Recipe: Earl Grey Mar-tea-ni and Mini Vanilla Scones

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SCONES

300g self-raising flour

¼ tsp salt

70g unsalted butter, diced

60g caster sugar

1 small egg

190g buttermilk

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

Roasted strawberries:

Approx. 250g strawberries, cut into 3 pieces per scone

75g caster or brown sugar

FOR THE EARL GREY MARTINI

1 Earl Grey tea bag or 1 ½ tsp

loose Earl Grey tea

100ml just-boiled water

100ml gin

40ml fresh lemon juice

40ml simple sugar syrup*see tip

Ice

TO SERVE

200g clotted cream or thick

whipped cream

Allergens are marked in bold

Start by making the scones. Preheat the oven to CircoTherm® 190° C and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the flour, salt and butter into a large bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

Whisk the egg in a small bowl using a fork. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the egg into the flour mixture (this is for glazing the scones later). Add in three-quarters of the buttermilk and the vanilla extract and use a round ended knife to work the mixture together. Add the rest of the buttermilk and work in gently until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Place the dough onto a floured surface and flatten it out with your hands so that it's about 2 ½ cm thick. Use a round, 5cm diameter cutter dipped in flour (to prevent it sticking) to cut out the scones. Gather any leftover dough, gently rework and cut out the rest of the scones until all the dough is used. You should get about 20 scones.

Place the scones onto the prepared baking tray. Mix the reserved 1 tablespoon of egg with the splash of milk and brush the tops only with this mix and place in the oven for 11-13 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, leave to cool.

Next place the cut strawberries in a single layer on a baking try that has been lined with parchment. Sprinkle over the sugar and place in the oven (still CircoTherm® 160° C) for 5 minutes, until they are starting to release their juices. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Now make the Earl Grey Martini. Place the teabag in 100ml of justboiled water and leave to brew for 5 minutes. Remove the teabag and leave to cool Place the tea, gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake, then strain into two glasses.

Slice the scones in half. Spoon the cream onto the bottom halves and place 3 pieces of the roasted strawberries on top of the cream. Place the tops of the scones on top and serve with the Earl Grey martini.