STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

i don't think i have any recipes for you but i like the simple idea of traditional tea and scones with jam and clotted cream. i also like the tea sandwich idea... i have a handful of ideas/recipes for the sandwiches and i've made several kinds in the past (not sure how traditional english some of them are though)

my son (just turned 4) loves the whole tea and scones treat without much alteration. if this little girl has half the sophisticated palette that my son does i don't think you should have to make many special arrangements for her. i usually make plain black breakfast tea and sweeten it with a bit of sugar or honey for him and then make myself whichever tea i feel like having. he loves the scones plain or with the cream. i also serve him his tea in a little cappucino cup vs. a big person sized cup and add 1/2 an ice cube to make it the perfect sipping temperature.

gee thanks. now i feel like whipping up some of my favorite cherry-almond scones! to the kitchen...

-- Edited by hotcocoa at 10:30, 2006-12-18

you can get the clotted cream at whole foods. i think it's called "devonshire cream" on the label. it's sooooo freakin' good!

i will type up the scone recipe and post it in a bit...

ok, d. here it is. enjoy!

Cherry Almond Scones

oven: 400°
makes 24

notes: you can substitute any dried fruit for the cherries. extra dough can be frozen.

ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp grated nutmeg
12 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried cherries

for tops:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
coarse sanding sugar or raw turbinado sugar

directions:
Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, chopped almonds, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and grated nutmeg (all the dry ingredients) Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Whisk together heavy cream and eggs. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Add this mixture to the flour mixture along with the cherries; using a rubber spatula, fold in, working in all directions and incorporating crumbs at the bottom of the bowl, until the dough just comes together.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press and pat dough into desired shape. For triangles, form a circle about 1 inch thick and then cut into wedges with a sharp knife or pastry wheel. For squares, form a large rectangle and cut into squares. For circles, use a floured cookie cutter to cut into rounds.

Place cut shapes about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets; cover with plastic wrap and freeze until the dough is very firm, at least one hour. (At this point you can freeze the unbaked scones in a resealable plastic bag until ready to bake, up to 3 weeks)

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk with the cream; brush over tops of scones and spinkle generously with sanding sugar. Bake until the tops are golden, about 18-22 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

yum!

silly q- but how do you make your cucumber sandwiches?  Is mayonnaise a must? (I hate it.)

D- Try putting a dab of marmite in your cucumber sandwiches. It is extremely salty so eliminate the salt in the recipe.  You only need about 1/8 tsp or less but it gives the cream cheese a great flavor. You can get this at Whole Foods as well. 

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/marmite.htm#whatis