cheese & poppy seed scones

If you are more of a savoury than sweet person, then these are the scones for you. Packed with cheese and walnuts and with the satisfying crunch of poppy seeds, they are delicious served as an accompaniment to a hearty bowl of soup.

• 350 g gluten-free self-raising flour plus 2 teaspoons baking powder OR
• 2½ cups plus 1 tablespoon gluten-free all-purpose baking flour plus 4 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, plus extra flour for dusting
• 100 g/1 cup ground almonds
• 115 g/1 stick butter, chilled and cubed
• 200 g/1½ cups grated Cheddar
• 100 g/1 cup walnut halves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 generous teaspoon French mustard
• 200–250 ml/¾–1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

a baking sheet, greased and lined

a 7.5-cm/3-in round fluted cutter

Makes 12 scones

Preheat the oven to 190˚C (375˚F) Gas 5.

Put the flour, baking powder and ground almonds in a mixing bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips. Add the grated cheese, walnuts, poppy seeds and mustard and stir in. Mix in the buttermilk, until you have a soft dough (you may not need all of it so add it gradually).

Put the dough on a floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out to a thickness of 2–3 cm/¾-1¼ in. Stamp out 12 rounds using the cutter. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking sheet a small distance apart, brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, until the scones are golden and sound hollow when you tap them. Serve warm or cold.

These scones are best eaten on the day they are made but can be frozen and reheated before serving.