Apple, cheddar and sage combine for an amazingly flavourful scone.
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 theaddition 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.
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
Preheat oven to 200C fan bake. Dust a large baking tray with flour.
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).
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.
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.
Place on your prepared tray, about 1cm apart. Keeping them close together will help them to rise and stay fluffy inside.
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.
