Vegemite and Cheese Scones

Apparently, this recipe hit the charts quite some years ago - 2013, maybe?  It's from Julie Goodwin, the very first winner of Masterchef Australia back in 2009.  This is from her Essential Cookbook, first published in 2017, but I am assuming she must have published this recipe in a prior book or online as I have seen it in blog posts earlier than that.

This recipe is given in cup measurements (not my fave), but I have worked out the grammage (hehehe) as well.  Baking needs measurements, my friends!  I found a couple of errors in her recipe, but I managed to do just fine, anyway.  These turned out very well, and I would happily make them again.  

cheesy and full of umami Vegemite flavour

Makes 12:

ingredients:

300g./10.5 oz/2 cups self-raising flour

1/4 tsp sea salt flakes

a big pinch of cream of tartar (optional)  see Notes

2 Tbs/40g./1.4 oz butter, melted

250 mL/8 oz milk

2 Tbs/40g./1.4 oz Vegemite or Marmite   see Notes

80g./1 cup/2.5 oz tasty/vintage cheese, grated   see Notes

Method:

On goes your oven to 220C/430F to heat up, while you line a large baking tray with baking paper

Grab a large mixing bowl, and sift or whisk the flour and salt together - in the bowl, of course :=)

Melt your butter, let it cool for a minute, then stir it into the milk

Now make a well in the centre of your flour, and pour in the melted butter and milk mixture

With a butter knife, you give it all a firm mixing till nicely combined - but don't go wild

You can knead it in the bowl, just a few times to get it together, then tip out onto a floured bench/surface and press out the dough (using just my hands worked fine for me - no need for a rolling pin) till it's about 1.5 cm (about half an inch) thick

Then you spread half the Vegemite over half the dough, and then scatter half the cheese over the Vegemite

Now fold the naked half over the cheesy half of the dough, and the other halves of the Vegemite and then the cheese go over the top of the dough, so you end up with a cheesy bundle - I actually had to square the dough out a bit here, as it was quite small, and no way would I have been able to get 12 scones out of it, using a 5cm/2 inch cutter

I decided to cut my dough into 12 shapes and plonk 'em on the lined tray, just touching each other

Julie says to bake for 10-12 minutes, but mine took about 14-15 mins.  They should be golden on top, and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom

So tender and tasty, you don't even need to spread 'em with butter!

Vegemite - every Aussie kid's fave on toast :=)

cheese please!

Notes:

As my self-raising flour was a tad old, I added a pinch of cream of tartar, which makes your scones light and fluffy apparently

There doesn't seem to be an equivalent ingredient for Vegemite, and Mr. Google has no idea - sorry to my American friends!

Also, Mr P. strongly suggested to me to use a wee bit less of it in these scones, so maybe try 30 grams rather than 40g.

I used Strong and Bitey Vintage Cheese, but use your fave - I replaced some of the Vintage cheese with freshly-grated Parmesan to add some oomph!

ingredients gathered

butter and milk go into the flour

knead then pat out your dough to 1.5cm thickness

spread on half the Vegemite and half the cheese over half the dough

the final scattering of cheese

Okay I confess: I put ALL the Vegemite in the middle rather than half, but not my fault.  Julie left out the word 'half' when she tells us to spread on the good stuff over the dough, before folding

and cut into 12 shapes

ready for baking at 220C/430F for about 12-15 mins.

see that oozy, salty Vegemite?

cheesy with a tender, fluffy inside

makes a fab morning tea!

I am adding this recipe post to Tandy's post (on her Lavender and Lime blog) for International Scone Week 2025 #ISW2025.  Once a year in August, bloggers everywhere put up a scone recipe (or two) of their choice, so feel free to join in with your delicious recipe!  See her post 31 July 2025 to get the details.  Thanks Tandy for hosting! 

And I am also submitting this post for BKD Cookbook Club, hosted by Jo Tracey.  This month's theme is a cookbook first published in your own country, so I picked (Aussie) Julie Goodwin's Essential Cookbook. So thanks to you too Jo for hosting!

Lemon, Green Chilli And Cheddar Tart

This recipe is from Easy Wins by Anna Jones, an English cookbook writer, well-known for her focus on vegetarian food.  Yep, another Cookbook Club book!  Mr P. and myself were vegetarian for a decade back in our younger days. 

