

Give your scones a savoury twist and they'll become the perfect sidekick for any soup. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Sift the flour, baking powder, chilli and cayenne into the bowl of a food mixer. Add 1/2 tsp salt, a good grind of black pepper and the butter. Whizz to fine crumbs. Tip into a large bowl, stir in 100g (3 1/2oz) of the Cheddar, then gradually pour in the buttermilk, stirring to make a soft, nonsticky dough. On a lightly floured surface, flatten out the dough with your hands to 1.5-2cm (3/4in-1in) thick. Dip a 5cm (2in) fluted cutter in flour and stamp out little rounds, re-rolling the dough as needed to make 16 in total. Transfer the rounds to a baking tray lined with nonstick paper. Brush with a little milk and scatter over the remaining Cheddar. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until risen and golden. Remove the scones from the oven and leave to cool a little on a wire rack. Serve warm with the soup.