Cheese and Onion Scones

These cheese and onion scones are beautifully savoury and full of amazing cheesy flavour. It's a super easy recipe and perfect for a snack or served alongside soup or salad. Literally every time I bake them I fall in cheesy love all over again. They are so, so good, you hear me?

A light and fluffy scone can be moment stopping. I raved about this very point in my previous Cheese Scone recipe. Served warm with salted butter it is one of my very favourite snacks to eat. They're omg noise inducing, noone can resist.

I also have a plain scone version which equally hits the spot baby. Strawberry jam and whipped cream obligatory of course.

You Can Scroll Straight Down For The Printable Recipe Card for the exact ingredients and instructions. 

Cheese and Onion Scone Recipe

The trick is not to overwork the dough too much. Minimum mixing and rolling, shaping.

I avoid using a rolling pin too, just using my hands to gently level the mixture.

This recipe will give you 5 or 6 scones using a 6 cm cutter.

Equipment Required

• scales
• measuring jug
• grater
• flat bladed knife
• scissors for snipping the spring onions
• mixing bowl
• rolling pin - optional
• 6 cm scone cutter or similar
• lined flat baking tray
• pastry brush
• fork to beat egg wash
• cooling rack

Ingredients

• 225 grams(7.9 oz) plain flour - I tend to have just plain flour in the cupboard (all purpose flour) but if you have self raising then omit 1 tsp of baking powder
• 50 grams (1.8 oz) butter - not baking margarine
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 150 mls milk - semi skimmed or full fat
• 120 grams (4.2 oz) mature cheddar
• 1 gram salt
• 6 medium spring onions finely sliced/snipped
• 1 egg beaten for egg wash

Method

• Put the flour and butter chunks in a large mixing bowl or your food processor.

• I tend to use my food processor to "rub" the butter in as it takes about 20 seconds. You are looking for fine breadcrumbs. But rubbing in with your fingers is fine too.

• I then tip the rubble into a mixing bowl (if using a food processor etc) and add the cheese and sliced spring onions.

• Pour in the wet ingredients and using a wide bladed knife mix until it starts to mostly come together into a shaggy dough.

• I then get in there with my hands and squish it gently together into a more complete dough.
• Try to handle it the least amount that you can. The lighter you go the higher they will rise.
• Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and GENTLY shape and roll into a thickness of about 3.5 cm. Try to get the whole thing even.
• I don't usually use a rolling pin. I simply flatten with my hands. But you can if you prefer.

However it matters not to me to have a bit of a slope going on. Who cares about the rustic look, you're baking with cheese here.

• I use a 6 cm cutter and get about 6 out of the dough.
• I usually get 3 out of my first shape/roll and then keep shaping and cutting often times one at a time as I can't keep the thickness and get 2 rounds cut at the same time. I dip my cutter in loose flour to stop the scone mix sticking to it.
• Sometimes I have to fashion the last one the best I can as there is not enough dough to be cut out with the scone cutter.
• Go very gently when you get the scones out of the cutter. I try to get them drop out by their own accord by a bit of gentle shaking. Also don't twist the cutter just push straight down.
• Brush the tops with milk or egg and put on a lined baking tray.

• Bake for about 12-15 minutes. I find it is usually the full 15 minutes but all ovens are different.
• Cool on a wire rack.

Cheese and Onion Scones Pro Tips

• use mature cheddar for maximum cheesy flavour
• don't overwork the dough it can make them a little tough
• don't twist the cutter just push straight down
• dip your cutter in flour before you cut each scone out
• I always advise an independent oven thermometer as the temperature can really vary oven to oven.

Can I freeze them?

The answer is yes. This batch is a small batch so easily eaten in a day but if you do a double batch then freeze away.

They should be frozen on the day of baking once completely cold. I put them in a plastic freezer bag and then another so there is a double plastic layer.

I use the large sandwich freezer bags but you could put them in a tupperware tub after the first bagging to protect them from getting knocked if your freezer is rammed.

They will freeze well for at least 2 months.

When I want them again I retrieve the bag out of the freezer and leave them in there to thaw for 3 hours.

Take them out of the bag and reheat gently at 150 C/300 F/Gas Mark 2 for ten minutes.

How do I make them gluten free?

To make these cheese and onion scones gluten free simply exchange the plain flour with plain gluten free flour.

A expert gluten free fellow blogger advised me that a lot of times gluten free flours absorb more liquid than standard flour so add 50 mls more milk to the mixture.

What to serve with them

I love them warm and spread with salted butter but also delicious with some chutney and extra cheese or pair them with a salad or soup.

I sometimes use them as a bit of a side dish.

I particularly like to serve them with:

Baked Onion and Garlic Soup,

Celeriac Soup,

Tomato Soup

Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne

Moroccan Salad

Roast Butternut Squash and Feta Salad

Click here for other cheesy baking treats.

Cheese and Onion Quiche

Quiche Lorraine

Easy Savoury Muffins

The Best Tuna Melt

This recipe features in Twinkl Picnic in the Park Blog