I became one (at 16) because my friend became one, and she became one because her older brother became one!  Not sure why hubby was one :=)  It was pretty trendy back in the day.  And boy, did we live with a lot of vego and vegan crazies back then.  (He now tells me it's because I was one when he met me! - vego not crazy, hopefully.)

Mr P. had a harem living with him at the time I met him.  He had to teach more than one young woman how to cook, and live as an adult basically.  Thankfully, my mum taught me (and my sister) how to cook when we were wee sprogs.  And I could definitely change a lightbulb already!      

myself and Mr P. when youngsters

I decided to add sliced potato to this tart to make it a bit more substantial!  So slice the tatties, and either steam them, or bake them in the oven till just tender - or both! as in, steam then bake as I (probably) did.

herby, cheesy, potato-ey deliciousness

Serves 4:

ingredients:

(Action your spuds first!)

2 sheets of butter puff pastry, mostly thawed (but not completely)

1-2 Tbs of milk of your choice

150g./5 hefty ounces Cheddar cheese, grated   see Notes

1 red medium onion, finely sliced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 Tbs EV olive oil

1-2 green or red chillies, finely sliced (heat level of your choosing)

2-3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced, and steamed or baked (optional)

1-2 big handfuls of herbs, chopped or torn - I used parsley (and dried mint)  see Notes

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Place the sheets of pastry on a baking paper-lined tray (or 2), prick their little bottoms, score the edge about 1 cm/0.4 inch in, brush the bottoms with a bit of (oat or almond maybe) milk then bake them at 180C/360F for about 20-25 minutes till golden

Let them cool off for a bit (after pressing down gently on the middle to get rid of any puffage), while you grate the cheese and slice up the onion, lemon and chilli

Toss the lemon slices with 1 Tbs of EV olive oil and a big pinch of salt

Up goes the oven to 200C/400F, while you scatter the cheese over the bottom of the pastry, then you add the onion, potatoes, lemon and chilli slices

Bake for about 20 minutes till it's golden and the cheese is bubbling

Throw on the herbs and seasoning, and some olive oil if you fancy

Serve with salad or veg.

Notes:

Anna says to use a mature Cheddar; here in Australia, we call it a Vintage or Tasty cheese

She also says to use 15g/0.5 oz mint and also of parsley and/or coriander (half a bunch of each) but I was happy with a bit less of the green stuff

Anna also says to first bake the pastry at 200C for 20-25 minutes, then when the toppings are on, to bake at 220C for another 15 minutes, but I found the slower temp. just fine - but you choose

slice up your tatties!

get slicing and chopping, my friends

put that tart together over the pre-baked pastry sheet :=)

and bake again with the cheese, onion, potatoes, lemon and chilli

throw on your herbs and seasoning

eat with a salad or two - we had coleslaw, and chickpea and couscous salad

c. Sherry M.

Rustici Leccesi - AKA Puglisi Cheese Bites

It was our online Cookbook Club time again, and the book was The Italian Home Cook by Sylvia Colloca, Italian-Australian actress, opera singer and cook.  I chose to make Cheese Bites, because ... pastry and cheese - of course, who would say no?  I serendipitously had a packet of pastry (comes already cut into ten small pieces) in the freezer which was perfect for this recipe.  I did end up having to use an extra sheet of pastry as this made a lot of filling.

Speaking of cookbook club, we were away for the last IRL session, so I told the lovely ladies at our local bookshop that I wouldn't be there, and they cancelled that one!  Mmm, must be more indispensable than I thought - tee hee hee, just kidding.  But also speaking of bookshops, the most wonderful and delightful Fiona Stager of Avid Reader Books in West End has been awarded an OAM - Medal of the Order of Australia.  Everyone is so thrilled for her; she really is the literary matriarch of West End!

cheesy, and 'shroomy

Makes 8 (or 9):

ingredients:

1 Tbs EV olive oil

90g./3 big oz mushrooms, chopped into small chunks

For the Besciamella/béchamel filling:

3 Tbs butter   see Notes

3 Tbs plain (all-purpose) flour

250 mL/1 cup milk

35g./1 biiiig oz of parmesan, grated

100g./3.5 oz cheddar cheese, grated   see Notes

dried herbs - chives and parsley for me - maybe 1 tsp of each

pinch of ground nutmeg

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

6-8 capers, chopped (optional)

For the pastry cases:

400g./14 oz butter puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

2 Tbs milk

Method:

First, heat up the olive oil and fry the mushrooms gently in a small frypan for a few minutes till soft, then put aside to cool down

Now make the sauce by melting the butter with the flour (yes, WITH the flour) in a small saucepan, medium heat, and stir the while till it becomes thick - like wet sand says Silvia!

