Tasting Spoons

My problem is: I love “afternoon tea.” It’s just so fun. And I love the food that is typical of such a tea. So it was that my friend, Cherrie, and I joined hostess forces and invited 10 of our friends to tea at my house last week. We started planning it a couple of months ago, and within about 5 minutes we’d decided on the menu and who would be invited. The date was set, invitations were mailed, and we both did an ample amount of cooking. Anyone who says doing an “afternoon tea” is easy is crazy. Even with both of us cooking and preparing the food, and with one of the guests helping an hour ahead and at hour after (thanks again, Joan), it was a tremendous amount of work. We made everything (except the fruit tarts) ourselves. I got to dig out all of my grandmother’s fancy frilly china plates and teacups and saucers. And used some beautiful pink hydrangeas from our garden as a centerpiece.

We had decided to do it at lunchtime, so we called it a “Luncheon Tea.” But the menu was typically English tea. We had:

Pink Champagne with Strawberry Puree Ice Cubes

(I didn’t take a photo of that – oh darn – but it was VERY pretty and

everybody loved it – no recipe for this one)

Watermelon Blueberry Soup

(delicious – just delicious – most people liked it, although not all)

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

(different, with chopped smoked almonds on the outside edges)

Ham Mousse Sandwiches

(very different – with whipped cream in the filling)

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches with Dill

(just buttered bread, smoked salmon and fresh dill peeking out of the edges –

no recipe for this one as it’s so easy)

Mini Fruit Tarts

(the only thing we purchased)

Sarah’s Ginger Scones

(uses candied ginger pieces in the batter)

Golden Raisin Scones

(my tried and true favorite, posted long ago)

Chocolate Scones

(posted recently, also well liked)

(All of the scones were served with lemon curd, clotted cream and black currant jam)

Chocolate Ribbon Dessert

(like a chocolate pie but in a 9×13 pan, cut into small squares)

Earl Grey Tea

Lemon Rose Tea (herbal, from Peet’s)

Marco Polo Tea (a blend from Mariage Freres in Paris)

(from when I was there 2 years ago, and this was the hands-down favorite)

In the next week I’ll likely post most of these recipes. The only one I’m missing is the ham mousse (from a cooking class Cherrie and I attended), but Cherrie has it and I’ll get it from her.

The ginger scones are Sarah’s recipe – from a cooking class in San Juan Capistrano. Sarah is from Scotland, and over the years we enjoyed several of her family favorites on the cooking school menu. These are easy to make, and I decided to do something totally different – I made the scones and froze them all raw the day before the tea. Gosh, why didn’t I do this years ago? All you have to do is take them out of the freezer about 20 minutes ahead of baking (when you turn on the oven) and increase the baking time by a few minutes (maybe 5 or so). I may never, ever, make them fresh again – just pop one or two out of the freezer when I want them for breakfast. Or a bunch when I need to serve something for my DH’s Bible Study Group. Of course, they won’t keep indefinitely in the freezer, but will likely be fine for a couple of months!

Sarah’s Ginger Scones

Recipe By: Sarah at Our House South County cooking school

Serving Size: 12 (maybe 14)

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter — cold, cut in tiny bits

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup candied ginger — chopped, or more if desired (also called crystallized ginger)

1 whole egg

1 teaspoon sugar — for top glaze

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F.

2.  Prepare silpat (or parchment) lined baking sheet (one large or two smaller ones).  In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add butter and blend with a pastry cutter, or work the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips.  Do this until it forms fine crumbs.  (Alternately, use a pastry blender and cut and mix until the mixture is like fine crumbs.) Add the candied ginger and combine uniformly.  Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until it comes together and forms a dough.

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about one minute.  Roll out to thickness desired (about 3/4 inch is best).  Use biscuit cutter to cut rounds.  Pat together the scraps and reroll to cut more.  Place scones on the baking sheet and brush tops with egg mixed with the sugar.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden on top.  Serve immediately. These may also be frozen raw. Defrost at room temp for 20 minutes and bake about an additional 5 minutes.

Serving Ideas: Be SURE to serve with clotted cream (Devon cream) and ginger preserves.

Per Serving: 271 Calories; 9g Fat (29.3% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 40mg Cholesterol; 467mg Sodium.

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