Springtime is just round the corner and at Clootie McToot Dumplings we are blessed to be surrounded by the rural wildlife beginning to bloom in the coming months. Abernethy is a small village surrounded by fields and forests, filled with an abundance of Spring flowers, baby lambs and fresh produce.
Scotland and her Scones
There’s a long-standing history between scone’s and the Scots, with the first scones thought to originate from Scotland. In the early 1500s the first known print reference of the scone was made by a Scottish poet, however these classic receipies were actually made using oats, and were shaped into large rounds that were cut into 4 or 6 triangular slices – similar to a pizza!
The Modern Day Scone
Nowadays, most scones you will tend to find are shaped into individual circular scones, however many more traditional bakers will still create and slice large rounds. We also use flour rather than oats to give a softer more fluffy texture, rather than the chewy texture of oats. Scones nowadays also tend to feature a wealth of toppings and additional ingredients to give them a more exciting and opulent flavour. From chocolate, to cranberries, to even lemonade – a Clootie favourite! – you can use almost any of your favourite ingredients to create a scone for whatever you’re craving.
A Cheesy Delight
We love to welcome in the Spring with a savoury scone. Our Clootie kitchen is renowned for their cheese scones, which make the perfect accompaniment to our soups of the day. We thought we would add a little twist to this classic and create Cheese and Chutney Scones, made with locally created Onion Chutney, which you can get your hands on in our shop in-store.
Recipe
To create these cheesy masterpieces, you will need:
- 350g self-raising flour , plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 85g butter , diced, plus extra to serve
- 200g extra-mature cheddar , grated
- 284ml pot buttermilk
- 6 heaped tsp onion chutney, plus extra to serve
Method
- STEP 1
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Dust a large baking sheet with a little flour. Tip the flour into a big bowl and mix in the bicarb and 1 tsp salt.
- STEP 2
Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips to breadcrumbs, or whizz in a food processor until no butter lumps remain. Stir in all but a small handful of the cheese.
- STEP 3
Drizzle over the buttermilk and, using a cutlery knife, quickly mix together lightly. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring together with your hands into an oval about 2.5cm deep. Cut into 6 scones with a floured knife, then lift onto the baking sheet, leaving room for them to spread. Using the back of your tsp measure, press a small dip into the middle of each scone. Spoon the chutney into the dips, scatter over the remaining cheese, and bake for 10-15 mins until risen and golden. Best eaten on the day of baking with butter, plus a dollop more chutney, if you fancy it.
And that’s all there is to it! If you decide to recreate our Cheese and Chutney Scones be sure to take a picture and tag us on Facebook or Instagram so we can share with the rest of the Clootie Clan.
At Clootie McToot HQ we always have a selection of both sweet and savoury scones available for you to enjoy, made with local produce from surrounding farms. To book your table at Clootie McToot, please call us on
