A Scone With Proper Scottish Character

The savoury scone doesn't get nearly enough credit. Sweet scones with jam and cream tend to hog the limelight at every café counter, but a good savoury scone is something else entirely. Add haggis and mature cheddar to the mix and you've got something that could genuinely convert people who swear they don't like haggis. The flavour is earthy, peppery, and deeply satisfying, and the cheese pulls it all together into something far greater than the sum of its parts.

Haggis has been part of Scottish cooking since at least the 15th century, though the dish itself is almost certainly older. It's always been practical food: offal, oatmeal, and spices packed together and cooked until the flavours mellow and deepen. Combining it with a scone dough is a more recent invention, but it makes perfect sense. The oatmeal already in haggis pairs naturally with the flour in a scone, and the seasoning does a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of flavour. You won't need to add much extra salt or pepper to these.

Getting the Scones Right

The two things that ruin scones more than anything else are overworking the dough and skimping on the thickness before you cut. Handle the dough as little as you possibly can once the liquid goes in. A rough, slightly shaggy dough that just holds together will bake up light and airy. A smooth, well-kneaded dough will bake up dense and a bit sad. Aim for about 3cm thick before you cut them, which gives the scones enough depth to really rise. Any thinner and they'll come out flat.

For the haggis, either fresh or leftover works fine. If you're using a whole tinned or vacuum-packed haggis, cook it according to the packet instructions first, let it cool slightly, then crumble or break it up before adding it to the dough. Cold haggis is easier to work with and won't start cooking your butter. For the cheese, go for something with a bit of age on it. A seriously sharp mature cheddar, ideally Scottish if you can get it, will cut through the richness of the haggis. A mild cheddar will just disappear into the background. Kicking the top of each scone with a little extra grated cheese before baking gives you that slightly crispy, golden finish that makes them genuinely hard to resist straight from the oven.

How to Serve Them

Butter. That's the short answer. Split the scones by twisting them apart with your hands rather than cutting with a knife, especially while they're still warm, and spread on a generous amount of good salted butter. They're excellent alongside a bowl of Scotch broth or cock-a-leekie soup, and they make a very fine alternative to bread in a lunchbox. They're also the kind of thing that disappears quickly at Burns Night suppers when there's leftover haggis to use up. If you want to push things a bit further, a smear of wholegrain mustard or a spoonful of caramelised onion chutney before the butter works very well.

Ingredients

• 500g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 100g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 175g mature Scottish cheddar, coarsely grated (plus extra for topping)
• 250g cooked haggis, crumbled and cooled
• 1 large egg
• 250ml whole milk (approximately), plus extra for brushing

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional). Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper into a large bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in quickly with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Work quickly so the butter stays cold.
   
3. Add 150g of the grated cheddar and the crumbled haggis to the bowl. Stir through with a table knife or spatula until evenly distributed.
   
4. Crack the egg into a measuring jug and beat it lightly. Add enough whole milk to bring the total liquid to 300ml and stir briefly to combine.
5. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in most of the egg and milk mixture, holding back a couple of tablespoons. Use a table knife to bring the dough together with cutting motions. Add the reserved liquid if the dough looks too dry. You want a soft, slightly sticky dough that just holds together. Do not overwork it.
6. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it out with your hands to about 3cm thick. Do not roll it or knead it. The rougher the surface looks, the better the scones will be.
7. Dip a 6cm round cutter in flour and press it straight down through the dough. Do not twist the cutter as you lift it, as twisting seals the edges and prevents the scones from rising evenly. Place the cut scones on the prepared baking tray. Gather the remaining dough, pat out again gently, and cut more scones. You should get 10 to 12.
   
8. Brush the tops of the scones lightly with the remaining egg and milk mixture or a splash of whole milk. Sprinkle the reserved 25g of grated cheddar over the top of each scone.
   
9. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 to 18 minutes until risen and golden on top, and the bases sound hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack. Best eaten warm, split by hand, with plenty of salted butter.