Wild garlic and cheddar scones

Name: Wild garlic and cheddar scones
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: Makes 8
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 150g plain flour, plus extra to dust; 100g wholemeal flour; 1 tsp English mustard powder; 1½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp fine salt; 100g salted butter, chilled and cubed; 100g mature cheddar, coarsely grated; 10g wild garlic, chopped, plus extra leaves to decorate; 1 medium egg, lightly beaten; 100ml whole milk

Portion size: Makes 8
Prep time 20 min, plus optional chilling. Cook time 18 min
Difficulty: easy

Freezable

Vegetarian

Emily Gussin

Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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Give cheese scones a spring twist. These wild garlic scones pair seasonal wild garlic with strong cheddar for an easy savoury bake.

A delicious combination: Cheese and garlic are a classic pairing and the fresher punch of wild garlic leaves works brilliantly with mature cheddar.
Two types of flour: These scones combine plain and wholemeal flour for more flavour and texture, but, if you prefer, you can replace the wholemeal with the same amount of plain flour.
Seasonal treat: Wild garlic appears as early as late February (depending on the weather) but reaches its peak in early April, when it may be flowering.

Discover more wild garlic recipes – or make our best-ever plain cheese scones.

Before you start

Follow our guide to foraging for wild garlic.

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Ingredients

150g plain flour, plus extra to dust
100g wholemeal flour
1 tsp English mustard powder
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt
100g salted butter, chilled and cubed
100g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
10g wild garlic, chopped, plus extra leaves to decorate
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
100ml whole milk

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Method

Put both flours in a large bowl with the mustard powder, baking powder, salt and a little black pepper. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture mainly resembles breadcrumbs but still has some larger flakes of butter. Stir in three quarters of the cheddar and the wild garlic.
Add most of the egg (keep a bit to brush the tops), followed by the milk, then use a dinner knife to bring it together into a dough.
Tip onto a dusted work surface. Roll out to a 1cm thick rectangle, then scatter over the remaining cheese. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up (like a letter). Cut into 8 squares, then brush the tops (see Know-how) with the rest of the egg. Top each with a reserved piece of wild garlic leaf and brush again. Put on an oven tray and chill for 30 minutes (see Tips).
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Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack briefly, then enjoy warm.

FAQs

Wild garlic appears as early as late February (depending on the weather) but reaches its peak in early April when it may be flowering.

The leaves have a fresh garlicky taste that’s punchy when raw but mellows when cooked.

Nutrition

275kcals Calories
16g (9.8g saturated) Fat
7.7g Protein
24g (1g sugars) Carbs
1.3g Fibre
0.8g Salt

Quick wins & tips

Preheat the heavy-duty baking tray to get the raising agent working immediately. This gives the lightest, airiest scones with the crispest bases.

Make sure your butter is fridge cold when you chop it and mix it into the flour. Cold fat in a dough will create a flakier texture once it’s introduced to the hot baking sheet.

The key to a soft, light scone is not to overwork the dough. These only have a single roll-and-fold added to the method to add the cheese to the dough, so you get a good hit of cheese and a great texture.

Putting the scones in the fridge for half an hour before baking will help to keep these layers intact, but don’t worry if you don’t have time.

Make Ahead

These are best eaten on the day but will keep in an airtight container for another 2 days. Or freeze, wrapped, for up to 3 months. Defrost before eating, then pop into a hot oven for 5 minutes to warm through.