Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones

Friday 13 May 2022

 
 
Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones





 
 I think scones are one of my favorite things to bake (and eat!).  Who doesn't love a scone?  Quick and easy to make, they are perfectly at home and fit in with all types of social and private occasions.  



Sweet scones are lovely for teas and genteel like get-togethers, whereas savory ones love homey occasions and going to picnics.  


I especially love savory scones such as these incredibly tasty potato and cheese scones I am sharing today. They are quite simple and yet so delicious! 



 
 
Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones 




These fabulous Parmesan & Black Pepper Potato Scones are perfect for homey occasions, buffets and picnics,  and would go wonderfully with cold meats, salads, soups, etc.  


They are light, fluffy and savory, with a bit of the bite from the pepper.  They area also wonderful packed into lunches. Split, butter and fill with a bit of ham or other sliced cold meat. 



Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones 




They would be beautiful as part of a Ploughman's Lunch.  What's that you say?  Well, I'll tell you.

If you do any sort of travelling in the UK and happen to stop at a Pub for lunch you will more than likely see a Ploughman's Lunch on the menu.   I would be most surprised if you didn't.



Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones 




At it's very simplest,  it comprises a nothing more than a  thick wedge of crusty bread, a large chunk of tasty cheese and a pickled onion. It came into favor at a time when most pub's didn't actually serve much food at all.   So you would get a bit of this and a bit of that.

Nowadays pub's are mainly eating places, so it's become much more than that. Usually there will be a bit of salad, some cold meat, some pickle, a good cheese, maybe two, and some sort of bread to enjoy along with everything else.


I have to say it makes for a very easy meal to prepare at home on a hot summer day.



Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones 




These Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones would be very much at home with something like that!  They would it in beautifully.


Just look at how tall they rise up in the oven.  They are light and fluffy, with a beautiful texture and great flavor.  I would consider them to be perfect for all of your savory scone-needs! 


Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones 



WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEESE & BLACK PEPPER POTATO SCONES

They are a bit of a cheat in a way in that they use instant potato flakes. If you are like me that's not a problem I keep them in my larder at all times. They come in handy for things like these scones, and to use as a thickener for some soups and gravies.

  • 1/2 cup (50g) instant mashed potato flakes
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 6 TBS cold butter
  • 1 cup (240ml) sour milk
  • 2 1/2 cups (350g) plain all purpose flour
  • 1 TBS baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (Baking soda)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 TBS cracked black pepper
  • 4 TBS coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
To finish:
  • cream to brush
  • coarsely grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle


Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones 




You can sour your own milk very easily. Just put a TBS of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup measure and add the milk as needed to come up to the full volume of what is needed in the recipe.

Leave to sit for five or ten minutes to allow the milk to sour and clabber.  Perfect!

Everything else is pretty self explanatory. Do grate your own Parmesan cheese on the large holes of a box grated so that you get a nice coarse texture. This is one instance where you don't want it to be really fine.


Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones 



HOW TO MAKE CHEESE & BLACK PEPPER POTATO SCONES 


Nothing could be easier so long as you follow the cardinal rule of scone and biscuit making. Don't handle the dough too much!  A light hand is the trick! 


Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.  Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Measure the potato flakes, sugar, flour, baking powder and soda into a bowl. Add the salt and whisk all together.  Grate in the cold butter, add the cheese and stir all together.  Stir in the black pepper.  Add the milk all at once and stir with a fork to make a soft dough.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple of times.  Pat out to a round, about 1 inch thick. Using a 2 inch sharp round cutter, stamp out rounds and place a few inches apart on the baking tray.  Gently knead together the scraps and repeat until all of your dough is used up. Try to get as many rounds stamped out of the first cutting as you can as subsequent cuts will not be as tender.

Brush the tops with a little cream and sprinkle with some more Parmesan.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. 


Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones

 



I actually have quite a few different versions of scones here on The English Kitchen. Some savory, some sweet.  Here are some you might enjoy:


CHERRY & VANILLA SCONES - Flaky light scones flavored with vanilla and studded throughout with bits of candied cherries. Delicious!


CARROT CAKE DROP SCONESFlecked with sweet bits of carrot and studded with sweet sticky raisins . . . lightly flavored with warm baking spices, and glazed with a sweet glaze. 


Whether you choose to bake a savory scone today, a rolled scone, a sweet scone or a rolled out scone, why not bake your family some lovin' from your oven today!


Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones

Cheese & Black Pepper Potato Scones

Yield: 1 dozen
Author: Marie Rayner
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 27 Min
These are fabulous served with cold meats and cheese, or with soups.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (50g) instant mashed potato flakes
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 6 TBS cold butter
  • 1 cup (240ml) sour milk
  • 2 1/2 cups (350g) plain flour
  • 1 TBS baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (Baking soda)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 TBS cracked black pepper
  • 4 TBS coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
To finish:
  • cream to brush
  • coarsely grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Measure the potato flakes, sugar, flour, baking powder and soda into a bowl. Add the salt and whisk all together.
  3. Grate in the cold butter, add the cheese and stir all together. Stir in the black pepper.
  4. Add the milk all at once and stir with a fork to make a soft dough.
  5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple of times. Pat out to a round, about 1 inch thick. Using a 2 inch sharp round cutter, stamp out rounds and place a few inches apart on the baking tray.
  6. Gently knead together the scraps and repeat until all of your dough is used up. Try to get as many rounds stamped out of the first cutting as you can, as subsequent cuts will not be as tender.
  7. Brush the tops with a little cream and sprinkle with some more Parmesan cheese.
  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until well risen and golden brown.




This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com. 


Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!

2 comments

  1. I live 80 km from the nearest shop that sells potato flakes. Can one use home made mashed potato for the scones and if so, how much?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ina. I have never done this so I cannot say with any assurity that you can or you can't. I think it would be better to pick a recipe that actually uses mashed potatoes rather than to use this one. You can also buy potato flakes online via Amazon and they deliver right to your door. Just a thought.

      Delete

Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear from you so do not be shy!


BEFORE LEAVING A COMMENT OR RATING, ASK YOURSELF:
Did you make the recipe as directed? Recipe results are not guaranteed when changes have been made.

Is this comment helpful to other readers? Rude or hateful comments will not be approved. Remember that this website is run by a real person.

Are you here to complain about ads? Please keep in mind that I develop these recipes and provide them to you for free. Advertising helps to defray my cost of doing so, and allows me to continue to post regular fresh content.

Thanks so much for your understanding! I appreciate you!