Tim Spector’s cheesy seeded scones

Perfect served warm with a cup of tea.

Tim Spector’s cheesy seeded scones

SERVES

12

PEOPLE

PREP TIME

15

MINUTES

COOKING TIME

15

MINUTES

Ingredients

  • 185g mix of hazelnuts, pecan nuts, walnuts

  • 210g wholemeal rye flour, plus extra for dusting

  • 80g mixed seeds

  • ¾tbsp bicarbonate of soda

  • 1tsp salt

  • 100g Cheddar cheese

  • 250ml kefir

  • 2 eggs

  • 2tbsp milk

  • Top-up

  • A handful of roughly chopped nuts for added texture

  • Swaps:

  • Wholemeal or buckwheat flour for rye flour

  • Greek yoghurt for kefir

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

  2. Put the nuts into a food processor and blitz until very fine. Transfer to a large bowl with the rye flour, mixed seeds, bicarbonate of soda, salt and three-quarters of the Cheddar cheese.

  3. Whisk the kefir with one of the eggs and add to the dry ingredients. Gently mix everything together using a wooden spoon or spatula – be gentle with the mixture as overworking it will result in a tough dough.

  4. Tip out onto a floured surface, knead gently to bring the dough together (flour your hands if necessary) and roll out to a thickness of 2.5cm. It will be slightly sticky – this is normal.

  5. Use a 5cm round cutter to cut out 12 scones and transfer them to the prepared baking tray. Whisk the remaining egg with the milk and use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash. Then scatter the remaining Cheddar cheese over the tops.

  6. Bake for 15 minutes, then cool on a wire rack. Keep a few to eat over the next couple of days and freeze the rest in batches.