La Chinata Cheese Scones

© Recipe courtesy of Julie Le Clerc

La Chinata Cheese Scones

Makes 9

2 cups (300g) Girolomoni organic ‘00’ flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
50g cold butter, grated
½ tsp sea salt
¼ La Chinata hot smoked paprika flakes
1 tsp La Chinata bittersweet smoked paprika
100g aged tasty cheese  e.g. vintage cheddar, finely grated
1 cup milk, plus extra to brush tops

Preheat oven to 220ºC. Lightly grease a baking tray.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and paprika into a bowl. Add the butter and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheese, reserving 1/3 cup for the topping. Make a well in the centre. Add the milk and mix quickly by making slicing actions with a blunt knife just enough to bind together – take care not to over mix. Turn out onto a floured bench and gently shape into a 3cm thick square slab. Cut the slab into 9 scones and place onto prepared tray. Brush tops with milk and scatter each with a little reserved cheese. Place into a hot oven and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

If you don’t eat them all they freeze well. To reheat, put scones into a hot oven for about 5 minutes.