Ingredients

• 510g/1lb 2oz plain flour
• plus extra for flouring
• generous pinch salt
• 2¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 65g/2½oz unsalted butter
• plus extra for serving
• 380g/13oz strong cheddar
• 4½ tbsp fresh snipped chives
• 300ml/10fl oz milk
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten with a little milk for glazing
• 4 russet apples
• to serve

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly flour a baking tray.
• Sift the flour
• salt
• baking powder and mustard into a bowl.
• Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. (You can do this quickly in a food processor.)
• Grate half of the cheese very finely
• and roughly chop the other half. Stir into the flour mixture with the chopped chives.
• Gradually add milk to make a soft but not sticky dough (you may not need all the milk).
• Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly
• then roll the dough out into a thickness of just less than 2.5cm/1in. Use a 6cm/2½in cutter to cut the scones
• re-rolling the off-cuts as necessary. Handle the dough as little as possible to keep it light.
• Put the scones onto the floured baking tray
• allowing at least 2.5cm/1in between them and glaze with the egg and milk mixture.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until risen and golden brown.
• To serve
• finely slice the russet apples and fan half a dozen slices on the plate with the cheese scone and a small pat of butter.