Linderhof


Gardening, Cooking and Decorating on the Prairie of Kansas


Welcome to Linderhof, our 1920's home on the prairie, where there's usually something in the oven, flowers in the garden for tabletops and herbs in the garden for cooking. Where, when company comes, the teapot is always on and there are cookies and cakes to share in the larder.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Reprise -- Afternoon Tea Overlooking the Garden

An early post when I was a blogger "newbie" -- September 2008 -- almost two years ago! This was the first tea that I shared and it is still a favorite post.

My beloved blue and white sets the table (as it usually does) and there is good food to go with the freshly brewed tea.

It's Sunday which means that it's time to visit Chari at Happy to Design and see what other favorites there are this Sunday.




I love afternoon teas -- a habit that we adopted on our first trip to England where I fell in love with an English cream tea. It's still my favorite sort of tea -- scones, really good freshly baked ones, real Devonshire cream and strawbery jam. With a cup of real English tea -- either Typhoo or PG Tips and I am transported back to an olde English tearoom.

On a trip north I was able to snag some real Devonshire cream at a reasonable price and since I could not have a cream tea alone, I invited some friends to share tea with me.
My favorite scone receipt is not English but rather inspired from a favorite, Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. Made plain for this tea without any dried fruit or currants. It's easy to do in the mixer and makes the flakest scones ever. They're the best breakfast scone when you add dried fruit, nuts and orange peel.

Besides the best scones and real Devonshire cream, I also had homemade strawberry jam with big plumb pieces of strawberry in the jam.

We also enjoyed madelines, a favorite cookie especially at tea time. This one inspired by a magazine receipt for a lemon basil cupcake. I made my favorite madelines and added lemon peel and chopped basil to the batter rather than the rosemary and orange I do so often.

We enjoyed the afternoon with pots and pots of tea, eating scones, jam and cream and leaving only crumbs of the lemon basil madelines.

Afternoon Tea at Linderhof

Barefoot Contessa Scones
Real Devonshire Cream
Fresh Strawberry Jam
Lemon Basil Madelines

BAREFOOT CONTESSA SCONES

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 extra-large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk or water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine 4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, and salt in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add to the flour/butter mixture. Combine until just blended. The dough may be a bit sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough out to 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick. You will see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch cutter and then cut in half diagonally to make triangles. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the outsides are crisp and the insides are done.





13 comments:

From the Kitchen said...

Lovely! And very nice to see an early posting. I'm just celebrating my one year anniversary with a small giveaway. Your blog is one that has inspired me!

Best,
Bonnie

Bernideen said...

I love seeingand trying other scones recipes and will try this one!

Allie and Pattie said...

Lovely post! Does it feel like 2 years martha?? :)
xoxo Pattie

Lorrie said...

What a lovely way to spend an afternoon with a friend.

Sevenbeads said...

With a table and scones like yours, Afternoon Tea should be everyone's habit. I enjoy your blog.

Cherry Chick said...

Your table looks beautiful and your scones look yummy. My neighbor friend and I like to try new places for tea. I've never attempted to make scones before but I just might try your receipe.
Thanks for sharing with us on Sunday Favorites.

Chari at Happy To Design said...

Hi Martha...

Ohhh my...two years of blogging! That is a milestone in itself, my friend! I sooo enjoyed this post...your beloved blue dishes and all the yummy goodies that you talked about! Thank you for sharing the Ina Garten recipe for scones...it really does sound and look delicious!!! So happy to see you today for Sunday Favorites, my friend!!!

Have a wonderful weekend,
Chari @Happy To Design

Pondside said...

You do tea like no one else in blog land, Martha - and this post really was one of your best. The Great Dane won't know why he is lucky enough to have fresh scones tomorrow morning - a blog secret!

podso said...

Love it! And I also love PG Tips! Thanks for reposting this lovely tea.

lindaraxa said...

I loved your recipe for the Royal Crescent scones..Hmmm guess I'll have to try this one too, like today!

Diann @ The Thrifty Groove said...

Wonderful repost. I have never tried Devonshire cream and would like too. the recipe looks yummy!

Carla said...

I love tea and scones. And I love the Barefoot Contessa's scones (Ina Garten). Have you tried her Maple Oatmeal Scones? Oh my, they are so good.

You have a lovely blog. I will be visiting again soon!

Kind regards,
Carla

pve design said...

I need to make these! (and get cracking on your work of art!) Glad you are up and about.
pve