Cheesy Scones

I have always loved the cheese scones that my nan made but had not had them in years... until my auntie purchased Mary Berry's 100 cakes and bakes recipe book. In it she found a recipe for a cheese scone round which I then adapted to make individual scones and replaced some ingredients by what I had in the cupboards, plus added finely grated parmesan for the top under the chedder to add more depth of flavour.

What amazed me about the recipe was it uses hardly any butter but I guess that is because the fat comes from the cheese as they bake.

Cheese Scones

Makes 6-8

Ingredients:

• 225g self-raising flour

• 1/2 level tsp salt

• 1/2 level tsp mustard powder (I used 1 level tsp of wholegrain mustard)

• 1/4 level tsp cayenne pepper ((I used 1/4 level tsp of smoked paprika)

• 1 level tsp baking powder

• 25g of butter

• 150g grated mature Cheddar

• 30g finely grated parmasen

• 1 large egg

• a little milk

Ingredients:

1. Preheat the oven 220°C / Fan 200°C / Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking tray.

2. Measure the flour, salt, mustard powder (if using), cayenne pepper (or paprika) and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your finger tips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in 100g of the grated Cheddar.

3. Break the egg in a measuring jug then make up to 150ml with milk. Beat together and stir the egg and milk mixture (if using wholegrain mustard add here) in to the dry ingredients to make a soft but not sticky dough.

4. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Roll out until 1.5cm deep, use round cutters to cut out as many scones as you can and place on the baking tray.

5. Take the remaining dough, gather together and roll out, repeat the above until all the dough is gone.

6. Brush the tops with milk and scatter over the grated parmesan, then sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Slide on to a wire rack to cool slightly but best eaten warm and as soon as possible, cut in half and spread with cheesy butter (see below).

Cheesy Butter:

Take 50g of softened butter and mix together with 50g grated mature Cheddar.