Showing posts sorted by date for query Scones. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Scones. Sort by relevance Show all posts
I felt a bit blue a few days ago. Its not easy to go from living with a whole house filled with people, down to two people and then down to just one. Especially under the circumstances.
I decided I needed a bit of cheering up! One thing which I really enjoyed when I was living in the UK was the traditional Afternoon Tea. I decided that if I needed cheering up, I needed a traditional Afternoon Tea!
Just because you live on your own, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy some of the finer things in life which other people get to enjoy, right? Right!
I resolved this year to get as much joy out of life that I can for whatever time I have left. Alone or not. Covid or not. I can make each day an adventure with just a tiny bit of effort!
Most people confuse the term Afternoon Tea with High Tea. They are not the same thing, nor are the terms interchangeable.
Afternoon Tea is very much the British tradition of sitting down mid or late afternoon to a treat of tea, finger sandwiches, scones and cake. It was very much an upper class thing and was not intended to replace dinner.
The Upper Classes usually ate their dinners much later in the evening, so as an attempt to fill the gap in between lunch and dinner they indulged in afternoon tea.
High tea came about largely to appease the working class in the 19th century. Working class people had no time, nor the luxury to stop working for such a treat as afternoon tea. Often they would arrive home starving at the end of the day.
At that time tea was served with heartier dishes. Dishes meant to sustain a people who had been working their pegs off all day. Something hearty, perhaps a tidbit of sweet, washed down with hot cups of tea. Supper is still called "Tea" in working class Britain.
Unless you are on Scotland of course where a Afternoon Tea will take on some sort of hot and savory foods. A mix of High and Afternoon Teas.
One thing you will want to serve with your Afternoon Tea is something savory. Nothing hot, but a mix of finger sandwiches and other cold savories are fine.
Today I made a mix of my favourites. Cucumber with mayonnaise on white bread rounds. Cheddar Cheese and Branstons Pickle on whole wheat squares. Both were bite sized. You don't want huge sandwiches. Only tiny bites.
One thing with sandwiches is you must always spread any filling right to the edges. Nobody wants to be eating a dry piece of bread without any filling. Bite sized is right for a tea. Something which can be consumed in only one or two bites.
Dainty fare. I have wonderful memories of my mother making sandwiches for tea parties when I was growing up. Crusts always removed. She would give us the crusts to eat. We loved them
Everything was always dainty and genteel.
I also took the liberty of boiling an egg so that I could make myself a deviled egg. This time I cut the egg in half crosswise instead of lengthwise. That created tiny little cups. With a tiny sliver cut off the end of the rounded end so that they stood perfectly upright.
Rule of thumb when making deviled eggs. One don't overcook or undercook your eggs. I use an electric egg boiler. Two use 1/2 TBS of mayonnaise and 1/2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard for each egg yolk used. Mash together until fairly smooth and stuff your eggs.
A sprinkle of paprika and everything looks so pretty.
Some other sandwich ideas would be, deviled ham, egg with cress, tomato and cheese, tuna salad, etc. Just make sure your bread is fresh, buttered to the edge and the crusts are cut off.
Of course Afternoon Tea requires that there be some scones present. I made a small batch of my classic English Scones.
These are the scones you will see at every tea room across the UK. They are beautifully buttery and crumbly. Perfect in short.
As you can see my recipe rises nice and tall and is studded with sticky raisins. You can leave them out if you wish, but raisins are quite traditional.
I remember thinking it was rather odd to be having raisins in your scones when you were going to be having cream and jam with them, but it totally works. Trust me on this.
These are meant to be served at room temperature, split and then spread with butter. You will want to have some whipped heavy cream to serve with them along with some jam.
In the UK traditionally they would serve clotted cream with these along with the jam. Clotted cream is such a gorgeous thing. Heavy cream which has been heated just to the point where it forms thick sweet clots, with a buttery crust on top.
