Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and spices to a bowl and give it a mix.

Add the cutter to the bowl and using your fingers or a pastry cutter rub it into the flour until it resembles a fine crumb. You want most of the butter incorporated at this stage.

Add the raisins, sultanas and citrus peel and mix to combine.

Add the vanilla to the buttermilk and give it a good mix, then add this to the dry ingredients. Mix this briefly until just combined and then tip it out onto a floured surface (it can be crumbly at this stage). Briefly knead/pull the dough together. There should not be any flour visible. Press it out to form a thick disk about 2.5cm – 3cm high.

Using a sharp knife cut this in the 8 triangles (as you would cut a pizza), or using a sharp 5cm– 6cm cookie cutter, cut out the scones. Push whatever dough is left over together to make more rounds until all the dough is used.

Beat the egg and brush only the tops of the scones with this (not the sides). Sprinkle over a little sugar if you want a crunchy topping. Place the scones on a lined baking sheet and then put them in the fridge while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F and bake the scones for 20 – 22 minutes until golden brown and well risen. If necessary, loosely cover the scones with tin foil to prevent over-browning.