I like to think of scones as the delicious, and slightly more sophisticated, ancestor of the North American Baking Powder Biscuit. After all the English have been making scones ever since the 16th century and . . . well . . . America was still pretty much a wilderness at that point.



Although they may have a somewhat similar appearance, the two are actually quite different.



Scones are much taller and lighter in texture, and somewhat sweeter. A true scone, in fact, should look a bit craggy! Kind of like an elderly Great Uncle . . .



Scones generally use less fat and the fat used is rarely chilled, meaning that the consistency of the rubbed flour is more crumbly than mealy, quite unlike their biscuit counterpart . . .



Hot from the oven, Scones are one of the most delicious breads invented by mankind. Served split and buttered and spread with cold preserves, there is no finer teatime treat on earth.



I like to think of these tasty Date and Lemon Scones as the ultimate Tea Scone . . . Rich and chock full of lovely bits of date . . . with the merest hint of lemon in their fragrance and just a whisper of it in their flavour . . .



I wanted to serve them with some lemon curd, but didn't have any to hand . . . Greengage Preserves had to do in it's place.



We were not disappointed.



*Date and Lemon Scones*
Makes about 12
Printable Recipe

Silky soft and rich, these scones are studded with dates and a delightful whisper of lemon.

100ml of double cream
2 large free range eggs
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS freshly grated lemon rind (I always use unwaxed lemons)
245g of plain flour (1 3/4 cups)
2 TBS caster sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
85g of finely chopped pitted dates (1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Butter a baking sheet and set aside.

Whisk the cream and eggs together in a small bowl. Remove and reserve 1 TBS of the mixture for later. Whisk iin the lemon juice and the lemon zest.

Sift the flour into a bowl and whisk in the baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir in the dates and add the liquid mixture all at once, stirring only until a soft dough forms.

Tip out onto a floured surface and knead lightly about 8 times. Pat out about 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2 inch cutter, giving the cutter a sharp tap in an up and down motion. Do not twist the cutter or you will have lopsided scones. Pat the scraps together and cut out more rounds. Arrange the rounds on the baking sheet leaving about 1/2 inch between them. Brush the tops with the reserved cream mixture, making sure that none drips down the sides.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm with butter and or preserves if desired.

I didn't really know all that much about sugar before I moved over here, except that there was white sugar and brown sugar. That just shows you how ignorant I was, really . . .

It's going to be Easter in just a few short weeks. I love Easter and have many fond memories from when I was a child . . . it's one of my favourite holidays.



The Easter Bunny always left us a whole lot of goodies . . . chocolate Easter Bunnies, chocolate Easter Eggs, those marshmallow filled candy eggs and if we were really lucky a fresh new bag of marbles or a jug of bubbles to blow.

As I have said many times in the past, I love lemons. They have to be one of my favourite of all fruits. If I had to choose between chocolate cake and lemon cake, I'd be hard pressed to choose, but I think in the end . . . lemon would overcome.



I just love their fresh clean flavour and that lovely tang. I found myself this weekend having bought far too many lemons. (I have a tendancy to pick up a mesh bag of them almost every time I go to the shops. They come in ever so handy.)



Not a problem though as I also fancied some delicious homemade lemon curd. There is nothing as tasty as homemade lemon curd and it's not as hard to make as some would suppose.

Some handy hints for lemons. Keep them at room temperature and you will get far more juice from them than if you keep them in the fridge. Also give them a good roll between the palm of your hand and the counter top before juicing, and you'll get absolutely the most juice that you possibly can from them! I Love my wooden lemon juicer. It works like a charm and I would not be without one now!



Back to Lemon Curd. This recipe makes rather a lot, but it is such a wonderful thing to have in the fridge. I use it all the time. It is just wonderful spread on warm scones and bread, in between cake layers, on top of ginger biscuits, in crisp pastry tart shells . . . or just spooned out of the jar. Yummo! I am a glutton through and through I do believe!



Of course you can also pack it into jars and gift a few of your friends with some of it. They'll love you for it forever, I guarantee!



*Lemon Curd*
Makes about 3 cups
Printable Recipe

Once you have had proper homemade lemon curd, you will never want to buy ready made again. The fresh made stuff is delicious, and very easy to make. It's a good way of getting rid of that glut of lemons you may have! It's delicious spread on bread, scones or muffins. I love it spread between thin ginger thins and topped with whipped cream, or as a tasty filling in a nice sponge cake.