Start pouring in the milk, and whisk like mad till all the milk is in

Grab a wooden spoon at this juncture, turn the hob to low, and stir for a few minutes till the sauce thickens, and the flour cooks out

Take it off the hob, add the cheeses, stir them in gently, then add the herbs, nutmeg, salt, pepper, capers and mushies - and let the mixture cool off, while you - 

Grab a couple of large baking trays and slap on some baking paper

Cut the pastry sheets into squares or circles (Silvia says 16 discs X 6cm/2.4 in) and place half of them on a tray, spoon on one heaped Tbs of the filling, place another disc on top, and press all around with a fork to seal    see Notes

Keep on till all the pastries are done, then give 'em an eggwash with the egg and milk beaten together

Whack the tray(s) of cheese bites into the fridge while the oven heats to 200C/390F

Bake for 20-25 minutes, till golden - best warm or at room temp.

Notes:

3 Tbs = 60 grams of butter - (we have bigger tablespoons) and = 45 grams of flour 

Silvia says to use provolone but I couldn't find any so I used vintage cheddar instead

She uses pancetta rather than mushrooms but feel free to use whatever you please as per her suggestions - ham, anchovies, tomato etc.

I had ten small, square pieces of pastry in the freezer (that's how the packet came) which made 5 round pastries (after I trimmed them into discs); I then used another rectangular sheet cut in half lengthwise to make 2 long rolls, which I then cut in half so I ended up with 5 discs and 4 rolls - make sense? :=) 

grate your cheeses

mix the butter and flour together - yep, all at once

stir in the flour and cheeses

in go the seasonings, and herbs

mushrooms in

trimmed into discs and ready for fillings

and I made 2 long rolls also, which I halved after baking

eggwashed and ready for baking

baked for 20-25 mins. at 200C

baked and halved

let's hoe in

c. Sherry Mackay

Cheesy Baked Broccoli Fritters

Yep, another cookbook and another recipe for our online Lambs' Ears Cookbook Club (on Facebook).  This is from Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, a very popular Japanese-Australian cook, blogger and author.  Her blog Recipe Tin Eats is a big success (her Insta account alone has 990k followers, and her Facebook page has 3.5M!).  

So here we have one of her recipes that I made recently, as I had broccoli to use up.  This is my adaptation of her recipe, using my pantry and fridge, so not exactly like hers.  I love broccoli, unlike a certain former world leader.  And it's so good for you.  

But I don't like dried garlic powder, or onion powder, or dried Italian mixed herbs (eek!) - all things which Nagi says to add to this recipe.  Nuh uh, no thanks!  So I strongly suggest using fresh as I did, and regular onion rather than spring onions/scallions.  She also says to spray the fritters with olive oil before baking, but I didn't!  I am terrified of frying, so this baked version is perfect for me!     

golden, herby and spicy ...

Makes 18-20:

ingredients:

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets - see Notes

250g./9 oz cauliflower rice, boiled in the broccoli water for 1 minute

1/2 large onion, or one small (red or brown), finely chopped or grated

2-3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped, or 1 tsp dried garlic granules (not powder)

30g./0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 packet (250g/9 oz) pre-cooked brown rice and quinoa - see Notes

200g/3.5 oz/2 cups vintage tasty cheese, grated

75g./0.5 cup of wholemeal self-raising flour (use a bit more if your mixture looks too wet)

1-2 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

1-2 tsp gochugaru or chilli flakes of your choice (optional)

4 large eggs, lightly whisked

a few happy handfuls of herbs - chives, parsley, oregano, etc.

1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp cracked black pepper, or more if you like

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 220C/430F

Line two baking trays with baking paper

Boil or steam the florets till very tender, cool for a few minutes then mash or chop them till you have marble-sized pieces

Now grab a huge mixing bowl, and chuck EVERYTHING into it

I get Mr P. to mix it all up for me by hand, but use a big spoon, or your own hands if you don't have a Mr P.

Spoon on 3 Tbs amounts onto the trays, pat them into fritters, and flatten with an egg-lifter (these babies are thin!) so they end up about a fat 1 cm/0.5 inch thick

Bake at 220C/430F for 18 mins, then flip the fritters over, swap trays around, and bake for another seven minutes - though you may need another five minutes to get them all golden and crunchy if you have a sad, skittery old oven like mine

Serve with the sauce of your choosing - a yoghurt one, or just some mayo, or a chilli sauce ...

