The Second Sitting at the Big Fat Scones Tea Party – Tea Time Treats – Scones – March 2012

An Invitation to a VERY Large Tea Time Treats Table!

Scones & the March Recipe Round-Up

And it’s time for Part Two, the second sitting of the

Tea Time Treats monthly round-up of SCONES:

Tea Time Treats – Scones – March 2012

The Second Sitting:

(Part one and the First Sitting is here: Part One Scones Round Up)

I am pleased to see that my first guest at the tea-table in part two of Scones, is Ros from The more than occasional baker and she has brought a fabulous fresh batch of my favourites, Cheese Scones……and I was astounded to hear that Ros had never baked scones before!  As it was her  first time, she didn’t want to start experimenting with flavours so she stuck to a simple cheese scone……which, is fine by me! Ros used a recipe that was adapted from McDougalls better baker’s guide, and I think she did REALLY well considering she had never made them before.

Miss Cake Baker from WHAT I BAKED THIS WEEKEND was next, and I LOVED her scones recipe, which were Apple & Walnut Scones. The best scones she had ever eaten were apple ones that were served at Claridge’s, and was this  gluttonous memory that inspired her to look for some apple scone recipes that were similar…..and she came across this one on the Baking Mad website and served them with a blackberry compote. ….LOVELY, thanks for your super entry!

Laura may love cakes, as her blog is called Laura Loves Cakes, but her scones are pretty amazing too.  Laura was also very pleased that the challenge was Scones for March,  as they are one of her all time favourite things…….just give her an afternoon tea with jam, clotted cream and a cuppa and she’ll be happy, she says, I agree! I really loved her entry, she made the most delectable sounding Crunchy Citrus Ricotta Scones with lemon curd on the side…….how decadent is that, I could eat a whole plate of these Laura!

Who likes Crystallised Stem Ginger? I do! And especially when added to scones with treacle, and just look at  Cake, Crumbs and Cooking‘s fabulous entry, Crystallised Stem Ginger and Treacle Scones. As C’s regular readers know, she does love a good scone – light or substantial, fruited or plain, served with butter, jam, clotted cream, or all of these, or even on their own…..I am with you all the way there. One of her favourite flavours is ginger, and when black treacle and ginger are a combination, she thinks it is a combination that is made in heaven.  After seeing her scones, I totally agree.

I LOVE chutney, making it and eating it, and Roswen’s  (from Roswensian) entry was another favourite of mine as she baked Cheese Scones with Simple Tomato Chutney. She searched the internet for a “healthy” recipe and found a Paul Hollywood recipe on the BBC website for Wholemeal ones, she combined this with the flavours from a recipe she’d tried last year by Gastro Geek, substituted the dairy products for lower fat varieties and this is what she came up with. Each scone is worth 5 Weight Watchers points, not too saintly but not too sinful either……YES, I like it, I CAN have my scones and eat them!

We have a boozy scone next, a fabulous idea and thanks to clever Lucy from The Kitchen Maid for bringing along a batch of her Bloody Mary Scones…..Lucy got the idea for her Bloody Mary Scones whilst she was flying, and here is a short excerpt from her post….”It also reminded me of the times when I used to fly a lot and how much I looked forward to asking the hostie for a Bloody Mary. I never really went in for alcohol at altitude, but a nicely spiced Bloody Mary was my treat to myself – a signal that good times were about to begin. Strange really, because I never drank them on the ground. Anyway, those days have long gone, but as I sat and watched the clouds flutter past I had an idea. And this is the result“….Lucy says these are ravishing, and I HAVE to agree!

Who loves Marmite? I DO! But I know lots of people who hate it, in that case, look away now and the next entry are some fabulous (for Marmite lovers that is!) Marmite and Red Onion Scones from Dawn of  Wild About Baking . Dawn’s recipe is one that she cut out of the Guardian newspaper and stuck into her growing/bulging baking recipe binder a friend bought her for her birthday. Dawn says that the March Scones challenge was a perfect excuse to try them out, and you can find the recipe on-line here. Dawn ends by saying….”So, do you think you would Love ‘em or hate ‘em… tell me your thoughts”…Dawn, I LOVE ‘EM!

I am wild about cherries in baking and I was REALLY pleased to see that my good twitter and Yorkshire friend, Foodie Bob baked a fabulous batch of Cherry Scones for the next entry! Bob says that for a while now he’s been looking for the perfect scone recipe. It should be light, well risen (but not toweringly tall), slightly crumbly inside, nicely browned and above all taste delicious!
It shouldn’t be to “cakey” inside and it doesn’t have to be perfectly formed with dead straight sides. Scones should be rustic and slightly misshapen, they should look like they were made by hand, not in a factory. I could NOT agree more Bob, and I think your scones tick all the boxes above, they look wonderful. Your scones look so good that I have bookmarked your recipe, thanks for entering!

Still keeping the scones on a fruity note, we have some LOVELY Blueberry Streusel Scones next……baked especially for Tea Time Treats by Maggie of Kitchen Delights. This is Maggie’s fist entry into Tea Time Treats and I hope it’s not her last, as her blog and her baking recipes look fabulous. Maggie says that when these scones are reheated in the microwave, they become perfectly fluffy, and the cinnamon infused streusel topping remains beautifully crunchy. She also says that they freeze well and that a  little blueberry jam would be a great topping, I agree that would be fabulous!

