Cheese and Beer Scones

I have posted my recipe for Cheese Scones, I have also posted my recipe for Lemonade Scones  and now (Drum roll please.......) I would like to introduce Cheese and Beer Scones.  These are a cross between cheese scones and Lemonade Scones.  They make a deliciously different 'cheese Scone' and are very simple and quick to make.  They make the humble cheese scone a little bit more modern and funky.  You can really taste the yeasty beer flavour which is delicious with the wholegrain mustard and cheese.  I used a 'Strong Traditioal Ale', 'Speckled Hen'.  This recipe calls for approximately half a bottle, which is a shame because then you are left with the dilemma of what to do with the other half bottle of the 'Amber Nectar'. 

Makes about 12-14 Cheese and Beer scones

325g self-raising flour
75g grated Mature Cheese
2tsp Wholegrain Mustard
2tsp Finely Chopped Chives
170ml cold Beer
170ml Double cream (It needs to be a heavy cream as no other fat is going into these scones.)

Preheat oven to medium to hot.
Sift flour into a large bowl, add the cheese, mustard and chives.  Combine Beer and cream in a medium bowl. Add Beer and cream mixture to flour and gently fold ingredients together until just combined (don't over mix the dough as this will make tough scones). The dough should be fairly soft and sticky.

Place dough on a lightly floured work surface, form into a round and press out to about 3.5cm thickness. Cut scones using a floured 5cm diameter cutter.   Use a quick, firm motion to cut the scones to gives them a better shape and it makes them less likely to stick to the cutter. Form the offcuts into another round and cut some more scones.

Place scones close together on the tray, so they are just touching. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until pale golden and cooked through.

If you like your scones to have a soft crust, cover them with a clean tea towel for one minute after removing from the oven.