It is almost impossible to replicate anywhere else in the world. Trust me on this. Once you have had the real thing, nothing else comes close. Today I made do with just whipped cream, and some cherry jam.
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Classic English Scones (small batch)
Yield: makes 5 scones
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min
These are buttery and flakey tender with just the right amount of sticky sultanas. Serve with cream and jam for a real treat!
Ingredients
- 175g self raising flour ( 1 1/4 cups)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 37g of cold butter (2 3/4 TBS)
- 15g Caster sugar (1 1/4 TBS, superfine sugar)
- 40g sultana raisins (1/4 cup)
- approximately 75ml milk (scant 1/3 cup)
- 1 large free range eggs, beaten
- granulated sugar to sprinkle plus flour for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Butter a large baking tray. Alternately line it with greaseproof paper.
- Measure the flour into a bowl along with the baking powder. (Pour the flour in from on high to aerate it.) Whisk together. Drop in the cold butter in bits. Using your fingertips rub the butter in quickly until the mixture resembles fine dry bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar and raisins.
- Beat the egg. Remove and set 1 TBS aside. Add 60ml (scant 1/4 cup) of the milk to the eggs and beat together. Add this to the flour mixture. Mix together with the rounded end of a butter knife to form a soft but slightly tacky dough. Only add the remainder of the milk if your dough is too dry and you want to absorb any dry bits in the bowl. The dough should NOT be too wet, but not too dry either.
- Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple of times to bring well together. Gently pat out to 1 inch thick. Using a sharp round 3 inch cutter, cut out rounds, using a direct up and down motion.
- Do not twist the cutter. Place the cut out scones an inch or so apart on the baking sheet. Gather any trimmings together and repeat until you have 5 scones.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved beaten egg and sprinkle with a bit of granulated sugar. Don't let the egg drip down the sides.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until risen and golden on top and bottoms. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Best eaten on the day. Any leftovers can be frozen for several months.
Of course the center attraction of any Afternoon Tea, aside from the scones, is the cake. There is always a cake to be enjoyed. Usually a Victoria Sponge. But any cake will do.
Any cake that can be enjoyed with hot cups of tea. Today I small-batched my Traditional Victoria Sponge Cake to make a cake that is only 4 inches in diameter, which is perfect for just one person. Yes, there will be leftovers. Ask me if I care. 😋
This was the perfect size for me. It cuts into exactly four slices. One for me to enjoy today with my tea party and three more for another time.
They are not overly large slices, but after you have eaten several finger sandwiches and a scone, you don't really need an overly large slice of cake.
Classic Victoria Sponge Cake (small batch)
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Popular during the reign of Queen Victoria, this cake remains popular to this day, which is a huge testament to it's taste and ease of baking! This is a smaller sized version of the original. You will need two four inch baking tins.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 85g butter (6 TBS)
- 85g caster sugar (scant 1/2 cup)
- few drops vanilla extract
- 1 large free range egg plus 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 85g self raising flour (a scant 3/4 cup)
To finish:
- 2 TBS raspberry jam
- icing sugar or granulated sugar to dust the top
Instructions
- Butter and base line two 4-inch sandwich tins. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
- Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light in color and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour.
- Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, taking care to use a cutting motion so as not to knock out too much of the air that you have beaten into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins, leveling off the surface. Make a slight dip in the center of each.
- Bake on a center rack of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the sponges have risen well, are golden brown, and spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes before running a knife carefully around the edges and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with raspberry jam. Place the other cake on top, pressing down lightly. Dust with icing or granulated sugar.
HOW TO MAKE A PROPER CUP OF TEA
1. You will need a kettle to boil your water in and a good clay or ceramic tea pot. These have the best heat retention.
2. Warm your tea pot with some boiling water and discard. Never make tea in a cold tea pot. The flavor is much better when you warm the pot first.
3. For black tea, your water needs to be boiling in order to make a proper cup of tea. Don't be tempted to use hot water dispensers and the like. Only a proper kettle will do.
