Mary’s signature cheese scones

Makes 8-12

I like to mix and match the cheeses I use with other ingredients. For an autumnal twist, I’ve used our smoked cheddar – smoked using oak chips from the trees on the estate – along with hot chilli peppers from my garden. But this recipe works with any leftover bits of cheese you have (if such a thing exists?). — 170g Quicke’s slightly salted whey butter, plus extra for greasing and spreading

— 680g plain flour, plus

extra for dusting

— 285g Quicke’s mature

clothbound cheddar, grated — 340ml milk, plus extra

for brushing

— 75g Quicke’s oak-smoked

clothbound cheddar, grated — chutney, to serve Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C fan/gas mark 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Mix together the flour and a pinch of salt and rub in the whey butter. Stir in the mature cheddar and then the milk, to form a soft dough.

Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round, 2cm thick. Use a 5cm cutter to stamp out scones, and place on the baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.

Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk and top with the oak-smoked cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Spread thickly with butter and a good dollop of chutney.