The best-ever cheese scones

They’ve been a staple at afternoon tea for decades and this mouth-wateringly cheesy scone is a guaranteed winner if you’re looking for a delicious savoury snack to treat your family or friends to. Despite only having a handful of ingredients, these scones are packed with flavour and will have everyone reaching back for seconds!

They definitely taste their best when they’re still warm enough from the oven to melt the butter on top, so it’s always best to make them fresh! But don’t worry if you have to freeze them up as they still taste absolutely delicious reheated!

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• pinch of salt
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 55g chilled butter, cut into cubes
• 120g mature cheddar, grated
• 90-100ml milk, plus 1 tbsp for glazing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C with large baking tray inside. Sift flour, salt, cayenne pepper and baking powder into bowl. Sift again to make sure ingredients are thoroughly combined.
2. Add butter to bowl. Rub together with fingertips until texture resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle 100g of cheese into breadcrumb mixture. Rub together until evenly distributed. Make well in centre of mixture. Pour in enough milk to give soft but firm dough.
3. Lightly flour surface. Roll out dough to around 2cm thick. Cut out scones with medium (about 8cm) cutter. Place on sheet of baking paper, glaze with some milk. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Slide onto hot oven tray. Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown and cooked through.