20 minutes or until when the base loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
Leave to cool
Freezes well for around a month or store in an airtight container for 3/4 days maximum.