4. Measure your tea into the warm tea pot and add boiling water. How much depends on how many cups you are making.
5. Cover and leave to steep for four to five minutes for strong tea, or three minutes for a weaker infusion.
Have your tea cup ready along with any add-ins such as milk, cream, sugar, lemon wedges, etc. I like a china cup or a mug.
This was the perfect way for me to enjoy my afternoon and a wonderful distraction from all of the sorrows of the world, real and imagined.
I was able to sit and enjoy a nice hot cup of tea and a few treats that I normally wouldn't indulge in, all by myself. And it didn't matter that I was all alone with it. And why not After all, I am more than worth the effort. You are too.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
I picked up a new magazine at Walmart on Friday. Taste of Home, Fall Baking, Homemade Happiness.102 recipes to warm the heart. I admit, I am a sucker for cooking publications. Especially seasonal ones.
This one is filled with the best recipes of Autumn, containing recipes using cranberries, pears, pumpkin, nuts and so much more. Tis the season and all that!
This recipe for Vanilla Glazed Ginger Scones immediately caught my eye. They include three of the things I really love! Vanilla, Ginger and Scones!
What's not to love about that!
The original recipe made a dozen scones. I don't need and could never eat a dozen scones and so I decided to small batch the recipe to make only six delicious scones!
This is the perfect size for just me. It was also a bit different than my usual gingerbread scone recipes. I actually have two other Gingerbread Scone recipes on here, both are very delicious.
This Gingerbread Scone recipe comes from Land O Lakes, and is attributed to the Pioneer Woman. You can find my recipe and results here.
It is a triangular scone with a demerara sugar topping and a vanilla glaze icing.
Then there is my recipe for Gingerbread Scones with a Lemon Glaze. These are filled with optional raising and cut into rounds.
They are glazed with a lemon glaze and garnished with some candied ginger. You can find that recipe here.
Both are excellent recipes I have to say. But, true confessions here, I think this one is slightly better. Now hear me out. This is for several reasons.
One, its the right size for me. Two, they have a beautiful soft texture and tender crumb. Three, they have a beautiful colour. Four, they are slightly quicker and easier to make. I rest my case.
All of the recipes are excellent however, which ever you choose to make, but on this day, I am highly recommending these!
That could be because the house smells magnificent at the moment . . . all gingery, cinnamony and buttery.
Or it could be because I just ate one and the delicious flavors of it are still lingering in my mouth. Tempting me to go and have another one. (I know naughty me.)
These do have a more cake-like consistency than the other two, almost like a Rock Cake. Did you know that Rock Cakes are Harry Potter's favourite teatime treat? You can find my Rock Cake recipe here.
I am not surprised that they are Harry Potter's favorite thing. He has good taste. They are fabulously tasty.
For those who are wondering a Rock Cake is a drop scone. No rolling or faffing about needed. Simple to make and oh so easy.
These are spiced simply. Ground ginger and ground cinnamon. Nothing more, nothing less. Not too much of either one.
They are also flavored and sweetened with brown sugar, molasses and maple syrup. A trinity of good taste.
There is vanilla in the scone itself and in the glaze. I use pure vanilla extract. In the UK I was always being sent lush vanilla things. Vanilla paste, etc. Here I have had to buy my own everything.
I have to say though, I always and will always use pure Vanilla extract and other essences. They are worth the little bit extra you pay. There is no comparison between the real thing and the pretenders.
The candied ginger I bought on Amazon. I bought a large bag of it. A kilo. It will last forever. In things like that I don't mind buying larger bags. A bit of an outlay to begin with, but it pays off in the long run.
I also buy my ground almonds/almond flour on Amazon, also in a bit bag just so you know. (Nothing to do with this recipe, but with thrift alone.) You can freeze them and they will keep for a very long time.
If you are like me and use ground almonds a lot, it is worth it get a bigger bag if you can.
