Pesto and chorizo scones

AS featured before in this blog I went to a demonstration from All’Scone- a company set up by a couple called Liam and Grace. They love scones and baking and have released a cook book dedicated to the humble scone. I tried some of their lovely pesto and chorizo scone at the demo and it was delicious served with cream cheese and onion chutney. I decided to give them a go. It was harder than it looked. The chorizo was really hard to crumble up so I ended up chopping it. The good thing was I actually cut them thick enough so they actually looked like scones. Normally I cut them too thin and they look rubbish. They tasted really good straight out of the oven, but they weren’t so good when they were warmed up.

Ingredients
• FOR THE BOWL
• 450g/32/3 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 175g/1½ sticks of butter
• 40g/2 tbsp + 1 tsp golden caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 large pinches of salt
• 2 large pinches of black pepper
• 100g/3½oz Spanish chorizo, skinned
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• FOR THE JUG
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tbsp buttermilk, plus extra for brushing
• 3 heaped tsp of basil pesto, plus extra for brushing
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed in a garlic press
• FOR FLAIR
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional), for sprinkling
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F / gas mark 5.
In a bowl, rub the flour and butter together gently through your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs or, if you want to get the job done, give them a quick whizz in the food processor. Add the sugar, salt and pepper.
Next whip out the chorizo. Our tip is to finely chop, grate or blend it in a food processor - this works better than adding large chunks as it helps to distribute the flavour through the whole scone. Go for a ring of chorizo rather than slices as it packs more flavour. In a small bowl mix the smoked paprika into the chorizo (this helps to elevate the smokiness of the chorizo) and then add this to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients, along with 1 teaspoon of garlic salt. Mix thoroughly to combine. You will start to see the mixture taking on a red tinge.
In a jug, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk until light and airy. Add the Pesto and garlic to this mix and whisk again to combine. Next the smell test. If you don’t get bowled over by a garlicky Pesto basil burst then sneak a bit more in the jug, but 3 heaped teaspoons usually does the job. Pour this mixture into the bowl and gently mix together with the dry ingredients.
Work the dough in the bowl with a wooden spoon or a spatula until it starts to come together, and then finish with your fingers until the dough comes away clean from the edges of the bowl. Tip on to a lightly floured surface and work through with the base of your palm 3 or 4 times, each time folding the sides in and turning over until the dough becomes smooth. We love this bit as you start to see the paprika and chorizo spread into the dough.
Pat and shape the dough into a ball and roll out the dough until it is approximately 3cm/1¼inches thick then, using a floured round cutter, cut out your scones. For posh nosh scones use the smooth side of the ring cutter and not the serrated edge as this will give them a more professional finish.
Place your scones on a lightly floured baking tray, leaving enough space between each one for them to spread. Brush each one with buttermilk and dust with flour. Top each scone with a small dollop of Pesto smoothed out over the top with the back of a spoon. For extra flair and wow factor add a sprinkle of cheese - we recommend Parmigiano-Reggiano - to give your scones a crisp golden top.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. To serve you can have it the All’Scone way, which is a nice helping of crème cheese and caramelized red onion chutney or our favourite: an old skool spread of butter and pâté to make it a mighty meaty bite.