I don’t think I need to bang on any more about just how much I love wild garlic season & why it’s so wonderful, but this over eager forager may or may not have a fridge rammed with green foliage right now, some of which has been in there for a questionable amount of time. In a bid to use it up quickly, I needed a quick & easy recipe. When it comes to baking, there’s nothing much quicker & simpler than a humble scone. Whilst I’m usually more partial to the sweeter variety, slathered in clotted cream & jam, from time to time I do enjoy a more savoury take, something to be used as a vehicle for cheese. Now there are plenty of recipes out there for wild garlic scones, all of which contain the cheese right there in the mixture, but I wanted something a little more subtle. Something pungent & herby that I could load up with as much cheese as the mood takes me.
That’s where these simple wild garlic & chive scones were born. With ample garlic for flavour, I’ve added in a handful of chives from the garden, not only because they’re coming into their own right now (as the saying goes: what grow together, goes together) but also for that allium freshness. The result is a crumbly, buttery scone with a subtle flavour that’s perfect for loading up with cheese, chutney & pickles. These are best eaten the day they’re made, I like mine with a generous slice of mature cheddar & a little dollop of herby yogurt made up quite simply by mixing together some more chopped chives & wild garlic with a good thick yogurt or cream cheese.
WILD GARLIC & CHIVE SCONES
(makes 8-10)
Ingredients:
- 450g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 115g butter
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 185ml whole milk
- 2 eggs (1 for brushing)
- 40g wild garlic, washed & dried (plus a few extra for decoration)
- 15g chives
Method:
- Begin by sifting together the flour, salt & baking powder into a large bowl
- Cube the butter & add this to the flour
- Using your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
- Next, finely chop the wild garlic & chives before adding these to the bowl & mixing through
- In a separate bowl or jug, quickly whisk together the milk & one of the eggs
- Make a well in the centre of the bowl, pour in the wet ingredients & stir to form a sticky dough
- Gently finish bringing the mixture together with your hands & empty onto a lightly floured surface
- Use your hands to flatten the dough out to an approximately 3cm thick round
- Using a 7cm fluted pastry cutter cut out the scones, carefully bringing together the remaining dough to flatten & cut out more scones until all of the mix has been used up
- Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl & use this to brush the tops of each scone
- Top with an extra, small wild garlic leaf before baking in the oven at 200°C for 12 – 15 minutes, until well risen & golden