From My Kitchen

I made a batch of these for a picnic recently, and they went down a treat – they’re easy to make, easy to transport, and easy to eat. As we slowly head out of the latest lockdown it’s going to be a spring full of picnics, so I suspect I’ll be making them again soon, and these have the added bonus of nigella seeds so they taste like Turkish food, which is ALWAYS a good thing. Tick tick tickity tick. Makes 6 chunky scones.

Ingredients

275g self raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp fine salt

60g unsalted butter

125g grated cheese of choice

6 spring onions, finely sliced

220ml buttermilk

(or use milk with a squeeze of lemon juice)

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 egg

1 tbsp nigella seeds

Method

1. Heat oven to 190C fan, line a baking tray with baking paper, and sprinkle some flour over the surface.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
3. Chop the butter into small pieces, then use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour. Do this by covering the butter in flour, then picking up small handfuls in your fingertips and pushing the flour and butter through your fingers like a slow motion finger click. Pick up another small handful and repeat. And repeat. And repeat.
4. Keep going for a few minutes until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, and if you give the bowl a little shimmy no more pieces of butter emerge on the surface.
5. Stir in the grated cheese and spring onions.
6. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk, then use a dinner knife to mix together into a soft dough – you’ll want to switch to your hands as it starts to come together.
7. Whatever you do don’t even think about kneading the dough or you’ll end up with a tough scone, you want it to just come together.
8. Place the dough on the floured baking tray and press it out gently until it’s about 18cm in diameter.
9. Cut into 6 triangles, then pull them slightly apart so they have room to expand in the oven.
10. Beat the egg and brush over the top and sides of the scone, then sprinkle over the nigella seeds.
11. Bake for 22-25 minutes, then use the baking paper to help you lift the scone onto a cooling rack.

For those that are interested, yes it’s scone as in bone or home. Anything else is just silly.