Bake Club: Savoury Scones

Last week I had a rush of blood to the head and encouraged my workmates to make up a team for Wellington On A Plate's Bake Club contest. "It'll be great," I told them. "Of course you can do it."

As we unveiled our savoury scones for the first challenge on Monday, I realised they had all been bluffing about their baking skills and I am a serious contender for the wooden spoon.
This will be a bad look professionally - I mean, I look at recipes all day for work (well, some of the day) - three of the others are hotshot reporters, one is the building's receptionist (and she bakes professionally) and the other is an entertainment editor - who won with some super-spicy beer and sausage scones. So while I took the moral high ground and didn't vote for my own triple cheese scones on Monday, next week I'm going to play dirty.

Triple cheese and salami scones
This is a really easy way to make scones because there's no rubbing in of butter (which is helpful when you're making them before work). One of the rules of Bake Club is to include as many 'Wellington' ingredients as possible. I used Zany Zeus feta (made in Lower Hutt), and Little Wolf salami (from Wainuiomata), but you can use whatever you like. This makes a huge amount, but they freeze well. Oh, and since you ask, I got third. Out of six. Please don't let that put you off, I still reckon these are prize-winners.

4 cups self-raising flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard powder
3 cups grated cheese - crumbled feta, parmesan, cheddar, plus about 1/2 -1 cup grated cheddar to sprinkle on the top
200g salami, diced      
125ml cream
500ml milk
      
Preheat oven to 220C and put the oven tray in to heat up.
Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Toss through the cheese and salami.
Mix the milk and cream together in a jug, then pour into the dry ingredients. Fold together until just mixed, then turn out onto a floured work surface and form into a shape about 2.5cm high. Stamp out rounds or cut into wedges.
Transfer gently onto the hot tray and sprinkle with the reserved cheese. Grind over some black pepper and bake for 10-15 minutes, until risen and golden on top.

Are you taking part in Bake Club this year?