Smoked Cheddar and Branston Pickle Scones

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 60g dairy or vegan butter
• 150g vegetarian or vegan smoked cheddar-style cheese
• 4 tbsp Branston fine cut sandwich pickle
• 90-110ml dairy or unsweetened soya milk
• 1 free-range egg, beaten or 3 tbsp unsweetened soya milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190⁰C / fan 170⁰C / gas 5.
2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, then mix in the salt and baking powder.
3. Using the fingertips, rub in the butter to form a crumbly texture. Fold in the cheese, Branston pickle, and 90ml of milk. Bring the mix together with your hands to form a soft dough, adding more milk if necessary. Do not over knead, this will result in chewy scones.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 2cm. Using a 7cm scone cutter, cut the dough into 10-12 scones.
5. Place the scones on a lined baking tray. Brush with the beaten egg or soya milk.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the scones are pale golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. The scones can be kept in an airtight container for 3-5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.