The lovely Vanestha from Bangers & Mash was next, I LOVE anything that Vanestha bakes or cooks and she did not disappoint with this  AMAZING scone recipe for Pistachio & Black Pepper scones. Vanestha made these scones for her mum on Mother’s Day, unfortunately her mum lives in Spain, so she sent her mum the photos to her, with love and the promise that she’d make them for her the next time she was over……..ah, that’s a lovely promise Vanestha!  Vanestha says that dainty little pistachio scones are seasoned with lots of black pepper for a slightly spicy, slightly Asian taste, which she feels would be like part of a tea time spread enjoyed by the old colonials back in the days of the Raj. The pepper works particularly well with strawberry jam too……

Sharon from Smithycraft was next, and one of Sharon’s ingredients for her scones was my favourite spring herb, Wild Garlic; this was Sharon’s first entry into a Tea Time Treats challenge, and her scone recipe nearly sent me wild! She made the most delicious sounding Wild Garlic and Goat’s Cheese Scones. She then served her wild garlic and goat’s cheese scones, with her own home-made chilli jam……..oh YES!  Sharon was pleased to report that they were very soft and packed with flavour from the garlic leaves. Oh yes, if you like hats, as I do, you MUST check Sharon’s blog out!

CHOCOLATE at last! And who would make chocolate scones? Well Choclette of Chocolate Log Blogof course! Choclette made some divine sounding White Chocolate Scones for the challenge and this is what she had to say about her dainty bakes……“The scones were light, just the right side of sweet and tasted delicious with a slight flavour of vanilla and white chocolate. They were soft on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside and were just as good on day two as on day one. I shall definitely be making these again. Topped with jam and cream and a nice pot of tea, they really hit the spot mid-afternoon. Although, actually, they were also rather good with passionfruit curd – more on that later“…..YOU WILL remember to invite me next time won’t you?

Lucy from Vanilla Frost was next to arrive with her DELICIOUS Parmesan & Walnut Scones AND Rock Buns! TWO entries into Tea Time Treats, one savoury and one sweet – fabulous!  Lucy’s plan had been to make some blue cheese and walnut scones, using some Exmoor Blue cheese, but she ate all the cheese so used Parmesan instead! LOL! I love it!

She then baked a few other bits and pieces, all in order to use her Cath Kidston cake stand to turn them into an afternoon tea display, Unfortunately it was only her and the cat at home, so she took it down in the end…..you should have asked me to come along Lucy!

My lovely friend Janice from Farmersgirl was next at the tea party, and she made some delightful Gluten Free Irish Scones just in time for St Patrick’s Day. Janice made her scones from a Scone Mix! I have never seen or used a scone mix before, but Janice said that they rose beautifully and were light and tasted good.  Not quite the usual scone taste she said but her MIL approved and pronounced them ‘frush’ which means they crumble but are not dry!  Thanks Janice, and interesting entry and LOVELY photos too!

Who likes the sound of little scones with feta, sundried tomato and caramelised balsamic onion? I DO! And this was the lovely entry from Fleur of Homemade By Fleur. Fleur’s post was entitled The Crazy Scone Challenge as she had 40 minutes to make her scones before launching herself into a BUSY round of housework and shopping! She says that these scones are perfect for snack time, picnics (can’t wait now that the weather is improving) jazzing up your lunch and can even be made as little canapés served with chilli jam maybe?  They freeze well and can be defrosted and warmed up in a jiffy by using the microwave. They look lovely thanks Fleur!

Nelly from Nelly’s Cup Cakes was next, my lovely twitter chum and baker of all things sweet and delectable! Nelly made some GORGEOUS Cinnamon Swirl Scones, a roll and cut scone recipe, and one method in scone baking that I love and use often. Nelly have been been wanting to try making cinnamon swirls/buns forever, and then she had a light bulb moment, why not make cinnamon swirl scones! She  followed a basic BBC recipe for the scone mixture itself and turned to her trusty kitchen aid to do most of the work…..and the results as you can see are FAB!

Next to bake scones was from one of my favourite blogs, Fish fingers For Tea and the lovely Sian. There were NO fish fingers for tea this time but some lovely Gammon and Red Onion Scones though. A light and fluffy scone, studded with chunks of gammon and slices of soft red onion seemed like just the thing for a cold and foggy day Sian says in her post , plus great with soup and practically a sandwich in itself. Sian had actually forgotten how easy it is to knock up a batch of scones, and in half an hour from start to finish, she had them made,  even the toddler looked impressed she said!

Another favourite twitter chum is up next, Gary from Exploits of a Food Nutcame with some brilliant looking and classic Fruit Scones. Gary had been been slightly addicted to scones recently, not those chewy cloying, bicarb ridden failures you get in supermarkets he says, but proper homemade, fresh out of the oven, lighter than air scones. And these little beauties were the third batch he’d eaten in two weeks; he wasn’t going to blog them but then  found out that Marche’s tea time treats challenge by Karen and Kate was scones so he thought why not…….why not indeed Gary, and I am so pleased you entered them as I LOVE a classic fruit scone.

