Cheese scones

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425F/220C.

Step 2

Place the flour, baking powder, salt and mustard powder in a bowl and mix them together well.

Step 3

Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the bowl, then rub the butter in to the flour mixture to form coarse crumbs. Alternatively, you can coarsely grate the butter into the flour and mix through.

Step 4

Hold back around 2-3 tbsp of cheese, then add the rest of the cheese and the chives to the flour-butter mixture and toss them together to mix.

Step 5

Add the milk and mix until it just comes together - be careful not to overwork it. I often start with a spatula or knife then use my hands briefly to bring it together. It may be slightly crumbly, but as long as it sticks when you press it together it is probably fine. If still a lot of flour at the bottom, you may need to add a little more milk, though just a little at a time.

Step 6

Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface then bring it together into a gently flattened slab, around 1 inch/2.5cm thick. Don't worry if it's not smooth. Use a round cutter (suggest fluted, I used 7cm/2.7in diameter, but a little smaller also works) and cut rounds close together, to minimise offcuts. Take care not to turn the cutter as you cut the scones out.

Step 7

Transfer the cut scones onto a lined baking sheet/tray with a little space between them. Once you have cut as many as you can, gently press together the offcuts and cut out additional scones, repeating if needed to use all of the dough. Brush the tops with the additional milk then sprinkle over the reserved cheese on the tops.

Step 8

Bake in the preheated oven for around 15 minutes until golden brown on top.