Local chef Oona Settembre says her Irish mother's cheese scones lend themselves to many presentations.

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These cheddar scones can be adapted for various tastes and occasions.

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"You can make them small for a cocktail party and serve with mustard and honey-baked ham, or with Virginia ham and a wine jelly. Or you can add a cup of crumbled peppered bacon to the dough when you fold in the cheese. Scallions would make a good addition too."

Settembre accompanies the scones as appetizers with a glass of dry sherry or tawny Australian Barossa Valley port. And of course, the scones are a natural for tea time.

"You can serve them warm and just slather them with butter," she says. "I don't see why you couldn't put them out with a cheese course as well. These scones are very versatile."

Tina Danze is a Dallas freelance writer.

Preheat oven to 425 F (oven temperature will be turned down just before baking).

Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut cold butter into small ( ½ -inch) pieces and rub the butter pieces into the flour with your fingers until well-mixed. Add the cheddar cheese and mix to blend.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Make a well in the center of the flour-butter-cheese mixture. Pour the egg-milk mixture into the well and mix with your hands until a soft dough is formed. Dough should be very soft and a bit sticky.

Gently knead the dough very lightly, just until it holds together. Sprinkle flour on a pastry board. Place dough onto board. With floured hands, pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round. Cut dough into 3-inch rounds using a biscuit cutter or drinking glass dipped in flour. Reshape dough into a smaller round and continue to cut scones until all dough is used.

Place scones onto a lightly greased and floured heavy-bottomed baking pan or cookie sheet. Brush tops of scones with milk.

Reduce oven temperature to 400 F and place scones into center of oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower heat to 375 F and bake an additional 12 to15 minutes. The finished scones should be golden and slightly moist in the center. Allow scones to rest on pan for 5 minutes before removing. Serve warm. Makes 10 scones.

Bacon variation: Fold in 6 to 8 slices of cooked, crumbled peppered bacon when you add the cheese.

Miniscone variation: Pat dough into a ½ - to ¾ -inch-thick round and cut into small rounds using a 1 ¼ -inch-diameter cookie cutter. Bake at 400 F for 3 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 F and bake for about 10 minutes.

Note: Self-rising flour is a baking flour sold with the leavening and salt already added. You may substitute 2 cups sifted cake flour, sifted with 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt for every 2 cups self-rising flour.

PER SCONE: Calories 365 (47% fat) Fat 19 g (12 g sat)

Cholesterol 93 mg Sodium 869 mg Fiber 1 g

Carbohydrates 36 g Protein 12 g

SOURCE: Oona Settembre