Cheese and watercress scones

MAKES 8 SCONES

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: about 15 minutes

 

 

1 cup (150 g) self-raising white flour

1 cup (150 g) self-raising wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2½ tablespoons (50 g) butter, cut into small pieces

½ cup (50 g) rolled (porridge) oats

85 g watercress without coarse stalks, chopped

⅔ cup (85 g) grated mature cheddar

100 ml low-fat milk, plus a little extra, to glaze

salt and pepper

 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Sift the white and wholemeal flours and the baking powder into a bowl, then tip in any bran left in the sieve. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

 

2. Add the oats, watercress, about three-quarters of the cheese, and a little salt and pepper. Use a fork to stir in the milk. Scrape the dough together with a spatula and turn out onto a well-floured surface. Pat together into a smooth, soft ball. It will be a little softer than a standard scone dough.

 

3. Pat or roll out the dough to 2 cm thick. With a 7.5 cm round cutter, stamp out the scones. Press the trimmings together lightly, re-roll and stamp out more scones.

 

4. Place the scones on a greased baking tray, arranging them so they are not touching. Brush the tops lightly with milk and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. These scones are at their best eaten on the day they are made, but will still be good the next day; store in an airtight container.

 

 

* Each scone provides 963 kJ, 230 kcal, 8 g protein, 10 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 30 g carbohydrate (1 g sugars), 3 g fibre