Cheese and Sweetcorn Scones

Adapted from this BBC recipe, these scones have become a staple in our house and I always have a stash in my freezer for my daughter. You can omit the sweetcorn if you are a purist and just want straightforward cheese scones. 

These scones are so good and are incredibly addictive; so much so that I usually double up the quantity when making these to ensure I don't run out immediately. This would probably make around 8 large scones, though I usually make mini scones so that they are toddler sized, in which case it makes around 16.

Makes approx 16 mini scones

Ingredients:
350g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp English mustard powder
cayenne pepper, to taste
50g cold butter, in cubes
175g cheddar, grated
250g tin sweetcorn, drained
175ml milk
1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C/425 degrees F/Gas Mark 7

1. Mix flour, baking powder, mustard powder, cayenne pepper in a bowl. Add the butter and mix together with your hands until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Add cheddar and stir through. Do this a bit at a time, stirring through after each addition; if you add the cheddar in all in one go it will clump together.

3. Add the sweetcorn (optional) and mix through.

4. Mix the milk and lemon juice together before adding to the flour mixture. Bring the mixture together into a dough.

5. Tip onto a floured surface and knead a few times until smooth.

6. Roll out with with a rolling pin so that the dough is about 1cm thick for small scones, 1.5cm - 2cm thick for larger scones. Using a pastry circular cutter, cut scones and place on a pre-lined baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until browned. Note that mini scones may take 10-15 minutes to cook.

Note: You will probably need to do this in two batches, so either use two trays, or if using only one tray, put the unused dough in the fridge whilst you wait for the first batch to cook.