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There's something unbelievably satisfying about a fresh, warm scone. Whether paired with a cup of tea or on their own, scones make the moment decadent. Baking them at home can seem daunting, but with the right tips and techniques, you can whip up bakery-worthy scones in your own kitchen.

To help with this, self-trained chef Michelle Hooton, who's been cooking for 50 years, has taken to her food blog Bites with her "secrets to making delicious scones". She claimed that quality ingredients are "the foundation" of a great scone recipe. While baking soda and butter and used in most recipes, there's one ingredient many miss out on that adds to the flavour, and that's cream, whether that be double cream or buttermilk.

Michelle said: "For richer, tender and tastier scones, use double cream or buttermilk. These add a slight tang and moist texture that milk can't replicate."

Cream in scone recipes adds a buttery flavour and gives this sweet treat a soft, delicate texture that crumbles in your mouth.

For those looking to make their scones lighter and fluffier, the chef claimed that there's one thing you want to avoid - overmixing.

Michelle warned: "Overmixing can lead to tough, dense scones." Instead, you want to just mix until the dough is combined.

She instructed: "Stir the dry and wet ingredients until they are just combined. It's okay if the dough looks a bit shaggy."

Also, when shaping the dough, knead it gently and minimally, just until it comes together.

If you want to go a step further to improve the taste of scones, the chef recommends brushing the tops with an egg wash and sprinkling on some sugar for sweet scones and salt for savoury ones.

She said: "Brush the tops with an egg wash (beaten egg with a bit of water or milk) for a shiny, golden finish. For added texture and flavour, sprinkle coarse sugar on sweet scones or a bit of sea salt on savoury ones."