Scones

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Once again we owe thanks to Anna Welander of Uppsala, Sweden for
passing this along:

Excuses for Not Eating Your Brussels Sprouts

9. You've just lost too much skin trying to grate them into coleslaw.

8. "I'm saving room for another helping of haggis and monkey brain
stew."

7. They just keep rolling off my plate onto the floor... whenever I
raise the table to more than 30 degrees.

6. "I can't afford to, not now when I'm so close to my goal of having
all of the arteries in my body completely clogged."

5. "Mom, I just saw this movie called 'Invasion of the Pod People',
and I think I've figured out where my little sister came from."

4. They are clearly intended to serve not as food but rather as some
sort of horrible practical joke.

3. Brussel told me not to, and they *are* his sprouts.

2. It's not Tuesday.

And the #1 Excuse for Not Eating Your Brussels Sprouts:

1. "Unless they're wrapped in cream cheese, breaded, deep fried and
dipped in sauce, it really isn't worth it."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Scones are such a traditional tea-time fixture that it's hard to
imagine a proper English tea without them. I don't need to tell you
what a scone is, but based on messages I have received from my
readers, maybe I should explain a little more about the various forms
this light meal has assumed in England.

According to legend, the whole afternoon tea thing began around 1830*
when a certain Anna, Duchess of Bedford was feeling a bit peckish one
late afternoon. She ordered her servants to bring her a pot of tea
with some bread and jam to tide her over until dinner. She enjoyed
this afternoon snack so much that she began inviting her friends over
to join her, and so a new meal was born.

(*Some people think the tradition might date back a lot further than
1830. See
http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/news_features/2004/tavistock_cream_tea.shtml )

Today the typical afternoon tea includes a pot of tea accompanied by
several small sweet and savory bites. These can include tea
sandwiches, cakes and petit fours, biscuits (cookies to Americans),
and various other baked goods, almost always including scones.

Many Americans mistakenly refer to afternoon tea (which is usually
taken between 3:00 and 5:00 PM) as high tea, but high tea is something
different. It is taken later in the day (usually after 5:00) and
includes meat and fish dishes as well as the compulsory pot of tea,
sweet cakes, and scones. In spite of its lofty name (the "high" might
refer to the fact that it was often eaten at the high table in the
kitchen or pantry rather than the lower table in the dining room), the
high tea is really a light dinner and traditionally was enjoyed by the
middle and working classes rather than the aristocracy.

In the area surrounding Devon in the southwestern part of England, the
Devon cream tea (or just cream tea) has taken on the status of an
unofficial "national dish" of the region. In its simplest form it
consists of a pot of tea and scones topped with clotted cream and
strawberry jam (please see tomorrow's edition for more on these), but
it is not unusual to find tea sandwiches and small sweets served at a
cream tea as well.

So, regardless of whether you are serving afternoon tea, cream tea, or
high tea, there should be room at your table for a scone or two. Below
are some recipes for both sweet and savory variations to choose from.

Scones

Basic Tea Scones

1 Tbs (15 ml) softened butter
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) self-rising flour
1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
3 Tbs (43 ml) lard or butter, cut into 1/4-inch (5 mm)
bits and thoroughly chilled
1 egg
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) dried currants (optional)

Grease a large baking sheet with the butter and set aside. In a large
chilled mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt and lard. Rub the
flour and lard together with your fingertips until the mixture looks
like flakes of coarse meal. Beat the egg until it froths and set 1
tablespoon (15 ml) of it aside in a small dish. Beat the milk into
the remaining egg and add to the flour mixture (along with the
currants, if used). Mix gently until the dough can be made into a
ball. On a lightly flowered surface roll the dough, handling it as
little as possible, to 1/4 inch (5 mm) thickness. Using a cookie
cutter or rim of a glass, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) rounds. Re-roll and
do the same with the scraps. Place rounds about 1 inch (3 cm) apart
on the baking sheet and brush lightly with the reserved beaten egg.
Bake in the middle of a preheated 400F (200C) oven for about 15
minutes, or until light golden brown. Best served immediately. Makes
about 12 scones.

Date Scones

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
2 1/2 tsp (12.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 (1 ml) tsp salt
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter
1 cup (250 ml) dates, chopped
2/3 cup (160 ml) milk

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and cut in the butter
using a fork. Add the milk to make a soft dough, kneading slightly.
Roll out half the dough 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Spread with the dates
and cover with the remaining dough. Roll up, then roll out to a
square 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut in squares, then in triangles.
Brush top with melted butter and bake in oven on cold tray for 10
minutes at 450F (230C).

Dried Cherry Scones

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (80 ml) sugar
1 1/2 tsp (7 ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda
6 Tbs (90 ml) chilled butter cut into small pieces
2/3 cup (160 ml) dried sour cherries
1/2 cup (125 ml) buttermilk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 egg

Sift the dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl. Cut the
butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or the tines of a
fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the remaining
ingredients to form a soft dough, mixing as little as possible. Pat
the dough into an 8-inch (20 cm) circle on an ungreased baking sheet.
Cut into 8 wedges using a serrated knife. Bake in a preheated 400F
(200C) oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the
center of one of the scones comes out clean. Cool slightly before
serving. Makes 8 scones.

Cheddar Cheese Scones

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs (15 ml) baking powder
1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dry mustard
3 Tbs (45 ml) butter at room temperature, cut
into small pieces
3 oz (80 g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and cut in the butter
using a fork. Add the cheese, stirring just enough to incorporate.
Beat the egg and milk together and add to the flour mixture, stirring
as little as possible. Turn out onto a floured surface and pat down
to a thickness of about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm). Cut into 2-inch (5 cm)
rounds and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425 (220C)
oven for 13 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Makes about 12 scones.
Received on Tue May 17 09:23:44 2005