Cheddar & Sage Scones : Baking Partners Challenge June 2014

Baking Partners this month are ready with another beautiful bake and this time unlike all sweet bakes,here comes a savory treat.There were two recipes suggested by Archana @ Mad Scientist's Kitchen -a tart and a scone.I preferred the scones as kids don't prefer baked tomatoes much and as the scones had tomatoes.I followed the exact recipe as it was beautifully explained.Thanx Archana and Swathi for opting this wonderful bake and they turned out excellent.I was happy to see that two of them just vanished soon after the bake when it were warm.I had to hide the rest to capture some pics or else would have to try again.Do give these a try and am sure you would feel happy about baking a savory scone filled with butter and cheese flavor !!!

Adapted from bbc good food.com
Ingredients
*self rising flour 225gms (2 cups)
english mustard powder 1.5 tsp
a pinch of pepper
*cheddar cheese 100gm (nearly 1 cup)
*dried sage 1.5 tbsp
butter,cold & cubed 1/2 stick (50 gm)
butter milk 150 ml or {whip curd/yogurt 100ml (1/2 cup)+water 50ml (1/4 cup)}
oil 1 tbsp for greasing

Method
-Whip the curd with water listed to make thin buttermilk.Keep aside 1 tsp of buttermilk to brush the scones.
-Pre heat oven to 220 degrees C or 425 degrees F.Grease and flour the baking tray (8" round/square)
-Sift the flour twice,add the mustard powder and pepper powder.
-Add the butter & add 1 tbsp sage.Rub butter in the flour till it resembles crumbs.
-Add in half of the cheese and mix well.Make a well in the center of the flour and add butter milk till the flour come together sticky.Transfer on a clean floured surface and shape in a round of 3cm thick.
-Transfer this to the prepared tin.Cut out quarters and then redivide in  quarters.
-Brush the top with reserved butter milk and then add the remaining 0.5 tsp sage.
-Add the remaining cheese on top.

-Bake at 220 degrees C or 425 degrees F for 15- 20 mins until golden,risen, and sound hollow when tapped at the bottom.(Mine was done at 18 minutes.)
-Remove from oven,cool on wire rack and gently run a knife in the existing cuts to separate scones.Serve warm with butter.

Servings~ 8 scones

NOTES
* I preferred making my own self rising flour.You can mix 1 cup of all purpose flour(maida),1.5 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.(referred recipe here)So,for this recipe you require 2 cups all purpose flour+3 tsp baking powder +1 tsp salt.swift it twice so that there is even distribution of baking powder and salt and the flour is well aerated.But I preferred to use 1/2 tsp salt as cheese already has salt in it and that was perfect to our taste buds.
* The recipe calls for mature cheddar cheese but I used sharp cheddar cheese.Use as per tastes.
* You can use 8 fresh small sage leaves for topping instead of dried sage.

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