1 TBS finely grated lemon zest plus 2 tsp of the same
8 fluid ounces (1 cup) fresh lemon juice
265g caster sugar (approx 1 1/3 cups)
4 large free range eggs
6 ounces unsalted butter (3/4 cup)
plus 2 TBS, all cut into TBS sized pieces



Whisk the zest, lemon juice, sugar, eggs and a pinch of salt together in a heavy 2 litre saucepan. Add the butter all at once and then cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly until the curd is thick enough to hold the marks of the whisk and the first bubbles appear and break the surface. This should take about 10 minutes. Immediately pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover and chill before use. This should keep, covered and in the fridge for about 1 week.



Here's another delicious use for some of that Lemon curd. A tasty Lemon Drizzle Cake. mmm . . .



*Lemon Drizzle Cake*
Makes one loaf sized cake
Printable Recipe

This has to be one of the easiest cakes ever. You just bung everything into a food processor and blitz. Quick, easy and oh so very delicious!!

140g self raising flour (1 cup)
4 ounces butter (1/2 cup)
115g caster sugar (2/3 cup)
2 large free range eggs
2 dessertspoons of lemon curd
the grated zest of one lemon

For the topping:
the juice of 1/2 lemon
2 TBS caster sugar



Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper. Set aside.

Put all the cake ingredients into a food processor. Blend together for 2 minutes. Scrape mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

While the cake is still warm, and before turning it out of the tin, mix the lemon juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves somewhat, and pour this mixture over top evenly. Let sit for about 10 minutes before removing from the tin to cool completely on a wire rack.



And of course, there is nothing tastier than a fresh piece of Lemon Drizzle Cake with a huge dollop of lemon curd spread over the top of it. Oh, my . . . I must have surely died and gone to heaven . . . .

Cherries are one of my favourite things. I know you are thinking . . . what isn't her favourite thing??? Well, the answer is quite simple . . .



I'm allergic to shell fish, so none of that please, and I won't eat anything with antennae or tenticles. Does that make me squeamish? Perhaps . . . but I know I am not alone!



One of my favourite things in a fruit cake has to be the glace cherries . . . next to the candied pineapple and citron of course! I like to use the naturally coloured cherries in my baking, eschewing anything artifically dyed a bright red or green. That means that my cherries always have a somewhat darker colour, but boy oh boy, do they taste good.



I just love cherry scones, but the ones in the shops always have those bright red cherried in them . . . and store bought baked goods always end up tasting a bit disappointing to me. They never quite come up to their promise. Am I alone in thinking that???



I thought so . . . Home baked anything is always infinitely better in my books.

Yesterday I baked Todd a teatime treat of some lovely Cherry and Almond Scones. Not quite as pretty as the ones in the shops, but boy, are they tasty.

They have a delicious short and buttery crumb, with a subtle hint of almond, and are just stogged full of lovely cherries.



Try them today . . . simply buttered, or if you are really feeling hedonistic, add some clotted cream and jam. Delicious!

In for a penny, in for a pound I always say!! The recipe makes a lot, but they do freeze very well.



*Cherry and Almond Scones*
makes about 20 2-inch scones
Printable Recipe

Delicious scones with a tender crumb and chock full of glace cherries and a subtle hint of almond. Serve cold with butter or clotted cream and jam!

450g self raising flour, sifted (3 1/4 cups)
1/2 tsp baking soda
125g softened butter (1/2 cup)
85g caster sugar (scant half cup)
170g glace cherries, roughly chopped (generous cup)
1 large free range egg, beaten
a few drops of almond essence
6 to 7 fluid ounces of milk

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a large baking tray (s). Set aside.

Sift the flour into a large bowl along with the soda. Rub in the butter until it resembles sand. Stir in the sugar and cherries. Add the beaten egg, almond essence and enough of the milk to make a soft dough, but not sticky dough. Knead lightly until smooth. Pat out on a floured board to a thickeness of about 1/2 inch. Cut into rounds with a sharp 2 inch cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet (s). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen, firm and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool before serving. Delicious split and buttered or served with clotted cream and jam for a special indulgence.

One thing we always have lots of in the larder is jars of jams and preserves. I don't think I could live without a variety of them on tap for me to use in various ways . . .



Sometimes in the evenings when we are watching the telly and feel a bit peckish, we will have a treat of hot buttered toast spread with jam or marmelade.

We just adore freshly baked scones with cream and strawberry jam. Can you imagine a Cream Tea without strawberry jam??? It's totally unthinkable!!!

A moist Victorian Sponge is just not the same without a thick layer of raspberry jam in the middle, although I do enjoy lemon curd once in a while, but . . . can you still call it a Victorian Sponge without the jam?




I also love to bake biscuits that have jam in the middle.

Soft and tender molasses jam jams are so lovely and tasty with a hot drink in the middle of the afternoon. My mouth starts to water just thinking about them . . .