The original recipe said to have the egg at room temperature but that didn't make sense if the cream was cold and the butter was cold. And so I didn't bother bringing it to room temperature and it didn't matter one iota.
That's one thing about baking. Either have everything at room temperature or don't bother. Just my two cents worth.
This is a lovely, lovely scone. Perfect for enjoying just as is with a nice hot cup of tea. Today mine was Elderberry Tea that I got from the Tea Haus. Very nice.
I used the batter bowl that my sister gave to me the other day as a prop. Its supposed to look like the scones are kind of overflowing onto the table. haha Just a flight of fancy that worked out so much better in my head. But then again, that's me to a "T."
I am in a bit of a conundrum here. After the end of August feedburner will no longer be sending out e-mails to my subscribers. I have been searching for an e-mail program that people can sign up to. What I have done is add my current subscribers to a list on madmimi. It is an additional cost to me, but I figure it will be worth it in the long run.
I am not sure how to enable people to sign up to receive my newsletters, but will eventually work that out. In the meantime if you are not already an e-mail subscriber, and want to be subscribed just let me know and I will add you to the list! Sort of the convoluted long way of doing things but I will figure it out eventually!
Vanilla Glazed Ginger Scones (small batch)
Yield: Makes 6 scones
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 40 Min
These tender ginger flavored scones are bound to become a favorite in your home. With lovely warm ginger flavor, a tender crumb, a sweet vanilla glaze and candied ginger garnish, they always go down a real treat with a nice hot drink!
Ingredients
- 1 cup 140g) plain flour
- 1/8th cup (25g) soft light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- pinch salt
- 3 TBS cold butter
- 3 fluid ounces heavy whipping cream
- 1 large free range egg yolk
- 1 fluid ounce fancy molasses
- 1/2 TBS maple syrup
For the glaze and finish:
- 1/2 cup (65g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 fluid ounce of heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 TBS finely chopped candied ginger
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/ 200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a bowl and give them a good whisk together to combine. Drop in the cold butter and cut or rub it in until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Whisk together the egg yolk, cream, molasses, vanilla and syrup to combine. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir everything together just to combine.
- Scoop out by 1/4 cupfuls onto the prepared baking sheet in six even mounds, leaving plenty of space in between each.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on the bottoms and around the edges. They should be set completely on top.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool a bit while you make the glaze.
- Whisk together all of the glaze ingredients until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze decoratively over top of the warm scones with a spoon and sprinkle with the chopped candied ginger. Serve warm.
I could hardly wait to share this lovely 8 X 8 snack cake recipe with you today! Especially now with it almost being time for school to start up again. I don't know about your family, but my children were always starving when they got home from school at the end of the day.
I raised five children and I tried always to have something delicious to share with them when they got home from school. It was an opportunity for us to gather around the kitchen table and catch up with what had gone on in their day at school.
I tried always to keep the lines of communication open with my children and this was one very important way I did just that. There is nothing so comforting or homey as breaking bread together around a table.
Not only did this give us a chance to talk with each other, but it also gave them something to look forward to at the end of their school day.
Of course we did that at supper time as well, but that was a bit more formal and a bit later in the day. This after school snack time was much more casual. I would usually have baked cookies or a snack cake for them to enjoy.
With five children, three of them boys with hollow legs, nothing was around long enough to go stale, which was just how I loved it. All I ever wanted to be was a mother and a wife, a homemaker, and keeper of the home.
I spied these lovely fresh local cherries at the farm market when I was there last week with my sister. I adore cherries. I had in mind to make this Cherry, Coconut & Almond Snack Cake!
When I lived in the UK and was living and working down in Kent, we used to have cherry sellers come over from the South of France every year. They would set up stands in the layby's and you could buy 1/2 pound paper bags of freshly picked cherries from them.
They were so delicious. Sweet and ripe and warm from the sun. I always had to buy two bags of them because for sure I would have eaten one bag before we even got back to our cottage.
