Cheese and carrot scones

• 240 g (2 cups)plain (all-purpose) wheat flournot self-raising (self-rising) flour, so you know exactly what goes in
• 2 tspbaking powdera normal baking amount; don't add extra
• 50 g (3½ tbsp)cold unsalted buttercut into small cubes
• 60 g (⅔ cup)finely grated mild cheddarpasteurized and full-fat; compare labels and choose a lower-salt one
• 1 smallcarrotabout 80 g (3 oz)
• about 150 ml (⅔ cup)whole cow's milkor breast milk or formula (see the US and UK note)

Steps

1. 1Wash your hands. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking tray. Scrub the carrot with a clean vegetable brush under running water, peel it and grate it finely.
2. 2Cook the grated carrot in a small pan with 2 tbsp of water over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring, until soft. Add a splash more water if the pan dries before it's ready. Squash a few shreds between your thumb and finger: they should flatten easily, with no crunch. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
3. 3Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheese and the cooled carrot. Don't add salt or sugar.
4. 4Add the milk a little at a time and mix with a knife to a soft, slightly sticky dough. Don't taste the raw dough: raw flour can carry germs.
5. 5Pat the dough out on a floured surface to about 2.5 cm (1 in) thick and cut it into 9 squares. Place them on the tray, then wash your hands, the bowl, the knife and the work surface with warm, soapy water.
6. 6Bake for about 15 minutes, until risen and golden, and cooked through with no doughy middle when you break one open. Let them cool on a rack.
7. 7For your baby, split a cooled scone open, trim off the crisp top and bottom crust, and cut the soft inside into strips about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in). Squash a strip between your thumb and finger: it should feel soft, not dry and crumbly or crisp, with no firm carrot.