Wild Garlic, Mature Cheddar and Potato Scones Recipe

How do you take an Irish Wild Garlic Mature Cheddar scones recipe and make it even more Irish? Simple, add in some mashed potato! Yup, you heard right, mashed potato! The addition of mashed potatoes in this recipe makes it an incredibly soft yet light scone. It does make a slightly more delicate scone than normal as a result, but I honestly love how soft the crumb is. They still have the signature crunchy exterior but are as soft as a pillow on the inside. They are absolute packed full of flavour with beautiful Irish mature cheddar chunks and freshly foraged wild garlic leaves. Plus, you won’t believe how easy they are to make!

Mashed Potato…. what??

I know it sounds a little unconventional, and it definitely is! But hear me out, it creates a super soft and fluffy scone. It also helps keep the scones insanely moist and helps keep them fresh for up to 3 days! They might keep even longer than that but I haven’t managed to keep them around longer than that so I honestly couldn’t say.

You can use fresh mash or store bought ready made mash for these. If using freshly made mash potato, make sure you have passed them through a ricer or sieve as you don’t want any lumps. Allow the mash to cool before using also. And make sure you use plain mash potato. No added salt, butter, milk, anything!

Ok, so how do I make these Wild Garlic, Mature Cheddar and Potato Scones from scratch?

To begin making these wild garlic, mature cheddar and potato scones , add the dry ingredients plus the softened butter to a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon or your hands, mix together the butter into the flour until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add in the plain mashed potato and grated cheese and continue mixing for another minute or two until the dough resembles chunky breadcrumbs. Add in the egg and buttermilk and mix briefly until most of the dough has been wetted. Add in the cheese chunks and chopped wild garlic and mix until just combined.

Lightly flour a clean, flat surface and place the dough on it. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and gently roll it out to the same thickness as your scone cutter. Dip your cutter into flour and carefully cut out scones until you have used all the dough. Smush any remaining dough together and cut out. Place on lined flat baking trays and egg wash lightly. Bake immediately for 25-30 minutes making sure to rotate the tray halfway through cooking.

CAN I FREEZE SCONE DOUGH?

I have never frozen scone dough raw, but according to Nigella, you absolutely can freeze them raw. For best results, follow the steps up until the egg wash. Place them directly onto a lined baking tray, don’t egg wash them and freeze like this. After a few hours, once frozen you can place them into airtight containers or ziploc bags and can keep for up to one month. Bake these straight from frozen, just pop them onto a lined baking tray, egg wash and extend baking time by 5-10 minutes.

You can also freeze baked scones. For best results, freeze them on a tray as soon as they are cooled from baking. Once frozen, place them into an airtight container or a ziploc bag. These can last for up to one month. Defrost for an hour and pop them into a hot oven for 5-10 minutes.

For more Baked Good Breakfast Ideas, check out my Breakfast Category, here.