As I mentioned last time, this January is about resetting a few eating habits and trying to rebalance slightly away from ‘belly-enhancing’ and towards ‘nutritious’. To that end, here are some herby wholemeal scones.
They’re dead simple, good for your digestive system and an easy fit for any number of healthy meals. They’re still nice and comforting, though, which is pretty important for the dark and cold of January.
So far, I’ve eaten them topped with leeks and poached eggs as well as garlicky mushrooms. Mrs Appleby, from whom we get the original recipe (Traditional Yorkshire Recipes, 1982), also recommends dropping them into a stew instead of dumplings (ideal if you have no suet handy), and I’d extend that to a nice thick soup. They might be best, however, served warm straight out of the oven with a spread of butter*.
I’ve used fresh herbs here, but the original uses dried mixed herbs. You could also easily switch in white self-raising flour, if you prefer.
*I’m being a little healthier, but I’m not a monster. Eat butter, guys.

Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 20 minutes |
Servings |
scones
|
- 225 g self-raising wholemeal flour
- 55 g butter
- 3 tsp chopped mixed fresh rosemary, thyme and sage (or whichever woody herbs come to hand)
- 140 ml milk
Ingredients
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- Get the oven going, set to 210C (gas mark 7).
- Rub the butter into the flour, then stir in the herbs. Add in the milk a little at a time until you have a soft dough.
- Roll the dough out to 1.5cm thick. Cut it into rounds (you'll get 6-8, depending on the cutter you use). Place them on a greased baking tray and place in the oven for 20 minutes, until risen.