Preparation time : 15 à 30 minutes
Cooking time : 12 minutes

The addition of California walnuts and thyme add a distinctive holiday twist to these fluffy, buttery scones. The dough can be prepared a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator - all you have to do is pop them in the oven when your guests arrive and serve with your favourite fillings or toppings.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, walnuts, sugar, baking powder, salt, thyme and pepper.
3. Using a coarse cheese grater, grate frozen butter directly into dry ingredients, stirring occasionally to prevent butter from sticking together.
4. Pour milk into the mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon until mixture just comes together to form dough. Turn the dough over a few times to gather up any remaining bits of flour. Dough should not be sticky – if it is, add a bit more flour.
5. Transfer the dough to a floured cutting board and divide into 4 equal pieces. Working quickly, using your hands, shape each piece into a round, flat disk, about 3/4-inch (1.9 cm) thick. Cut each disk into 8 even-sized wedges. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with milk. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool slightly. Gently pull tops off the scones or cut horizontally. Fill with desired fillings or top half with desired toppings.