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Day Five on the Advent Calendar and Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

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Day Five on the Advent Calendar and Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Day Five on the Advent Calendar and Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Day Five on the Advent Calendar:

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Day Five on the Advent Calendar:

5th December:

Wooden Nutcracker

Wooden Nutcracker

Today is day five on the Lavender and Lovage Advent Calendar and what an appropriate window to open, and find a nutcracker, as my recipe today is  Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones. I have to admit to making these scones in a bit of a hurry this morning, as I am part of a SECRET CHALLENGE for the weekly #BoothsCheers party tonight on Twitter.  Of all the virtual parties I have attended, and there have been many over the years, #BoothsCheers has been the best and most fun; as a #BoothsCheers VIP, every week for six weeks (although it will be four weeks for me as I missed the first two weeks),  I’ll receive a delivery of wines and beers from my namesake store,  Booths Food, Wine and Grocery Stores . The deliveries arrive on Tuesday usually, just in time for the Wednesday night Booths party, between 7pm and 8pm, when it’s time to taste the wines and beers, give my views and suggestions for what to eat with the wines using the Twitter hash tag #BoothsCheers, and even share a few recipes and photos of what I have cooked just for the party!

#BoothsCheers

And JUST look at what we are lucky enough to receive this week…….a bottle of finest Saint Emilion Grand Cru and a bottle Croft Indulgence, Finest Reserve Port……Booths have REALLY spoilt us this time! 

Booths email offers Week 4 907px This Weeks Deals In Store Now

I also have a SECRET mission too, more about that later, but what I can tell you is that it entails baking, and I am entering my Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones into the challenge……little morsels of cheese, fruit and nuts, that would make a PERFECT canapé to accompany a bottle of Saint Emilion Grand Cru…..just cut them in half, butter them, add a spoon of chutney – I used my Spiced Quince & Cranberry Chutney – and then a slice of Brie cheese for an elegant but rustic nibble!

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

I am a real scone fiend and you will find lots of recipes on my blog for sweet and savoury varieties; these ones are suitably festive for this time of year and can be made in advance of a party or family gathering, and can then be frozen. They are also very well-behaved when heated up next day, if made the day before. The cranberries not only add a seasonal burst of colour, but they also add a subtle sweetness that offsets the rich cheese and tannin and a good red wine. 

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

I am sure that my wee scones will be the perfect partner for the #BoothsCheers party tonight and I can’t wait to uncork my wine and get partying! Not only are these scones perfect for a drinks party, but, if you make them a normal scone size, then they will make an excellent accompaniment for soups, stews and casseroles, as well as the dinner party cheese board.

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

The recipe for my Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones is below and DO let me know if you make these part of your Christmas menu this year and what you served them with too……it’s time to go now, I need to sort out what I am wearing for the big party tonight (!) as well as write up some NEW 5:2 recipes that I have been promising for the last week…….they WILL follow very soon, I promise! See you later land have a lovely day, Karen 

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones

Print recipe
Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones
Serves 20
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
Total time 30 minutes
Allergy Egg, Milk, Wheat
Dietary Vegetarian
Meal type Appetizer, Bread, Breakfast, Side Dish, Soup, Starter
Misc Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
Occasion Casual Party, Christmas, Formal Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving
Region British
By author Karen S Burns-Booth
Dainty little cheese, cranberry and walnut scones make great cocktail nibbles when split, buttered and served with chutney and cheese. 40 canapés can be made this way, by using each half as an individual vehicle for cheese and chutney. These go particularly well with red wine, especially St Emilion, Bordeaux Supérieur and Cote de Blaye.

Ingredients

  • 250g self-raising flour, plus extra to dust
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 50g cold butter, diced
  • 175ml buttermilk
  • 75g Parmesan cheese, finely grated (plus a little extra for the tops)
  • 50g dried cranberries
  • 100g walnuts, roughly chopped
  • milk to glaze

Note

Dainty little cheese, cranberry and walnut scones make great cocktail nibbles when split, buttered and served with chutney and cheese. 40 canapés can be made this way, by using each half as an individual vehicle for cheese and chutney. These go particularly well with red wine, especially St Emilion, Bordeaux Supérieur and Cote de Blaye.

Directions

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7. Place the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, and then using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour. Stir in the buttermilk, cheese, cranberries and walnuts and very lightly knead to make a soft and slightly sticky dough.
Step 2 Roll out the scone dough with a little flour dusted over and then cut into 20 rounds, or use a mini scone cutter for smaller scones. Transfer to a non-stick baking sheet, dust with flour, then glaze with milk and scatter some cheese over the top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the scones have risen and are golden brown.
Step 3 Serve warm with cheese, ham, charcuterie and chutney.
Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Mini Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Scones Recipe

Booths Cheers Week 4

Booths Cheers Week 4

I can now reveal that I was part of the secret #BoothsCheers Recipe Challenge party and my partner was……@annieqpr who writes over at Annie QPR. We were engaged in a battle to cook off against each other, and having seen her amazing menu of  Slow Cooked Pork and Clam Cataplana, Lettuce Cups with Seared Beef, Sizzling Chilli Prawns and Chorizo in Red Wine, I don’t hold out on my chances much! WELL DONE Annie for such a sizzling menu! Cheers! 

 

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Comments

  2. Dominic says

    wowzers, what STUNNING scones… I love the ingredients… the perfect winter scone in my opinion… funnily enough The Viking is just munching his way through some savoury mustard and herb scones I made for him last night… I on the other hand am being very virtuous!… lovely pictures too Karen, really pretty x

    Reply

    • Karen says

      Thanks Dom, your savoury mustard and herb scones sound amazing too…I do like a good savoury scone, especially with cheese and chutney! Karen

      Reply

  4. Sarah says

    I love savoury scones, and these sound perfect for Christmas – might have to make a batch to go with a glass of port to help with the Christmas card writing!

    Reply

    • Karen says

      Lol! If we lived closer I would have gladly shared the wine and port with you Jac, as you know! I would be delighted to add the photo to your NCR Christmas link up! Karen

      Reply

  16. K Mayers says

    These look and sound wonderful Karen! The mixture you’ve come up with isn’t one that had ever crossed my mind – and I’m sure never would – but now I’ve seen your recipe I can’t wait to try them out with the grandchildren on the weekend. Thank you! 🙂

    Reply

  17. Fiona Matters says

    These look lovely. The more I look at your website the more I like it! I do like savory scones. Although sweet scones are great too of course!

    Reply

  19. Dee Johnson says

    Scones are something i just cant get right, they always end up flat and rock hard. I love when you go into a little tea shop and the scones are huge and light and fluffy. Not far from where i live is the Cairn o Mor winery and they have a little tea shop with homemade scones cakes etc, really fab. One day i will ask for the recipe

    Reply

  22. Fiona Matters says

    These look gorgeous! I’m a great fan of cheese and nuts although I have to admit to being partial to pecans rather than walnuts. Shared on twitter.

    Reply

  23. Tracy Nixon says

    I’ll make these for my dad! He loves scones and usually puts cranberry on them at Christmas time – these ones will already have it within!

    Reply

  28. Fiona Matters says

    I’ve been meaning to make scones for just ages. Then I saw on your Saturday herb post that someone had scones as the carbs in dinner. That is such a good idea! Definitely going to steal it. Shared on google+

    Reply

  29. Fiona Matters says

    I have just made these and they are absolutely wonderful! They are going to be my dinner accompaniment later – if they last that long… Shared on twitter.

    Reply

  31. Maya Russell says

    Still have not made these but I will definitely come back to this recipe. Wonder if I can serve scones like these as a starter? Not sure.

    Reply

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