Cheese scones and cheese and courgette muffins…. somewhat mmmmmm

I won a brilliant prize of a wheel of Tintern Cheese, flavoured with chives, shallots and onion, from the Welsh Cheese Company. I won by sharing a favourite recipe using cheese with left over jacket potatoes. Now I have such a splendid amount of yumminess I’ve been using it in all sorts of ways, and my latest is in scones and muffins. Because the cheese is quite soft the scone mixture was quite soft too so my results, Delicious as they were (past tense, all gone!) they ended up with a rather rustic look, which didn’t affect the flavour at all. I also made some cheese and courgette muffins; I’m not sure about muffins really, I find their texture a bit spongy so I might make cheese and courgette scones next time.

Tintern cheese scones

• 8 oz self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 oz butter or margarine
• 3 oz Tintern cheese – mine was to soft to grate because it had been out of the fridge, so I just cut it into tiny lumps
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• black or white pepper
•  milk to mix

1. sieve flour, baking powder, mustard and pepper into a bowl
2. rub in the butter/margarine
3. mix in the cheese  (it rubbed in actually)
4. gently mix in milk to make a soft dough, then gently cut out scones
5. dot tops with cheese, or brush with milk
6. put on greased baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins depending on size, gas mark 8, 450º F, 230º C

With this next recipe I have changed the method and mixed the liquids together – adding them one by one was difficult and the mixture became almost overworked! The recipe was supposed to make twelve but in fact it only really was enough for nine, and my muffin moulds aren’t huge! They did seem a little dry,, despite the courgette, so another time I might be tempted to make a cream cheese frosting flavoured with chopped chives

Tintern cheese and courgette muffins

• 4 oz of courgette, grated
• 4 oz Tintern cheese, in small pieces see recipe above
• 8oz self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 fl oz olive oil
• 6 fl oz milk
• 1 egg, beaten
•  pepper

1. sieve flour, baking powder and pepper into a bowl
2. add/rub in cheese
3. mix in courgette
4. mix milk, oil and beaten egg together – they won’t really mix but just beat them up a bit
5. and liquids and mix together until you have a smooth but not overworked dough
6. spoon into muffin moulds – there should be between six and nine muffins
7. bake for 20 plus minutes (depending on the size) gas mark 6, 400º F, 180°C.

Here’s a link to the Welsh Cheese Company:

https://www.welshcheesecompany.co.uk/