Cheese and Olive Scone Bake

As I mentioned in my previous post I  recently started a new job. After going to Brisbane for work, I ended up staying the weekend with Alex. It was only natural we spent part of it in the kitchen. After making Alex’s grandmothers delicious raspberry slice, we decided what we needed was cheese and olive scone bake. The recipe hails from the lovely Mary Berry (Seriously I can’t get enough of the Great British Bake Off). The bake was  a perfect early lunch accompanied by a refreshing glass of cider.

All the ingredients just happened to be things Alex had in the house: salt, eggs, milk, self raising flour, baking powder, tasty cheese, olives and grated parmesan.

The flour, baking powder, and salt are measured into a large bowl. The butter is added and rubbed together – a step I loath. I often don’t have the patience (one day I’ll share my ridiculously easy scone recipe that doesn’t even use butter!). I am however grateful for a pastry cutter.

While I was labouring away with the butter, Alex chopped up some olives. We may have eaten one or two from the jar. It’s hard to resist an olive.

Once the mixture resembled breadcrumbs the cheese and olive are stirred through. To finish add the eggs and milk and mix to form a soft dough.

Knead the dough until smooth and transfer to a tin. Mark 12 squares and brush the top with milk and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the parmesan and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the scone has risen and is golden brown.

Remove from the oven. Let it cool for a bit and cut into 12 pieces. As I mentioned it we ate it as a light lunch with a little butter/margarine (and blue cheese!) and it was the perfect light lunch. When making it I would suggest perhaps adding some fresh basil to the mixture as well and it would taste amazing. Definitely making this one again, it’s so simple and easy and yet filling.

Mary Berry’s Cheese and Olive Scone Bake *

Ingredients

450g Self Raising Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt
100g Butter
200g grated/shredded Cheese  (the recipe uses cheddar we used tasty cheese)
100g pitted black olives roughly chopped
2 large eggs
Milk
25g grated parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230C. Lightly grease the tin.
2. Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the dry mixture until it resembled breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in 200g of cheese and the olives.
4. Break eggs into a measuring jug and add milk until the volume reaches 300ml.  Add to flour mixture and mix until it forms a soft dough.
5. Knead the dough until smooth. Add to tin  and mark 12 squares. Brush with milk.
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Springle with parmesan. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
7. Once golden brown and well risen remove from oven. Allow to cool out of tin. Cut into squares and enjoy!

*Mary Berry, 2011. 100 Cakes and Bakes: My Kitchen Table. Edition. BBC Books