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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Cooking -> Tea and Scones
TEA AND SCONES-TRADITIONAL RECIPES
 The English method of tea is first to warm both the pot and the teacups.
While some tea experts suggest removing the teakettle for a minute after it has
just reached a boil. Englishwoman Maisie Pearson says, "absolutely
not." She likes to add one teaspoon of loose tea for each cup, plus one
teaspoon extra for the pot. Bring the pot to the kettle and fill with rapidly boiling water.
Allow the tea to steep to your liking. Pour milk and sugar into your cup, place
a tea strainer on your cup and pour the tea. Cream is never used.
Water for green tea is added just before the boil and the tea is steeped only
a few minutes. Steeping green tea as long as the black teas may make it bitter.
However, in the Japanese tea ceremony, the tea is frothed thick and foamy—decidedly
bitter. Since you drink only a small amount, and never in conversation, the
bitter taste contributes to the meditative nature of the ceremony.
TRADITIONAL SCONES
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
This recipe is adjusted for Front Range altitude.
- 1/2 cup of currants or golden raisins soaked in a glass of hot water until
plumped
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 4 cups of flour
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 8 tablespoons of butter (one stick)
- 1 3/4 cups milk, buttermilk, or half and half
- Drain water from currants or raisins
- Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add butter and blend unto the mixture feels like a coarse meal.
- Add milk or half-and-half and stir until it becomes a dough.
- Add raisins or currants. Do not over mix or the dough will toughen.
- Turn out onto a work surface and knead briefly. Allow the dough to rest for a
few minutes.
- Roll the dough out to about an inch in thickness with a rolling pin or
flatten the ball with your hand. Cut the wheel of dough into triangles. Cut them
all the way through the dough, but do not separate the wedges. Brush with egg
wash, which is one egg beaten. Sprinkle the top of the wheel with a tablespoon
of sugar.
- Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes; cut the wedges where
they are perforated.
Yield: 8 very large scones.
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