Leek and Onion Scones

Assja Baumgärtner

100 g onions
50 g leek
1 tbsp olive oil
200 g whole meal flour (or the Allinson flour mixture with rye, wheat and barley – my favourite)
½ tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tsp baking powder
30 g butter
1 tbsp fresh, chopped thyme
150 ml milk, or if available, buttermilk

Peel and chop the onions finely. Trim and cut the leek into fine rings. Sweat the vegetables for a few minutes and season them with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Meanwhile place the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut the butter into tiny pieces and rub into the flour. Add the herbs, onions and leek and mix with the milk into a medium soft dough. Place the dough on a board which you have sprinkled with flour beforehand and pat it out until it is about ¾ inch / 2 cm thick. With a round cutter (about 4 – 5 cm diameter) cut out scones and place them on a baking sheet. Dust the scones with a wee bit of flour and bake in a preheated oven, 200C / 400 F / Gas 6 for about five minutes. You should get 12 – 15 scones.

I love them with soups or stew. And they are just lovely with smoked salmon or trout (and a touch of horseradish cream) or simply with cream cheese or quark and chives.