1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the salt and black pepper.
2. Place the ricotta, egg and herbs in another bowl and stir well until smooth. Add to the flour and stir in with a round-bladed knife. Work in 1 cup milk, or a little more if needed, to make a slightly soft but not sticky dough.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently for 1 minute or until smooth. Divide into 8 equal portions and shape each into a rough-looking ball.
4. Place the scones on a large greased baking sheet, arranging them so they do not touch. Brush lightly with milk to glaze, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the scones are lightly browned and sound hollow when they are tapped on the base.
5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then eat warm or allow to cool completely before serving. The ricotta herb scones can be kept in an airtight container for 24 hours.

PER SCONE

258 calories
11 g protein
5 g total fat
2 g saturated fat
40 mg cholesterol
42 g total carbohydrate
3 g sugars
2 g fibre
545 mg sodium

Herbs like parsley, chives, rosemary, oregano, basil and coriander add a nutrition bonus to your meals. They are fat-free and exceedingly rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and hundreds of phytochemicals, with virtually no calories. Weight for weight, parsley has almost twice as much vitamin C as oranges. Dill has six times more beta-carotene than cantaloupe or pumpkin. But—as a garnish—we consume only one or two grams of herbs while we can happily consume a 120-gram orange.