Red Dragon scones

Spice up your classic cheese scones by adding a little extra flavour with chilli powder, paprika and smoked Cheddar cheese. Serve these punchy Red Dragon scones at any picnic, afternoon tea or with soup.

20 minutes prep. time
15–20 minutes cooking time
Serves 12
Pies & savoury treats

a Red Dragon scone cut in half on a white plate with cream cheese and chilli jam placed on top of one half of the scone — Red Dragon scones | © National Trust/William Shaw

750g self-raising flour
185g baking margarine
1tsp chilli powder
15g mustard powder
20g smoked paprika
5g coarse sea salt
1tsp black pepper
320g smoked Cheddar cheese, grated
350ml semi-skimmed milk

Top tip

If you don't have a mixer, you can make these scones with a standard mixing bowl and spoon.

Step 1

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark 4) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Step 2

Put the flour and margarine into the bowl of your mixer. Attach the paddle beater and mix on a low speed for 3–4 minutes, or until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Step 3

Add the chilli powder, mustard powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper and 200g of the grated cheese. Gently mix together to combine.

Step 4

Remove the paddle beater and replace with the dough hook. Add ¾ of the milk into your mix. Combine everything together until you form a shaggy dough – everything should be combined but the dough should still be a little lumpy. If the dough is looking a bit dry, add in the remaining milk.

Step 5

Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, gently work the dough until everything is fully combined.

Step 6

Divide the dough into three even pieces, each weighing roughly 480g. Shape each piece into a disc shape – roughly 20cm in diameter. Next, cut each disc in half and then half again. You should end up with 12 wedge-shaped scones.

Step 7

Place these on your lined baking tray. Sprinkle the remaining 120g of grated cheese over the top of the scones and gently flatten the cheese onto each scone.