Whether you’re a star baker in the making or, like us, just a little bit greedy, to test your patisserie skills and indulge in your creations with these Afternoon Tea delights, courtesy of Hotel du Vin...

Recreate an Afternoon Tea staple: traditional scones made gluten free.

Gluten Free Sultana Scones – makes 8

You’ll need:

• 1 cup gluten-free plain flour

• ¼ cup white rice flour

• 2 teaspoons GF baking powder

• ¼ cup almond meal

• a pinch of sea salt

• 60ml cream

• 125ml milk, plus extra for brushing

• strawberry jam to serve

• whipped cream to serve

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Add your flours, baking powder, almond meal and salt into a large mixing bowl and creative a well in the centre.

2. Combine the cream and milk then pouring to the well and mix just until the dough comes together.

3. Pat the dough out on a lightly floured surface and use a lightly floured round cutter to cut rounds out of the dough.

4. Place the rounds touching each other into the lined baking tray, lightly the brush the tops with milk and bake for 10 minutes, or until risen and golden.

5. Break in half whilst warm and serve with fruit spread and whipped cream.

Alternatively, if you’re after something on the sweeter side, try these delicious raspberry and dark chocolate teacakes.

Raspberry and dark chocolate teacakes – makes 20

You’ll need:

• 200g of dark chocolate

• 10g of frozen raspberries

• 100g of butter

• 75g of icing sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tea spoon of vanilla extract

• 175g plain flour

• 4 teaspoons of cocoa powder

• 50g raspberry jam

• 8 gelatine leaves

• 350g of caster sugar

• 6 egg whites

• A pinch of salt

Method:

1. To make the chocolate biscuit bases, mash the butter and icing sugar together in a large bowl, then beat until smooth.

Next mix in egg yolk, vanilla, milk, flour, cocoa and salt.

Tip the mixture onto a floured work surface and knead the dough until evenly coloured. When done, wrap the dough in cling film, pat into a disc and leave to chill for 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 180C and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Dust the surface with a flour, unwrap the dough and roll to the thickness of a £1 coin.

Use a 5cm cutter to stamp out as many discs as you can. Place on the baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

2. Next make the marshmallow filling. Put gelatine in a bowl of cold water with some ice and set aside to soften.

Meanwhile mix egg whites, sugar, a tablespoon water and a good pinch of salt in a heat proof bowl. Place over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water, and whisk until thick.

When the meringue is thick, remove the bowl from the heat and continue whisking while adding the gelatine, one leaf at a time. Keep until the meringue has cooled slightly and is really stiff.

Transfer to a piping bag and allow it to rest for about five minutes.

3. Flip each biscuit over so the bottom is facing upwards, spoon ½ teaspoon of jam onto it and then pipe a dome shaped blob of meringue, quickly pulling away to create a spike. Leave to set for at least 30 minutes.

4. Melt the chocolate over a Bain Marie, stirring. To cover the teacakes in chocolate, place on a wire airing rack and spoon the chocolate of the teacake until totally covered. Chop the raspberry pieces and carefully dot a couple of freeze-dried raspberry pieces around the top of your teacakes once the chocolate has cooled.

If you’re planning to make an experience of it, you could treat yourself to the real thing, with Afternoon Tea available from £22.50 at Hotel du Vin. Visit hotelduvin.com for more.