Eton mess scones

30-60 minutes 400 kcal or less afternoon tea bank holiday bank holiday weekend buffet coffee morning come over for tea english cakes finger food garden party indulgent jubilee merangue meringues picnic posh dessert rock cakes simple spread strawberries and cream strawbs tea party tea stand traditional pudding weekend

N/A

Makes 12

Source

Ingredients

400g self-raising flour , plus extra for dusting

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

100g butter , cut into cubes

3 tbsp caster sugar , plus extra for sprinkling

200ml buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 tbsp milk , plus extra for brushing

good handful small strawberries , halved

small jar good strawberry jam

2 meringue nests , crumbled into chunks

200ml tub clotted cream

Method

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl. Rub in the butter or whizz the lot in a food processor to fine crumbs, then stir in the sugar.

Warm the buttermilk, vanilla and milk to hand temperature, then quickly stir it into the flour mixture with a knife. Using your hands, bring the dough together, being careful not to overwork the mix.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat out to a 2.5cm thick round. Stamp out 12 x 5cm rounds, dusting the cutter with flour as you stamp – you’ll need to re-pat trimmings to make 12. Put the rounds onto floured baking sheets, brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with a little more sugar. Bake for 12-15 mins until golden.

To serve, lightly mash the strawberries with the jam, and fold the meringues into the clotted cream. Dollop some strawberry mixture onto each split scone, and top with a dollop of meringue cream.