That's a lovely bake!

Scottish cheese scones are served all day — with morning coffee, with soup and salad at lunch, and alongside a glass of wine.

Yield
12 Servings
Preparation time
15 minutes
Cooking time
15 minutes
Total time
30 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
  Dash of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (diced and more for greasing)
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup and more for sprinkling)
1 large egg
6 tablespoons milk (and more for brushing)
Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour through cayenne). Rub cut tablespoons of butter into flour mixture and toss in the cheese. Make a crater in the flour; break egg into crater and add 6 tablespoons milk, beating with a fork. Mix flour and egg mixture with your hands, creating a dough. If it’s too sticky to handle, add a bit more flour. If it’s too dry, add a bit more milk. Knead for 1 minute.

Preheat oven to 400 F and grease baking sheet with butter. Roll dough out to ½-inch thick, cut into circles with a 2½-inch round cutter, and transfer to baking sheet. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with cheese. Place on middle rack and bake 10 to 15 minutes.

Notes

Per serving: 172 calories, 9 grams fat (5 grams saturated fat), 39 milligrams cholesterol, 307 milligrams sodium, 17 grams total carbohydrates, 0.5 gram fiber, 6 grams protein.

Yield
10 Servings
Preparation time
20 minutes
Cooking time
25 minutes
Total time
45 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound 80 to 85% fat ground pork
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 8.5-ounce sheet puff pastry
1 egg (beaten)
Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix together ground pork, sage, thyme, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. On a floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10 x 15-inch rectangle, slice in half lengthwise, and place halves an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Evenly spread 2-inch lines of the sausage mixture slightly off-center down the length of each pastry piece. Fold the wider side of pastry over the sausage and press and seal edges with a fork. Cut rolls into 3-inch sections and slit the top of each roll twice to allow steam to release. Place baking sheet in fridge for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Brush pastry tops with beaten egg and bake 25 minutes, or until a deep golden brown and sausage is 165 F.  Serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze up to 3 months.

Notes

Per serving: 431 calories, 26 grams fat (9 grams saturated fat), 151 milligrams cholesterol, 226 milligrams sodium, 11 grams total carbohydrates, 0.5 gram fiber, 38 grams protein.

Yield
6 Servings
Preparation time
20 minutes
Cooking time
50 minutes
Passive Time
30 minutes
Total time
1 hour, 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 3⁄4 cups flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter (sliced thin)
1⁄3 cup ice cold water
8 slices stale white bread (crusts removed)
1 1⁄2 cups golden syrup
1 egg
  Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  Whipped cream for topping (optional)
Instructions

In a large bowl with your hands, lightly combine flour, salt, and butter until it resembles crumbles. Mix in water a bit at a time. When it begins to stick together, form dough into a round disc. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate 30 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll dough out on a floured surface until it's larger than the 9-inch tart pan. Transfer dough to the pan, pressing into the corners and leaving 2 to 3 inches of dough overlapping the sides. With a fork, pierce dough on bottom of pan many times. Fit parchment paper into tart crust and fill with pie weights (dry beans or rice.) Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment; set aside.

Meanwhile, place stale bread in a food processor and pulse into crumbs. Measure out 4 ounces (2 1/2 cups) of the breadcrumbs and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together golden syrup, egg, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Mix in breadcrumbs. Pour mixture into tart shell and spread evenly.

Place on a baking sheet and bake 40 to 50 minutes until the filling is set (a slight jiggle and some bubbling is OK.) Cool completely on a wire rack, then trim crust edge. Serve topped with whipped cream (if desired). Can be stored at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 4 days.

Notes

Per serving: 519 calories, 14 grams fat (8 grams saturated fat), 51 milligrams cholesterol, 580 milligrams sodium, 93 grams total carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 8 grams protein.

Yield
8 Servings
Preparation time
20 minutes
Cooking time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour, 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1⁄2 cup ground almonds
3 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  Zest of one lemon
3⁄4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
3⁄4 cup superfine sugar (see recipe notes for substitutes if you are unable to find superfine sugar)
3 large eggs
Instructions

Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. In a large bowl, mix flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light, fluffy, and pale in color. Beat in eggs one at a time, following each with a spoonful of the flour mixture to prevent curdling. With a spatula, gently fold in the remaining flour mixture until evenly mixed and smooth (expect the batter to become rather heavy and dough-like). Spread evenly into greased pan.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick through the middle comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes, then carefully remove from pan. Cool completely before cutting and serving.
Decorate with candied citrus peel, lemon icing, jam, or fresh berries.

Notes

Note: If you can’t find superfine sugar (a.k.a. caster sugar or baker’s sugar — NOT confectioners' or powdered sugar), simply food-process granulated sugar for 30 seconds or so until the granules are visibly smaller. 

Per serving: 267 calories, 15 grams fat (8 grams saturated fat), 77 milligrams cholesterol, 189 milligrams sodium, 30 grams total carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams protein.