I want to share with you a savory cottage cheese scones recipe I learned from my grandmother many years ago. I have baked them many times since then. These mini scones are perfect for parties or as a snack with a cup of tea.
This is a version of Hungarian scones known as “Túrós pogácsa”. Savory biscuits of this kind are popular in many European countries.
What ingredients do you need for cottage cheese scones?
The scone dough consists of only five ingredients, and it can be prepared easily and quickly. You can make it by hand or in a stand mixer. Although the dough doesn’t contain any leavening agents, the scones are soft and yummy.
The dough contains cottage cheese, butter, and pastry flour in a 1:1:1 ratio, seasoned with salt. You will also need one egg for the egg wash. The scones can be sprinkled with cumin, sesame seeds, or grated cheese before baking.
For best results, the ingredients should be cold. It is important to bake the scones in a preheated oven, otherwise, the butter will melt and run out of the dough resulting in flat and hard biscuits.
Equipment you`ll need for making the scones:
- One large baking tray (or two smaller ones)
- Rolling pin
- One small round cookie cutter (mine is 3cm/1.2 inches in diameter)
- Pastry brush
- When I make multiple batches of scones, I use a stand mixer to knead the dough, but it is optional. You can make the dough by hand.
For some more savory snack recipes, take a look at my Pigs in a Blanket.
A cookie-cutter can be substituted with a small cup or drinking glass. You can also roll out the dough and cut it with a knife to make rectangular biscuits.
How to make cottage cheese scones step by step?
1. Make the dough
- Prepare and measure the ingredients.
- Cut the cold butter into small cubes.
- Combine the butter cubes, cottage cheese, flour, and salt in a bowl and knead it until smooth and combined. Be careful not to overwork the dough, because the butter will melt from your warm hands. You can also make the dough in a stand mixer, this way you can prevent the butter from melting.
- Wrap the dough into a cling foil and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- Beat one egg with a fork for the egg wash.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Shape the scones
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface 1.2 cm (0.5 inches) thick.
- Use a small round cookie cutter to cut out the scones. Dip the rim of the cookie cutter into flour before each cut.
- Place the scones onto a baking tray. I like to use baking paper because it`s easier to wash the trays, but it`s not necessary. The scones will not stick to the baking tray because of the large amount of butter in the dough.
- Knead the leftover dough until combined, roll it out, and make some more scones. Repeat until you have used up all the dough.
- Brush the top surface of the scones with the egg wash.
- Sprinkle the scones with cumin, sesame seeds, or grated cheese.
3. Bake the scones
- Place the baking tray into the preheated oven. Bake the scones for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Don’t leave them in the oven for too long; they can dry out quickly.
- Let the scones cool down before serving. The baked scones stay fresh for two days thanks to the high cottage cheese content.
Can I prepare the scone dough in advance?
You can prepare this scone dough in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days wrapped in plastic foil. You can also store the dough in a freezer for up to 3 months.
The scones can also be frozen after you cut them out with a cookie cutter, before applying the egg wash. Place them onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and put them into the freezer. After they freeze solid, put them into a zip-lock bag and store them in the freezer. Take the scones out of the freezer at least one hour before you plan to bake them, place them on a baking tray and let them thaw before applying the egg wash.
Cottage Cheese Scones Recipe
These bite-sized cottage cheese mini scones are very delicious, perfect as an appetizer or party food.
Ingredients
- 300 g (10 oz) pastry flour
- 300 g (10 oz) cold butter
- 300 g (10 oz) cottage cheese
- 15 g (0.5 oz) salt
- 1 egg for the egg wash
- Sesame seeds, cumin or grated cheese for decoration
Instructions
- Cut the cold butter into cubes.
- Combine the flour, salt, cottage cheese, and butter in a bowl and work the dough by hand or in a stand mixer.
- Wrap the dough into cling foil and let it sit in the refrigerator for one hour or longer.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it with a fork for the egg wash.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface 1.2cm (0.5 inches) thick.
- Cut out the scones with a small round cookie cutter dipped into flour before each cut.
- Place the scones onto a baking tray. This dough will not stick to the tray, so you don`t have to use baking paper.
- Combine and re-roll the leftover dough to make some more scones.
- Brush the top of the scones with egg wash and sprinkle them with sesame seeds, cumin, or grated cheese.
- Bake the scones in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let the scones cool down before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 75 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 45Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 2.1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 119mgProtein: 0.8g
Disclaimer: Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Final thoughts
I hope you`ll like my simple and delicious Hungarian cottage cheese scones. If you have any questions or comments related to the recipe, please leave them in the section below. If you found this post useful, please don`t forget to share it with your firends.
This recipe looks amazing! I’ve never tried cottage cheese but it must be delicious. I will definitely try them as soon as I get my own kitchen. It doesn’t look too difficult to prepare so I shouldn’t have troubles, as I am not an expert in the kitchen hahah.
I also enjoy tasting food from other cultures.
Thank you, Debora.
Maja
Hello Maja, thank you for your kind words, I`m sure you won`t be disappointed by my cottage cheese scones. They are very common and popular in Hungary. This is also a beginner-friendly recipe.