Slightly adapted from ‘The Pastry Queen’, this recipe makes the ultimate cheese scone; served warm with gently melting salted butter, this is the most satisfying savoury tea.

You can make these in a mixer, but I prefer to make them by hand – you get a better ‘feel’ for the dough that way and it’s not exactly difficult.

In a large bowl, out 3 cups plain flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt and a hefty 2 tsp black pepper – more if you like.

Mix that well together and set to one side.

Meanwhile, chop 10 or so slices of streaky bacon and 4 spring onions. Put a drizzle of oil in a frying pan and get them frying.

Once they’re coloured and getting an air of crispiness, turn off the heat. I like to set the pan at a jaunty angle to draw the oil away from the onions and bacon.

To the flour mix, add 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter that you have cut into 1″ pieces

Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until it’s rubbly.

Next, add 150g (1 ½ cups) grated cheddar – make it a punchy Cheddar – and stir it in.

Then add the cooled bacon and spring onions and stir them in too.

To bind the dough together, add some buttermilk.  Start with ¾ cup and if that isn’t enough, add more tbsp by tbsp. The most you would use would be about 1 ½ cups, so I always make sure I have the maximum amount, just in case.

When your dough comes together (I use a wooden spoon and then my hands, using the fewest strokes I can) place it on a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a thickness of around ½”.

I like to roll it into a rectangle and cut irregular squares and rectangles from it so that people can select the size they fancy. You could also roll it into a circle and cut into wedges, or use a cookie cutter for uniformity.

Brush them with 1 small egg beaten with a tbsp of water (be careful to not let the egg wash spill down the sides off them – it hampers the rise) and for kicks, sprinkle a little more cheese on top.

Bake at GM6 /400F. The author suggests 18 to 20 mins, but mine have never yet been ready before 22-24 mins. Keep an eye on them from 18 mins, though.

Golden brown, filling the house with a warm salty, savoury scent. these scones are terribly more-ish.

Sorry about that.

Don’t forget the butter!

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Bacon, Onion and Cheddar Scones

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3 cups plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper (more if you’re a pepper freak)

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1″ pieces
150g (1 1/2 cups) grated strong Cheddar

4 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
10 or so slices streaky bacon, chopped
3/4 – 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 small egg
1 tbsp water

Preheat oven to GM6 / 400F

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan and fry off the spring onions and bacon until coloured and the bacon is crispy. Set aside to cool with the pan at an angle to drain the excess oil away from the bacon and onion.

To the flour, add the butter and cut in with a pastry blender until it is rubbly.
Stir in the cheese.
Stir in the cooled bacon and onion.

Stir in 3/4 cup of buttermilk with a wooden spoon. If that’s insufficient, add more buttermilk a tbsp at a time until the dough comes together. Lightly, gently use your hands at this stage.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a thickness of around 1/2″.
Cut out squares, rectangles or use cookie cutters. Alternatively, roll into a circle and cut into wedges, pizza style.

Beat the egg and water together and brush the top of each scone with some egg wash – being careful not to dribble it down the sides. Top with a little extra grated Cheddar, if you wish.

Place on a baking sheet, leaving some room around each scone and bake for 18 – 24 minutes.

Serve warm, encouraging the devourers to split each scone and spread with salted butter.

(adapted from a recipe in ‘The Pastry Queen’)