Watercress scones with goat's cheese mousse & pear chutney

Preparation: 20 minutes    Cooking: 60 minutes    Makes 8-10

Ingredients

• For the scones:

• 225g self-raising flour

• 2 pinches of salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 55g butter, diced

• 25g watercress, finely chopped

• 150ml whole milk

For the chutney:

• 250g pears, peeled, cored and chopped

• 75ml red wine vinegar

• 25g caster sugar

• 25g dark brown soft sugar

• Pinch of nutmeg

• Pinch of allspice

• Pinch of cinnamon

For the mousse:

• 100g of soft goat's cheese mouse, rind removed

• 30-50ml double cream, cold

Method

Combine all chutney ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the pears are soft. Cool down before using.

While the chutney is cooling, make the scones. Lightly grease a baking tray and preheat the oven to 180°C. Whisk together the dry ingredients, then rub in the diced butter until a breadcrumb-like consistency is reached. Mix in the chopped watercress, then add the milk and mix until a soft dough is formed. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly until the surface is smooth. Roll out to approximately 2cm thick and use a 5cm cutter to stamp out rounds, then place onto the baking tray. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk, and bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden.

For the goat’s cheese mousse, crumble the cheese into a blender. Blend on high speed, slowly adding the cream until smooth. Be careful not to add too much cream or your mousse may split.

To serve, spread the goat’s cheese mousse onto warm scones and top with the chutney.