It was the book’s illustrator, Carrie Hill, who introduced me to bouikos. Great to have with our impromptu local gatherings on the allotments behind our homes. An internet troll then made it clear that, as recipes go, the one from Honey & Co is the one to use. I confess that I was once sent the present of a hamper from Honey & Co which contained lovely sounding treats but all seemed to be very close to their ‘best before’ dates which seemed a bit unkind. But that’s no reason to reject a good recipe.

Bouikos are basically Greek cheesy scones with nigella seeds (which I love). They are usually made in small triangles.

Oven at 220℃

50g cold butter, chopped into small cubes
40g Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
40g feta cheese, finely crumbled
100g plain flour
A pinch of salt
50ml full fat sour cream (or Greek yoghurt)
½ tsp nigella seeds (and a few extra to sprinkle on top)
2 spring onions, very finely chopped (or replace with chives)
Milk to glaze

Start by preparing the cheese and butter and then place in a basin and return to the fridge to keep cool.

Prepare all the other ingredients (except the milk and extra nigella seeds if you want to decorate the tops of the bouikos) and put into a large bowl. Mix and then add the butter and cheese. Bring the ingredients together using your fingers until they are combined – work the pastry as little as possible.

Place onto a floured board shape into a flattened rectangle 2-3 cm thick either by using the heel of your hand or very light use of a rolling pin). It is important not to overwork the dough. Paint sparingly with milk and sprinkle over nigella seeds. Cut twice lengthways and then three times down the shorter side. Cut each of the squares into triangles – making 24 in all.

Spread well out on a lined baking tray.

Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 200℃, turn the tray and bake for a further 6-8 minutes until the bouikos are coloured and crisp.

Eat on the day they are made – even better if still warm.

Bouikos can have other flavours; they are especially good when Aleppo chillies are used in place of the nigella seeds and spring onions or try sliced green olives and dill.