We may not have our usual romantic dining at restaurants or long afternoons spent in your favourite Tearoom this year but we have all the recipe’s you need to recreate the experience at home with your significant other.
Create an awesome tea-filled Valentine’s Afternoon Tea at home for your loved ones and spend quality time together baking Earl Grey Scones filled with Sea Buckthorn & Lemon Curd. Perfectly paired alongside a Chilli Rooibos Infused Cocktail, then treat yourselves to a delicious Matcha Infused Fridge Cake…
Royal Earl Grey Infused Scones
- GATHER
- 3 tsp or tea bags of Royal Earl Grey tea
- 350g self-raising flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 tbsp sultanas
- 85g butter (cut into chunks)
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 175ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- squeeze lemon juice
- beaten egg (for glazing)
METHOD
- Pre-heat the oven to 220C (gas 7)and pop your baking tray in to heat.
- Brew 1 tsp of Royal Earl Grey and 4 tbspsultanas in 50ml of boiling water for at least 3 mins.
- Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 50 secs until hot but not boiling. Add the Royal Earl Grey tea (if loose, put it in a self-fill tea bag or infuser). Leave to infuse for 3 mins until it cools.
- Remove the tea leaves from the milk. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt andbaking powder. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingers until the mix resembles Mix in the sugar.
- Remove the tea leaves from the sultanas and drain.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together(including the tea infused sultanas) until it forms a soft dough. If it’s too dry, add a little more milk.
- Lightly flour your worktop and tip the dough out. Knead the dough gently by folding it in half, turning a quarter turn, kneading again and repeating until the dough feels smooth.
- Roll out your dough until it’s 3-4 cm thick and cut out your scones using a cutter. Roll the off-cuts together to ensure you don’t waste any dough.
- Brush the tops of your scones with beaten egg, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray.
- Bake for 10 mins until they rise and have a rich, golden colour.
- Spread dollops of jam or curd and clotted cream in the middle and devour (or store in an airtight container for a few days).
Sugar & Spice Mocktail
Gather
- 1 tsp Chilli Rooibos
- 4 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 125 ml ruby grapefruit juice
- Juice of one lime
- 1 slice ruby grapefruit, cut into quarters
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 125ml fiery ginger bee
- 6 slices lime
- Ice
- Small chillies for decoration(optional)
Method
- Brew 1 tsp Chilli Rooibos in 125ml boiling water for 7 minswhile stirring in 4 tsp of caster sugar and 1 tsp groundcinnamon. Allow to cool.
- Add the grapefruit juice and the lime juice.- Dust the grapefruit slices with the brown sugar. Caramelisethe grapefruit on both sides either using a cook’s blowtorch orby grilling carefully.
- Fill 2 glasses with ice. Add 3 slices of lime to each glass.
- Divide the liquid between the 2 glasses and top withginger beer.
- Decorate with the singed grapefruit wedges and top with a few small chillies.
