Cheddar, chive and Marmite scones

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7. Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl with a pinch of salt and give it a good whisk – or sift it into the bowl if you don’t have enough to do. Then briskly rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs, with just a few little nuggets of butter left in. Stir in the chives and a few grinds of black pepper. Whisk the Marmite into the milk, then stir this into the flour using a knife until you have a raggy dough.
2. Turn it out onto a floured surface and pat together gently into a square. With a floured rolling pin, gently roll it out to a rough 22cm x 30cm rectangle. Scatter over three quarters of the cheddar, then fold the dough over itself twice, as if folding a letter (remember those?). Roll it out again and fold it again, then roll to 2cm thick. Done with a very gentle touch, this helps to make the scones flaky and light. Dip a 6cm cutter in flour, then cut out the rounds and place on the baking sheet, quite close together.
3. Brush the tops of the scones with milk or cream, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, then bake for 16-17 minutes until golden on top. Eat while still warm, split, with lots of butter (and Marmite if you’re a fan) melting into the flaky surface.
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