Key Lime Cream Tea

Set a heatproof mixing bowl over a small saucepan of water a few centimeters deep, making sure the bowl sits securely and isn’t touching the water. Set the heat on medium and add the lime juice, zest, sugar and butter to the bowl. Whisk regularly until the butter has melted.

Whisk in the egg and cook over simmering water until the curd has thickened up, approximately 12 minutes, stirring regularly. It will thicken more as it cools. Remove from the heat, pass through a fine sieve and whisk every 5 minutes until cool. Cover and refrigerate while you make the scones.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Add the lemon juice to the warm milk, stir and set aside.

Add the flour to a bowl with the baking powder, butter, lime zest and sugar. Rub the butter in until there are no big lumps left, then slowly add the milk, using a butter knife to bring the mixture together into a dough.

Flour the kitchen top, pat the dough out and fold it over twice to ensure an even consistency. Shape it back into a round using the palms of your hands, flour your rolling pin and roll the dough out to approximately 3 centimeters deep, making sure it’s an even depth.

Cut the scones out using a 5 to 8 centimeter pastry cutter. Press down firmly, don’t twist, then carefully lift the cutter and set the scone aside while you cut out the rest. You may need to shape and reroll the dough to get the last scone or two, that’s fine. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg.

Scatter a flat baking tray with a handful of flour and pop it in the oven for a few minutes. Put the scones on the tray and bake for 9 to 10 minutes until light golden brown. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar.