Recipe: Cheddar, apple and sage scones

Apple, cheddar and sage combine for an amazingly flavourful scone.

These scones are a bit special. I’ve always been partial to the combination of cheese and apple - particularly in pies and toasties - and while I love a classic cheese scone, I wanted something exciting for this recipe.

My beloved cheddar and apple combo came to mind, with the addition of sage, and I couldn’t help but test it out.

The result exceeded my expectations - these cheesy morsels are insanely good!

Besides their oozy pockets of melting cheese, these scones have bursts of sweetness and chew from the apple, sharpness from onion and the earthiness of sage.

I use apple cider here instead of soda water, which adds a hint of sweetness and helps them develop a caramelised, crunchy exterior while remaining fluffy and moist inside.

• Read more from Olivia Moore here

They are best eaten straight from the oven with plenty of butter, as all scones are.

Grab a packet of apple rings and add these to your morning tea menu - you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Cheddar, Apple & Sage Scones

Ingredients

Makes 8 large scones

• 450g flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 150g butter, grated and frozen
• 200g cheddar cheese, half grated, half cut into 1cm cubes
• 50g dried apple rings, chopped
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 330ml cold apple cider

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C fan bake. Dust a large baking tray with flour.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the frozen butter and rub with your fingers to combine (you don’t want the butter to melt).
3. Add the grated and cubed cheese, dried apple, onion and sage, and mix to distribute. Pour in the cider and, using a metal serving knife, make cutting motions to gently mix. Only mix until a shaggy dough.
4. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and briefly knead 2-3 times, then divide the dough into 8 portions and shape each into a rough circle.
5. Place on your prepared tray, about 1cm apart. Keeping them close together will help them to rise and stay fluffy inside.
6. Brush the tops with milk, and bake for 12-15 minutes until well-risen and nicely browned. Enjoy warm, with plenty of butter.

Olivia Moore and her Taupō business That Green Olive offer recipe development, food photography — in studio or on location — for restaurants and cafes, recipe video creation and social media content creation. Go to Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com.

Stay up to date with the Waikato Herald

Get the latest Waikato headlines straight to your inbox Monday to Saturday. Register for free today - click here and choose Local News.