if i ever go back to live in japan, one thing i shall surely miss from my life in the uk is the cheese.
you see, japan doesn't really do cheese - of course, you can buy cheese in japan but it tends to be the rather bland, waxy processed sort that comes in slices. since i came to the uk 30 years ago, i have become a lover of all sorts of cheese. in fact, most japanese people who live abroad for any time in a "cheesy place" tend to fall in love with the stuff. i think it's the "almost umami" flavour that good cheese develops that explains why it suits the japanese palate. i put cheese in all sorts of cooking - my english husband is very fond of cheese in Chinese gyoza and we are both partial to cheese curry (no, really - and they are very good!) on a more conservative note, i really like cheese scones and this recipe pairs them with sundried tomatoes. i like to eat these with a salad for lunch but i've found people also like them with a good stew in place of dumplings. anyway, however you choose to eat them, i think you'll enjoy them!
so, if you're up for a little baking, you can find the recipe below. For the youtube tutorial click Cheese & Sundried Tomato scones.
(PS: this recipe uses yoghurt rather than cream to make the scones a little lighter and softer)
happy cooking! kurumi XXXX.
Cheese and Sundried Tomato scones
ingredients: (makes 10 scones)
60g strong cheddar cheese
2 sundried tomatoes
5g fresh parsley
225g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
a little salt
1 tbsp sugar
50g unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp plain yoghurt
60ml milk
a little extra flour for dusting
a little milk for brushing
1 small ring cutter
1 baking tray
how to:
cut the cheese into small cubes,
chop the sundried tomatoes into small pieces and finely chop the parsley
heat your oven to 180 C / 350 F (fan)
put the plain flour, baking powder & sugar in a bowl, add the butter and cut into small pieces (or you can cut the butter into small pieces in advance if you prefer)
rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until you get a crumby consistency, then add the beaten egg, yoghurt & milk and mix everything together
add the cheese, sundried tomatoes & parsley to the dough, mix together and lightly knead for 1 min
dust a work surface with extra plain flour, form the dough into a 3cm thick roundel
use a small cookie cutter to make 10 scones, place them on a baking tray and brush with a little extra milk
bake in the preheated oven (fan, 180 C / 350 F) for 15mins or until lightly browned