I think it is fair to say I love adore cherries! In any way shape or form!
Beautiful eaten fresh and out of hand. Fabulous in pies, tarts and turnovers. Splendid in desserts such as Clafloutis or Trifle.
Stupendous in cakes. Especially in this cake I am sharing with you today!
One thing I can tell you is that Cherries and Almonds have a beautiful affinity for each other. That is the basis for the infamously delicious Bakewell Tart. You can find my recipe for that here.
I also love to use that delicious combination of cherries and almonds in things such as my Small-batch Bakewell Blondies, and these fantastic Bakewell Slices.
Bakewell Tart Muffins are another favorite, as are my Bakewell Scones, and Steamed Cherry Bakewell Pudding. And these few recipes are only the tip of the Bakewell iceberg on my blog.
I am well versed in this delicious combination of cherries and almonds and am not afraid to share my obsession with others. This quick and easy cake is a delicious play on that delicious flavor combination!
There are also a few other delicious flavors added in this cake. First you have a fabulous batter, made with a combination of both flour and almond flour/ground almonds. A quantity of coconut is stirred into the batter along with the use of coconut or canola oil.
Flavored with vanilla and coconut extract (the coconut extract is optional) it has a lovely dense texture. The use of buttermilk helps to ensure that is is beautifully moist.
A quantity of halved fresh cherries is sprinkled over the top of the cake. They do sink down a bit, but I fear if you stirred them into the cake they would all sink to the bottom, so sprinkling them on top is the best way to go.
Flaked almonds are sprinkled over the top of the cherries . . .
And then even more coconut is sprinkled on top of the flaked almonds. So you have double coconut and almond here! Lush and nutty.
A final sprinkle of sugar dusts the top and then the cake is baked. The sugar gives a tiny bit of sweet crunch to the top of the cake.
The original recipe comes from a book of mine entitled Snacking Cakes, Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings, by Yossy Arefi. I have it on my kindle.
This is the second recipe I have baked from the book to great success and I think I may just have to buy myself the hard copy. Yes, it is that good of a book. Both recipes I have baked have been deliciously sound.
Just look at how lovely the texture of this cake is. Perfect for cutting into squares for eating.
I dare say this is going to become a fast and firm favorite around here. I gave half of it to my sister when she dropped off some mail for me this afternoon.
I think it is a great snack cake, but it would also make a fabulous dessert served with a dollop of whipped cream spooned on top, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I am so very pleased with how it turned out. This is a winner and is going into my retinue of tried and true favorites!
I am so pleased with it I am sure it is bound to become a favorite with you as well. I find myself pondering what it would be like if I switched out the flavors a bit with blueberries and lemon. Food for thought there.
In any case, I do hope that you will be inspired enough to make this. You won't be sorry. You can use fresh or frozen cherries. Its a keeper for sure!!!
Cherry, Coconut & Almond Snack Cake
Yield: Makes one 8-inch square cake
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min
Nutty, sweet, buttery, and delicious with plenty of cherries, coconut and flaked almonds.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150g) plus 1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, well shaken
- ½ cup (120ml) canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp coconut extract (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose plain flour
- ½ cup (55g) almond flour/ground almonds
- ½ cup (40g) plus 1 TBS unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup (140g) halved and pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
- 2 TBS sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch square baking pan and line with baking paper leaving an overhang to lift the baked cake out with.
- Whisk ¾ cup (150g) of the sugar and eggs together in a bowl until pale and light. Add the buttermilk, oil, vanilla, coconut extract (if using) and salt. Whisk well to emulsify.
- Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add to the batter along with the almond flour, and the ½ cup (40g) of coconut. Whisk together until everything is well combined. Pour into the prepared baking tin.
- Scatter the halved cherries on top evenly. Sprinkle with the 1 TBS of coconut and the sliced almonds, along with the remaining 1 ½ tsp sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until risen, puffed and golden brown. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack before lifting out to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to two days.
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