This is my mother’s recipe, but I deserve an awful lot of credit for getting it from her in the first place! She’s one of those people who seem to store all her recipes in her head, and so getting anything written down is nigh impossible. This one was definitely worth the trouble: I’ve yet to have scones as good as these from anywhere.

Ingredients (makes 10-12)
– 300g self-raising flour (half white; half wholemeal)
– 75g butter, cubed
– 150g strong cheddar cheese, grated
– 1 large egg, beaten, made up to 250ml with milk

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Rub the butter into the flour with the tips of your fingers, and stir in 130g of the cheese.

3. Stir in most of the egg and milk mixture, a little at a time, until bound. Put the rest aside.

4. Lightly flour your work surface, and very gently roll out the mixture to about an inch thick. Cut into rounds and transfer to the baking tray.

5. Brush the top of the scones with the remaining egg mixture, then sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.

I suggest eating these warm (think straight out the oven and as soon as they’re cool enough to hold!) with a generous amount of butter, and some chutney if you have it to hand.