A hot cheese scone, lashings of butter and a fresh pot of coffee. Nothing beats it. 

So it was with great delight that my mate Kate made griddle scones at the bach last week, substituting the oven for our trusty barbeque. Because, my cheesey friends, the oven up at our Waikane beach house is useless. Far too low power and erratic to trust with the delicate balance of flour, milk and raising agent that is a scone.

Being the fearless cook she is, Kate came armed with pizza stone, sieve and mixing bowls, and magiced up delicious raspberry griddle scones using her grandma’s recipe. Dreamy with rhubarb jam and cream.

Now it was my turn to see how my fail-safe cheese scone recipe would fare on the grill. I have a gas Weber Q so it has a lid. I reckon a lidless Barbie will work just fine. You can also use a heavy frying pan or hot plate.

I’ve pretty much merged my cheese scone recipe with Kate’s one, and I am pleased to say they came out remarkably well.

A light fluffy inner encased in a cruchy, crusty shell! 

The key to scones is not to over mix them, have the oven, or the barbie in this case, and the tray well heated and to be brave and add the liquid in one go.

Griddle cheese scones on the barbeque grill

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 cups grated cheese, mature cheddar is best, but don’t waste a fine handmade cheddar, block is fine
• 1 egg
• Butter milk, or milk with a heaped tsp yogurt. You want the egg and milk combined to make a cup.

Heat the barbeque and pizza stone, or the fry pan on high.

Sift flour, sugar, salt and cayenne pepper. Make a well in the middle and add cheese. Gently combine.

Break the egg into a cup, beat a little with a fork, add buttermilk, or yoghurt and milk, until you have a cup.

Pour the egg milk mixture into the flour and cheese. Cut in using a blunt knife. You want to make cutting movements rather than stirring. Work quickly until it is just combined. Add a little more milk if it it too dry. Remember be brave and don’t over mix.

Turn the dough onto a floured board. Working quickly and gently, just with your finger tips shape into a round. Mine was about 20cm wide by 2cm deep. Cut into 8 wedges.

Sprinkle a little flour onto your hot pizza stone, or put a little oil into the heated fry pan and gently place the scone wedges. Don’t crowd them. Close the barbeque lid, and set a timer for about 4-5 minutes.

Once they have browned, gently turn them over and cook for another 3 minutes or so.

These are the timings for the Weber Q, I suspect they are similar for the fry pan or griddle.

Serve with oodles of butter whilst still hot. 

Ps- you can call these girdle scones if you’re of Scottish heritage. I’ve stuck to griddle just like my Nana and Kate’s.

Pps- check out my best ever cheese recipe if you have an oven that works!