Easey Cheesey Scones

It is a day for enjoying the winter sunshine.  A day to hang the washing outside.  A day for walking down the street, with our little white cat in tow, discussing shadows.  A day for sitting on the swing in the neighbour's front yard.  A day for baking scones in a warm kitchen.  We original planned to make pumpkin scones.  There wasn't enough mashed pumpkin the fridge.  Instead we made cheese scones.

I found a simple cheese scone recipe from Lovely Wee Days that I had bookmarked.  Then I discovered we had no milk.  I turned to the ingenius idea I got from AOF to substitute soda water for milk.  I also had mixed the mashed pumpkin with some cream cheese so I threw some of that in as well.  I let Sylvia sprinkle the smoked paprika in.  It was a generous amount.  Kids are never subtle.

When I suggested cheese scones to Sylvia, she gave me her funny little nod of approval.  She was up to her elbows in the mixture and helped cutting out scones.  Yet when they came out of the oven she wasn't interested in them.  Maybe she ate too much cheese while we baked.

Both E and I loved the scones.  They were best once given a 10-15 minutes to cool down.  We had them with various combinations of butter, promite and the pumpkin-cream cheese mixture.  I found them terribly moreish.  Hard to stop at one.  Easy to just keep eating them.  Soft and cheesey inside.  Crispy cheese on the outside.  Not for the calorie- conscious.  Perfect for any cheese-lover.  Great with soup or for a simple lunch

I am sending this to the Bookmarked Recipe event that is hosted by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes and was founded by Ruth from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Fish and chips – reflections of a vegetarian
This time two years ago: Pear and Walnut Chutney
This time three years ago: Tagged: Top Ten Photos
This time four years ago: Dench bread and Dukkah: simple pleasures

Cheese scones
adapted from Lovely Wee Days

• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (not packed)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (not packed)
• 2 cups self raising flour (I used half white, half wholemeal)
• generous sprinkle of smoked paprika
• 1 cup soda water (or milk)
• 1/4 cup mashed pumpkin and cream cheese (or milk)
• extra grated cheese for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 240 C.  Mix grated cheddar and parmesan cheeses with flour.  Gently stir in soda water and pumpkin and creamed cheese mixture until the dough comes together in a soft ball.  Mine was really sticky and needed a bit of flour sprinkled on it so I could handle it.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead a couple of times until smooth.  Pat flat on a floured board until about 1cm thick (or a bit thicker).  Cut into rounds and place almost touching on a greased baking tray.  Sprinkle with grated cheese (I used parmesan and cheddar again).

Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Mine were still a little doughy after 15 minutes but a few more minutes helped.  Wrap scones in a teatowel.  Best eaten warm.

On the stereo:
With my Little Ukulele in my Hands: I'm the Ukulele Man: George Formby