Last weekend, at a cafe in Rottingdean, I had a lovely cheese scone. It wasn’t exactly Zoe-friendly, but it was soft, moist, and delicious. I enjoyed every bit of it. It got me thinking, so I had a little chat with Claude to see if I could come up with a version that worked better for my scores.

After a few adjustments based on what I had in the cupboard (using rye flour instead of wheat) and some tweaks to boost the nutritional value (more ground almonds, less flour), I had a recipe that looked promising.

I gave it a try this morning. I wasn’t totally confident at first because the dough felt pretty sticky as it went into the oven, but they turned out to be a success. We ate a couple for breakfast and they were definitely a decent scone-style bake. They are a bit denser than the one I had last weekend, but a really good compromise.

I’m leaving the recipe here for the “future me” to bake again.

Makes 4 scones

Ingredients:
- 90g wholemeal rye flour
- 35g ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
- 40ml extra virgin olive oil
- 80 unsweetened soya milk
- 50g mature cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon mixed seeds

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a baking tray with parchment.
2. Mix the rye flour, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, pepper, chilli flakes, and mustard powder.
3. Rub in the olive oil until it resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Stir in the seeds and about 40g of the cheese.
5. Add 80ml soya milk and mix gently. Add extra only if needed for a soft, slightly sticky dough.
6. Pat gently into a circle about 20-25mm thick.
7. Cut into 4 pieces, top with remaining cheese and chilli flakes if desired.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes until firm and golden.