Bloody Mary Scones

Last week I went on a plane ALL BY MYSELF. It was pure luxury. No one sat on my lap, no one spilled water on me, wiped snot on my shoulder or asked me to read them a story. I laughed at the ridiculous inflight safety video, read the airline magazine and looked out the window. It was bliss.

It also reminded me of the times when I used to fly a lot and how much I looked forward to asking the hostie for a Bloody Mary. I never really went in for alcohol at altitude, but a nicely spiced Bloody Mary was my treat to myself - a signal that good times were about to begin. Strange really, because I never drank them on the ground. Anyway, those days have long gone, but as I sat and watched the clouds flutter past I had an idea. And this is the result.

Bloody Mary Scones
These ravishing red scones are my entry for this month's Tea Time Treats, a blogging event run by the lovely Karen of Lavender and Lovage and Kate of What Kate Baked. They're not the loftiest of scones, but that's partly because I was trying to cut them out with the rinsed-out tomato tin and things got a bit ragged. There's no vodka in this recipe, but you can always add a splash if you feel that way inclined.

1Tbsp olive oil
4 spring onions, finely chopped
4 ribs of celery, de-stringed and diced
1 x 440g tin of tomato passata (I used a tin of Watties crushed and sieved tomatoes)
1Tbsp worcester sauce
2Tbsp olive oil (extra to the one above)
1 egg
3 cups plain flour
2Tbsp baking powder
a generous pinch of salt and lots of black pepper
1Tbsp sugar

Preheat the oven to 220C and put the oven tray in to heat up (don't grease or flour it).
Saute the spring onion and celery in the first measure of olive oil until soft - about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool for five minutes. Add the rest of the wet ingredients - tomato passata, worcester sauce, olive oil and egg - and stir to mix.
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, then pour in the tomato mixture.
Mix  lightly with a knife until a soft dough forms. Tip out onto a cool floured bench top and pat into a flat shape about 2.5cm high. Cut into squares and put immediately on the hot oven tray that has been waiting in the oven for this moment. Leave about a thumb space between them so they have room to nearly join up while cooking.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden, crusty and risen.