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

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.