IT'S SCONE CHEESEDAY!

I’ve always been envious of people who can make a great cheese scone. It’s been a challenge of mine to do the same. The saltiness of the strong cheese, layered with the soft scone texture, along with lashings of butter make these my best so far. Plus, my Mom thinks they are delicious and they taste pretty scrummy to me.

Makes 6 scones
Oven – 210 fan, 440F, 230C – pre-heated oven on high for 14 mins

INGREDIENTS

225g self-raising flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons of English mustard powder

50g butter, out of the fridge so it’s cool but easy to cut

125g extra strong cheddar cheese, chilled and finely grated

60ml cold milk + 60ml cold water, mixed together

1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk

METHOD

1. Sieve the dry ingredient; the flour, mustard powder and salt into a large bowl
2. Cut butter into small chunks and add to dry ingredients. Use two knives and a chopping movement to distribute the butter evenly. There will still be lumps so with cold hands (I run mine under a cold tap) rub the butter into the flour. The idea is to keep this mix as cold as possible, hence why I only rub the butter in at the last minute and for no more than 10 seconds.
3. Mix in 110g of the grated cheese so it’s evenly distributed throughout.
4. Make a well in the centre of the dry / butter ingredients. Add the milk and cold water and use a flat bladed knife to bring together into a mound. Avoid using your hands. Don’t worry about a few dry bits, you can press these into the mound with your knife at the next stage.
5. Dust a surface with flour, tip the mound and any extra dry bits onto the surface and press down lightly so it’s approx 4cm high. Don’t roll it or knead it because that will make your scones tough.
6. Cut into 6, and pat the sides to incorporate any dry bits. Irregular shapes are best. That’s where the crunchy bits will be. Use cold hands, no more than a few seconds for each scone and put straight onto a baking tray. No need to grease the baking tray, I don’t, but you can dust lightly with flour, if you wish.
7. Brush tops with the egg mix and place the remainder of the grated cheese in a mound on the top of each one.
8. Bake in the oven for 14 minutes until golden brown, turning the tray at 10 mins.
9. Remove from the oven, leave on the tray for 10 minutes then place on a rack to cool.

10 TOP TIPS TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT SCONE

1. The secret to great scones is to limit the amount of contact with your hands. The heat from your hands will quickly melt the butter, which in turn will make the scones dry and tough.
2. Forget rolling and shaping with cutters. That requires more handling. Rough, organic-looking shapes, I think, are much more interesting.
3. Sieve the dry ingredients to distribute the mustard powder and salt
4. Mustard powder is stronger than mustard paste so if you only have paste, use 2 teaspoons and whisk into the wet ingredients.
5. Use a measuring teaspoon if you have one to measure the salt and mustard powder accurately. You’ll find your scones are better seasoned because teaspoon sizes vary.
6. Use block butter to get the best results. You can substitute margarine but choose a block rather than a soft, spreadable margarine.
7. Choose a flat baking tray, preferably with shallow sides. Place your scones not too close together, so the hot air can flow between them and crisp up the sides.
8. Use a flat-bladed knife to mix and shape. I have a lovely knife, which used to belong to my Grandma Marie, and adds a touch of nostalgia to all my baking.
9. Pre-heat your oven to cook the scones quickly. I use the middle shelf so they cook evenly, are golden brown and crisp on the edges. You know your oven so if you need to pre-heat it for longer to get it to temperature or bake them for slightly less time or for longer, just keep an eye on them so you don’t burn them!
10. Scones are best eaten fresh so either freeze any that are left over, warm through on day two, or just accept that you’re going to eat them all in one go!