Watercress and cheddar olive oil scones
I made these for my daughter’s christening as I wanted to showcase local ingredients and British dishes to my Spanish visitors. My parents were staying with us and I decided to honour my dad by using his olive oil in place of butter to prepare the scones for the party. Two cultures… one lifestyle. The scones were delicious!
I have made them with different cheeses and herbs since then, and they are always a success. If you prefer them sweet, then, substitute the cheese and herbs with 50g of sugar or dried fruit.
Ingredients
40g watercress
75g mature cheddar
230g self-raising flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
50ml Negra extra virgin olive oil
125ml milk, plus extra for brushing
Takes 30 mins – serves 8
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Grate the cheese coarsely and finely chop the watercress and reserve.
Sift the flour and baking powder. Add the salt and the Negra olive oil and either use your fingertips to rub it into the dry ingredients or use a food processor. Stir in the chopped watercress and the cheese, mix well.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the mill and mix together with a round bladed knife to form a soft dough (or mix for a few seconds in a food processor).
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead lightly and roll out to a rectangle about 2cm thick
Use a 6 cm fluted cutter to press out circles of the dough, re-rolling lightly as necessary. The mixture should make 9 scones. Place them on an oiled baking tray. Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra milk.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the scones are well risen and golden-brown. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
These are ideal for picnics or school packed lunches
