Published 16th October 2026
Recipe: Prof. Tim Spector's cheesy seeded scones
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My cheesy seeded scones are lovely with a spoonful of kimchi scooped on top or served with any of the pâtés from my new cookbook, Good Mood Food.
They are best frozen the day or day after you make them. To defrost, simply remove from the freezer the night before and leave at room temperature. To serve warm, heat in a toaster or warm oven, or blast in a microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Good Mood Food is publishing on October 22nd and is available for pre-order now.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Makes 12 scones
Ingredients
185 g mix of hazelnuts, pecan nuts, walnuts
210 g wholemeal rye flour
80 g mixed seeds
¾ tbsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
100 g cheddar cheese
250 ml kefir
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
Top ups
A handful of roughly chopped nuts for added texture
Swaps
Seeds instead of nuts
Natural yogurt for kefir
Wholemeal or buckwheat flour for rye flour
Method
Preheat the oven to 200’C/180’C fan/gas 6 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
Put the nuts into a food processor and blitz until very fine. Transfer to a large bowl with the rye flour, mixed seeds bicarbonate of soda, salt and ¾ of the cheddar cheese.
Whisk the kefir with one egg and add to the dry ingredients. Gently mix everything together using a wooden spoon or spatula. Be gentle with the mixture as overworking it will result in a tough dough.
Tip out onto a floured surface, knead gently to bring the dough together (flour your hands if necessary), and roll out so that it is 1 inch thick. It will be slightly sticky, this is normal.
Use a 2 inch round cutter to cut out 12 scones and transfer to the prepared baking tray. Whisk the remaining egg with the milk and use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash.
Scatter the remaining cheddar cheese all over the top and bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack . Keep 3-4 for the next few days and freeze the rest in batches.
