I love scones and am having a lot of fun developing new combinations and varieties. Todd's having fun testing them too, I must say! He loves being my taste tester, and . . . lucky him, he is one of those people who can eat whatever they want to eat without putting on an ounce! (I know, I'm jealous too!)



They're so easy to make, using techniques very similar to that of making biscuits (a scone type of quick bread, very popular in North America, not a cookie!) But that is where the similarity ends!



Scones are a lot lighter, and in many cases sweeter, often varying between cake-like and cookie-like in texture . . . but then again there are savoury versions that are more biscuit-like.



I guess there is no definitive way to describe a scone except to say that they are delectably delicious and the perfect thing to munch on with a hot cup of tea in the middle of the afternoon. (My choice is a lovely herbal tea, but I have friends that love Earl Grey and I do love the smell of a nice hot cup of Earl Grey.)



Whatever your poison . . . a cup of something hot and a plate with a warm scone on it just can't be beat on any occasion.



Today I thought I would try some dried sour cherries, white chocolate and flaked almonds in a scone . . . three wonderful flavours that go so very well together. The sour cherries help to cut the sweetness of the white chocolate that can sometimes be a bit cloying and the flaked almonds added a delightful bit of crunch.



All in all I'd say these are da bomb!! Definitely repeatable! These are going in my success file of things I have conjured up!



*Sour Cherry, White Chocolate and Almond Scones*
Makes 8 wedges
Printable Recipe

Cherries, white chocolate and almonds . . . the holy trinity of sconedom!! Seriously, these are fabulous!

8 1/2 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
2 1/4 ounces caster sugar (1/3 cup)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled (1/4 cup)
125ml of double cream (1/2 cup)
1 large freerange egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
6 ounces of good quality white chocolate, cut into small bits, or use
good quality white chocolate chips
5 ounces dried sour cherries, quartered (1 cup)
3 ounces toasted flaked almonds (1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Drop in the butter and then cut it in using a pastry blender or two round bladed knives, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk together the cream, egg and extracts. Add all at once to the flour mixture, mixing it all in well and kneading until it is well combined. Lightly knead in the chocolate chips, cherries and almonds. Pat out with lightly floured hands to a 9 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Place on the lined baking sheet, leaving some space in between each.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool on the pan for five minutes, before scooping off with a spatula to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.


Note - if you want your scones to have soft sides, place the whole round onto the baking sheet, and cut into wedges there, leaving them together and baking them as a whole. Cut them apart again once they come out of the oven with a serrated knife. Me . . . I love crunchy sides, and so I bake them apart!!

My husband and I have been members of the National Trust for about 10 years now. We both just love visiting historical homes and gardens so it has always been worth it to us. A yearly membership works out a lot cheaper than having to pay entrance fees each time we visit one of the National Trust places.



We recently visited Erddig, which is near Wrexham in Wales. "Widely acclaimed as one of Britain's finest historic houses, Erddig is a fascinating yet unpretentious early 18th-century country house reflecting the upstairs downstairs life of a gentry family over 250 years.

We both thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this great historical home. We found it quite astonishing that the orignal owner of the Estate was simply a "Mr" and not a person of noble birth. Judging by everything that was on this property, he was one very wealthy individual, and one could tell by all of the photographs and paintings that, although they had lots of money and servants, their servants were very much cared for and well treated.



We spent a wonderful day there exploring all the nooks and crannies and the beautiful gardens. So much so, that we plan on going back again soon. There was so much still left to explore, and one visit just didn't do it enough justice.



One of the things we both look forward to when we are visiting these places is having a light lunch in the cafes that are, in most cases, right on the grounds. Lovely little places where you can get everything from soup to nuts . . . always very tasty stuff!

We shared a delicious cheese and onion sandwich and some hot cocoa the day we were there, but right next to the cash register in the cafe was a little leaflet for sale,, containing some of the recipes from Erddig House, dating back to the 1700's.



It was only a pound, so how could I resist!! Of course I had to pick it up!

That night I made us the carrot soup for our tea from the leaflet, and let me tell you . . . it was the MOST delicious carrot soup I have ever, ever eaten! It should have served at least 4 people but Todd and I polished it off between the two of us. NOT A PROBLEM! It was rich and creamy and had the most wonderful flavour. Carrots, potatoes, celery, turnips, onions and lettuce . . . a delicious combination of simple garden fresh ingredients!

This is now our 'alltime' favourite soup.



*Erddig Carrot Soup*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Taken from a 'Receipt Book 1765', the second oldest Erddig cookery book.

2 ounces butter
2 large onions
2 large potatoes
2 pounds carrots
1/2 pound turnips
1/2 head celery
1/4 lettuce
3 1/2 pints (about 7 cups) vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and chop all of the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and saute until golden. Add the potatoes and stir well. Add the remainder of the vegetables and the stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Liquidise. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.



I also baked up some very delicious Cheese Scones to have with the soup. They went down a real treat!! You can find the recipe HERE.

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.