Recipe: Pull-apart cheese scone Christmas wreath for under £10

Find yourself short of time to finish your festive feast and get the last of the decorations up?

Kill two birds with one stone with a recipe that’s simplicity itself.

Make a batch of cheese scones and bake them in a ring to look like a festive wreath.

Guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of any visitors.

Serve warm!

Makes 1 wreath, plus about 6 extra scones
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

What you will need:
450g self-raising flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

110g chilled Lurpak Slightly Salted Butter, cut into pieces

300g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

1 large egg

200ml milk, plus extra for brushing

Rosemary sprigs, to garnish

Olives, to serve

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan oven 200°C/ Gas Mark 7. Grease 2 large baking sheets.

2. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped rosemary and stir it in. Rub in the chilled Lurpak Slightly Salted butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in about three-quarters of the cheese.

3. Beat the egg and milk together, then stir it into the mixture with a knife. Bring the dough together with your hand, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few moments until smooth.

4. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3cm, then use a small (3-4cm) cutter to stamp out the scones, re-rolling the dough as necessary. Arrange 15-16 scones an overlapping circle on one baking sheet. Put any remaining scones on the second baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little milk and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden.

5. Leave to cool for a few minutes. Garnish the wreath with rosemary sprigs and serve while warm, with olives and extra Lurpak Slightly Salted Butter.
Cook’s tip: When cutting out the scones, avoid twisting the cutter – this will help them to rise better.