Granny Norton's savoury scones

You're very fortunate, you know? Two of my Gran's recipes in the space of one week!

I had to chortle as I started on this recipe. I have copied it into my book exactly as it was in my Gran's own book. It's just a list of ingredients, a temperature and a time. The sign of a confident cook - she knew what she had to do with the ingredients and how to get the mixture oven ready. She didn't need to write that part down. Fortunately, I saw her make these enough times that I can remember how she did it, and fill in the blanks.

Oven temperature
My Gran had 500F, which is 260C! My oven doesn't even go that high, so I had to settle for 220C. I suggest you do the same - ovens are more efficiently sealed these days.

Ingredients
200g plain flour (my Gran had 150g, but the consistency wasn't right for me, so I added a bit)
250ml grated mature cheddar, pressed down well to get a properly full cup
15ml baking powder
2.5ml cayenne pepper or mustard powder
10ml fresh, chopped chives
2 rashers crispy bacon, very finely chopped (this is optional - if you're leaving the bacon out, you might like to add a pinch of salt, though)
80ml each water, milk and vegetable oil
1 egg (my Gran lists this as optional - I always include it)

Method

Place on a cooling rack..

• Sift the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper/mustard (and salt, if you're using it) together.
• Add the cheese, chopped chives, chopped bacon and roughly stir together.
• In a separate bowl, mix the egg together and the three liquids (water, oil and milk).
• Gradually mix the liquid into the dry ingredients. It will come up much less dry than a normal scone dough (if you're used to making scones, you'll see what I mean, if not, don't worry about it), but it should be stiff enough for you to be able to...
• Splotch spoonfuls of the mixture onto a greased baking tray (the splotches should hold their shape and not run into each other - if the mixture is too runny, add a little more flour).
• Bake for 7-10 minutes.
• Place on a cooling rack (out of the reach of the dog and any passing teenagers/spouses!)
• Serve, buttered, with a cup of tea.