Spelt scones w/ parmesan, paprika & sea salt

There is not much more comforting than a traditional cheese scone. I absolutly love them. It's not something I eat very often at all these days but this past summer we had them on the menu at Little Red so under the tutelage of my partner's mum Susan I had to pull my weight with the baking duties for the busy weeks over xmas. Susan makes AMAZING cheese scones. They always sell out and have incredibly dedicated fans. Picking up the mantel from her some mornings and doing the baking was intimidating (but a great way to learn). 

My tweaked version of the recipe uses light spelt flour to produce a wheat free and much lower gluten scone. Spelt is great when you want to nail a traditional recipe like this. The result is a slightly denser scone but I barely notice the difference.

I also opt for a wetter dough than some other recipes might. I find this makes for a beautiful soft inside and a lovely soft crunch on the outside. Keep your hands, the board and your cutting knife well floured to make the scones easy to handle.

Have a great weekend. Especially all you mamas on Mothers Day. I hope you get spoilt! x

Spelt scones w/ parmesan, paprika & sea salt

2 1/2 cups light spelt flour

3 tsp baking powder

75 grams butter - cut into cubes

sea salt and cracked black pepper

1 cup strong cheddar cheese - grated (plus additional for topping)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese - grated

1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika

1 cup milk

Pre heat your oven to 220 degrees celsius. You want the oven to be nice and hot when the scones go in.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter.

Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour. Keep doing this until the mixture looks like fine breabcrumbs.

Add generous amounts of salt and pepper. (Lots of cracked pepper is lovely in these).

Add the cheese and paprika. Stir through. 

Pour the milk into the middle of the bowl. Use a wide knife or a spoon to very quickly bring the mixture together quickly. Do not over mix.

Turn onto a floured board. Shape into a rough rectangle. Cut into  12 pieces. Coating your knife in flour and also your hands can make handling the sticky scones easier.

Place each piece on a baking sheet lined with paper. Leave some space between each one but let them be close enough that they will rise / expand and end up touching each other a little. This creates a lovely tear-apart look to your batch of scones (as pictured).

Sprinkle each scone with cheese on top and a little paprika if you like.

Bake for approx 15 minutes or until golden brown. This can vary oven to oven.

Delicious both warm and cold on the day of making. Can be enjoyed the next day if you toast a little first. Spread with butter and enjoy x