Cheese Scones

Ingredients

• 450 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tbsp Caster Sugar
• 50 g Block Margarine or Butter (cold; cubed)
• 100 g Cheddar Cheese (grated)
• 200 ml Milk
• 100 ml Crème Fraîche or Sour Cream

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 220°c (200°c for fan-assisted oven, Gas Mark 7 or 425°F). Grease two baking sheets with a little excess margarine/butter and set aside.

2. 2

   Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and cayenne pepper into a large bowl, holding the sift up to allow some air into them. Gently stir in the sugar.

3. 3

   Using the tips of your fingers, rub the margarine/butter into the dry ingredients, again, lifting as you do to allow air in. Continue until you have a sandy consistency.

4. 4

   Keep aside a small amount of the cheese (for topping your scones) and stir through the rest of cheese, before creating a well in the centre of your ingredients.

5. 5

   Whisk the milk and crème fraiche together before pouring into the well. Using your hands, gently bring the ingredients together to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.

6. 6

   Turn out onto a floured work surface and gently knead together, before stretching the dough to about 1cm thickness. Fold the dough over itself (like a book) so you have two layers, and gently press together until your dough is about 2cm thick.

7. 7

   Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut your scones out and place them onto your pre-greased baking sheets. The smaller your cutter the more scones you will get. Reform and stretch the dough as required to use all of the dough.

8. 8

   Leave your scones to rest on the tray for about 10 minutes before brushing the tops with some extra milk and topping with the leftover cheese.

9. 9

   Bake in your preheated oven for 10 minutes. If you are making smaller scones, keep a close eye on them as you may need to reduce the baking time to suit.

10. 10

    Once cool enough to touch, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy whilst still warm.