Notes:

Nagi's recipe calls for 350 grams/12.5 oz of broccoli florets (about 2 heads/5 heaped cups); I only had one head (tee hee) so I used the 250 grams of frozen cauliflower rice in my freezer (you can buy fresh cauli rice - i.e. not frozen - in our supermarket so try that 

You could do a cheat, and use 350 grams of frozen, thawed broccoli!  And why not, my friends? :=)

Use 260g./9 oz cooked white rice, or brown rice or just quinoa if you prefer

Nagi says to bake these at 240C/470F, but I found the lower temp. just fine

ingredients ready for mixing

half-baked; ready for flipping

and baked!

just as delicious cold the next day

time for a cappuccino and a read at a local café

Broccoli and a cheese grater

Aunty Kath's Savoury Scones - International Scone Week 2022 (#ISW2022)

I love lighthouses!  There, I've said it.  I don't know why, but they really speak to me.  We've holidayed in the lighthouse keepers' cottages at Byron Bay a few times, and visited many more.  It's wonderful when the sun goes down, the gate is locked, and you have the whole ocean to yourselves.  There used to be goats on the cliffs, but they got rid of them due to soil erosion, and damage to the native plants.  But I liked them!  So nimble, so clever, so smelly.

Lighthouses?  But this is about scones, is't it?  Yes - yes, it is.  This recipe is from The Lighthouse Cookbook, and the recipe is by Jan Rhodes.  Profits from this book went to restoration work on Deal and Tasman Islands in Tasmania.  The compiler Shirley Baker and her husband Dallas settle(d) on Deal Island for three months every year to caretake voluntarily.  Such a wonderful project!

even Sully and Mikey want some of these!

A big thanks to Tandy from Lavender and Lime blog, for her annual hosting of #InternationalSconeWeek2022, first started by Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.  Every year it has been a fun search to find an interesting scone recipe.  I think my fave was the one where you actually beat the bejabbers out of the dough with a rolling pin!

Makes about 17:

ingredients:

3 cups (465g./16.4 oz) self-raising flour

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

1 Tbs (20g./0.7 oz) butter

1 large brown onion, finely chopped - (my onion was about 185g./6.5 oz)

2 rashers bacon (around 50g./1.8 oz), finely chopped

3 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

2 cups (250g./8.8 oz) cheese, grated

1/2-1 tsp cracked black pepper

around 250 mL/8 oz 'ish milk

Method:

Whack your oven on to 220C/430F to heat

Grab a large mixing bowl, tip in the flour and salt, and give it a stir

Rub the butter into the flour between your fingertips (or cut it in with a knife) so it ends up looking like breadcrumbs

Now stir in the onion, bacon, parsley, cheese and black pepper

Add the milk bit by bit, till you form a soft dough - you may need a bit more, or a bit less depending on your flour

Tip the dough out onto a floured surface, knead gently, then pat into a 2.5cm./1 inch round or rectangle

Use a flour-coated scone cutter or rim of a glass tumbler to cut into rounds; keep going till you run out of dough :-)

Place on a lined baking tray, and bake on a high shelf for about 12 minutes or till golden on top (mine took longer as our gas oven is sooooo moody)

Let cool on the trays for a few minutes, then put onto wire racks to cool - or eat 'em warm, as they're delish with melting butter

Notes:

I blitzed the onion in my wee food processor, which of course breaks down the water cells, so I then sat the onion in a sieve for a bit and pushed out the excess liquid with a spoon

Use other herbs (rosemary/thyme?) if you fancy - I added chives too

I used one cup of Parmesan, and one of Vintage Tasty cheese; my notes say I used only 180 grams of cheese (??) but more cheese can only be a good thing :-)

I chopped the bacon, and blitzed the herbs and onion the day before making the scones

ingredients into the bowl the next day

mixing up the dough

ready for the oven at 220C for c. 12 mins.

and out of the oven after 20 mins. (my oven is slooooow)

ready to eat

'gimme, gimme, gimme' ... 'a scone after midnight' (thanks Abba)

Deal Island Lighthouse (Wikimedia Public Domain)

Byron Bay Lighthouse (Wikimedia Commons)

                                              (Author Alistair Cunningham)

I do have photos of us at Byron Bay, but goodness knows where they are!  Thank heavens for Wikimedia Commons.

© Sherry M.