Oh, and don't get me started to thinking about lintzer cookies, all buttery and crisp and filled with . . . raspberry jam . . . their tops all sweetly dusted with icing sugar . . .

That white powder on the upper lip's a dead giveaway isn't it? There's no denying you've been raiding the tin . . .



One of my favourite things of all though . . . is . . . raspberry shortbread.

O-H-M-Y-G-O-O-D-N-E-S-S!!!!!

That crisp short textured buttery base . . . topped with sweet raspberry preserves and then . . .
that buttery crumble topping. Can anything on earth possibly taste any better??? I think NOT!

Let's just skip having tea all together today. We'll just settle for dessert



*Raspberry Shortbread*
Makes 12 to 16 wedges
Printable Recipe

Picture sweet buttery melt in your mouth crunch, stogged full of delicious raspberry preserves and you have these delightful shortbread biscuits. These are a real favourite around here.

16 ounces butter, at room temperature
4 large egg yolks
400g sugar
560g flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
350g raspberry jam, at room temperature
70g icing sugar, sifted

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. You will need a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom or you can just use a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.

Cream the butter until soft and fluffy with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a food processor. Beat in the egg yolks. (alternately whiz them for a few seconds in the food processor until combined) Stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter/egg yolk mixture, mixing just until incorporated and the dough comes together. (Do the same in the food processor, blitzing it several times until a dough forms) Divide the dough in half.

Press one half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the tart tin, or the baking pan, pressing it down to compact it slightly.

With a spoon or spatula, spread the jam evenly over the surface to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the dough all the way around. Take the remaining half of the dough and crumble it evenly over top of the jam, covering it completely.

Bake in the heated oven until it is lightly golden brown. This should take between 30 and 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust with the icing sugar. Cool on a wire rack before removing the sides of the pan. Cut into wedges with a serrated knife to serve. (If you have used a baking pan, just cut into squares.) Store in a tightly covered container. This keeps very well.

Quite often by the time we get home from church on Sundays, it's far too late to cook much of a supper so we usually have something quick. I make it a habit now to cook what would normally have been our Sunday lunch on Saturday evenings, and we have leftovers for Sunday.



Some weeks we've been really busy on Saturday too, and so there are no leftovers to warm up. What to do . . . what to do . . .



You might be forgiven if you look at these as a North American and think right away, those are pancakes! Well, yes, they are very similar to pancakes, but in reality they are something known as Drop Scones, or as you get further up North . . . Scotch Pancakes.



In the olden days these would have been cooked on a solid metal griddle over an open fire. Today we are blessed to have lovely non-stick frying pans.



Blessings come in many guises. Like sweetly spiced, soft drop scones. These are particularly wonderful when you get home from church late on a Sunday afternoon and you are literally starving! Quick, easy and very, very tasty. What's a girl to do?



I decided to add a little Christmas warmth and spice to these with the grated rind of several oranges, a little mixed spice and the juice of the oranges.

They were delightful . . . especially with a bit of butter and golden syrup on top.



Sticky fingers never tasted so good . . . neither did Sundays . . . ☺





*Christmas Drop Scones*
Makes about 24
Printable Recipe

Serve these as soon as they are made with oodles of butter and golden syrup. If you can get the festive flavoured golden syrups so much the better, but really plain old golden syrup tastes just wonderful. If you do need to make these in advance, arrange them in a single layer on an ovenproof plate, cover tightly with some foil wrap and when ready re-heat in a 160*C/325*F oven for about 10 minutes.

2 large oranges
a little whole milk
6 ounces self raising flour (about 1 1/4 cups, 170g )
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1 1/2 ounces golden caster sugar (3 1/2 TBS)
1 largefree range egg
oil for cooking
golden syrup and butter for serving

Grate the rind from the oranges and set aside.  Squeeze the juice and put into a measuring jug.  Add enough whole milk to measure up to 200ml. (200ml is the same as 7 fluid ounces, or 13 1/2 TBS) Set aside

Measure the flour into a bowl. Whisk together with the baking powder, mixed spice and caster sugar, combining well. Make a well in the centre of the flour and then add the egg and half of the orange juice mixture. Whisk together well to make a smooth thick batter, then wisk in enough of the remaining orange mixture to make a batter which has the consistency of thick cream.

Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease with a little bit of oil. Using a dessertspoon, drop spoonfuls onto the hot pan, spacing each about 2 inches apart. When bubbles appear on the surface, flip them over with a spatula and cook on the other side for about 30 seconds to one minute, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and keep warm with a clean tea towel over top, while you cook the rest.

Cook the remaining batter in the same way. Serve these lovely scones warm with butter and golden syrup for spreading. Delicious!