• Heat oven to 200°C. It's really important that the oven is hot when baking scones, so make sure you give it time to fully heat up.

  Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
• Sift the gluten free flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and cayenne pepper (if using) into a large bowl, and whisk to combine well.
• Coarsely grate the cheese and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix well, breaking up any lumps of cheese with your fingers if needed.
• In a small jug or bowl, whisk the egg, then whisk in the cream.
• Pour the egg/cream mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently.

  The dough should be a bit scraggly and crumbly, but if you pick some up in your hand it should hold together when you squeeze it gently. If it doesn't, stir in a little more cream or some milk, until the consistency is right.

  Don't rinse out the jug from the cream mixture, we'll use it later.
• Tip the dough out onto a clean benchtop and knead gently just until the dough holds together - the less you work it, the lighter the scones will be. Lightly flour the bench and pat or roll the dough out to about 3cm thick.
• Different ways to cut the dough:

  - Shape the dough into a rectangle and cut into smaller rectangles/squares using a large sharp knife.

  - Pat the dough into a circle, and cut it into wedges.

  - Cut the dough into shapes using a round fluted cookie cutter. Gently press the scraps together then re-roll and continue to cut more shapes.
• Place the scones onto the prepared baking tray.

  Add a little splash of extra cream or some milk to the jug you mixed the egg and cream in, give it a mix to make an egg-wash, then brush that onto the tops of the scones. Sprinkle with extra grated cheese if you like.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until well-risen and lightly golden brown on top. The exact time will depend on the size of your scones, so keep an eye on them, and make a note of how long they take for next time.
• Allow the scones to cool for a few minutes on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack.
• Scones are at their best the day they're made, but these will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. Reheat gently in the microwave before eating.

To Bake in the Air Fryer

• Check your air fryer manual for instructions suited to your model. As a guide, I baked mine at 190°C on the bake setting for 15 minutes or 17 minutes with frozen dough.

To Freeze the Scones

• Freeze before baking - Cut out your scone dough into your desired shapes, place on a baking paper lined tray and freeze until firm. Wrap the frozen dough pieces in plastic wrap (I do them in pairs), pop them into an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and freeze.

  You can bake the scones from frozen, no need to thaw first. Add an extra 2-5 minutes of baking time if baking from frozen.
• Freeze after baking - Allow the baked scones to cool to room temperature, then wrap and place in an airtight container as described above. Allow to thaw, then reheat in the microwave or toaster before eating.