It seems that all my Twitter & Blogging friends arrived at the same time, as Laura from How to cook good foodis next….and she baked SOME LOVELY looking Caramelised Apple & Cinnamon Scones…….they just sound and look fabulous! I shared this quote in my comment on her blog post and I have to share it again here too.…..Laura says…..” Scones hot from the oven were also part of our morning scoffing ritual”….. from when she worked in as a teenager in the 80′s at The Maids of Honour in Kew Gardens…..LOL! Love it! Thanks SO much for entering Tea Time Treats and for such an inventive recipe too!

At last, some Biscuits, the North American version of  scones, and it was Tango from Tango Like Raindrop that brought her Baking Powder Biscuits to the tea table.  This is what Tango has to say about her biscuits:….“Where I grew up on the East coast of Canada scones were called biscuits. This is a Cape Breton recipe I have been whipping up ever since I started dabbling with baking around the age 12. Now, in Scotland, I’ve taught my daughter, aged 5, how to make them and she certainly has the magic touch with her small hands. Her scones turn out light, fluffy and deliciously perfect every time. They are quick and easy to make taking only 5 minutes to prepare and 9 minutes to cook. A wonderful addition to any soup especially served warm, Cape Breton style, with lashings of sticky black strap molasses and a thick slice of sharp cheddar cheese. They are also excellent as a snack the next day, cold, with DIY butter; true comfort food“……I LOVE to read about people’s food memories and this was a lovely post.

My LOVELY chum from across the pond Lauren from The Past on a Plate was next, and also another one of my favourite blogs, as we share a love of history and traditional feasts and festivals. Lauren made some GORGEOUS Rosemary Cream Scones, and they looked and sounded just divine. Lauren’s theme was based on Death of a Ghost begins which begins with a yearly art show in an Anglo-Italian household (“Little Venice”). There’s a brutal murder in the dark with a pair of scissors and the matriarch of the family, Belle Lafcadio, calls on amateur sleuth Albert Campion for help. As many of the scenes take place around the tea table, she thought this was the perfect book to accompany Tea Time Treats. theme of scones, and made hers with rosemary to make an Anglo-Italian Tea Time Treat. FABULOUS thanks Lauren.

Fancy something spicy? Well, the lovely Corina, from Searching for Spice is your girl and she made some lovely spiced Apple, Sultana and Cinnamon Scones for the Tea Time Treats table this month. Corina loves cinnamon in cakes and desserts and, it is wonderful with both apple and sultanas she says, I totally agree and your scones look amazing thanks Corina! She says that these are best served warm with a little melted butter or with a little raspberry jam and a dollop of natural yoghurt.

I LOVED this next entry, it was just so fascinating and interesting; Emma from Souperior made HOME-MADE butter to accompany her scones for the Tea Time Treats challenge!  Emma says….”You’ve never made your own butter? Oh daaaarlink, you simply must – it’s so easy!  I was amazed recently by how many people reacted with surprise when I said you could make your own butter in just 5 minutes, using nothing more than an electric mixer and some double cream. In fact, you don’t even need the electric mixer – if you cast your mind way back you might even recall making it in a jam jar at primary school. But unless you still have the boundless energy of a 7-year-old, or the arm muscles and equipment of a 19th century dairy maid, I strongly recommend using the electric mixer”…….I am off to flex my muscles and make butter now thanks Emma!

Next we have a WONDERFUL entry from Claire and Under the Blue Gum Tree; Claire is a Brit abroad, and she lives in South Africa, which coincidently, is where I was born! This is her first entry into Tea Time Treats, and what a lovely entry it is…… Claire made some Sesame cheese scones with sweetcorn, chilli and spring onion and I JUST love all of the flavour combinations. Claire says that scones  such a quintessentially British thing and whenever she is back in the UK, a trip to a good old fashioned tea room for a scrumptious cream tea is always on the cards……it’s the same for me too Claire! I LOVE your entry and hope to see you every month!

Next we have a fellow Be-Ro cookbook lover! Jean from BAKING IN FRANGLAIS made some classic Victoria Scones from her new Be-Ro cookbook, the 41st edition. Like me, Jean is a Be-Ro cookbook collector and although this recipe appears in all of the old copies, she had never noticed it before, so lucky she saw them on the first page this time in the new edition! THANKS so much for entering these Royal scones into this month’s challenge! C’est parfait! Oh yes, have to share Jean’s parting quote with you all, as she was not a favourite pupil of her old Domestic Science teacher!! ….“I thought I heard a slight moan from the ghost of my old domestic science teacher as she disappeared over the rooftops on her broomstick, or maybe it was just my imagination !!  I wonder what Queen Victoria would have thought of them?”…..You have to read her post now to know what she meant!

It’s just a load of old cobblers, or is it? Well, NOT when the lovely Mari from Mari’s World makes Chicken & Vegetable Cobbler for her scone challenge, the ONLY cobbler to be entered too! Cobblers are usually savoury casseroles with a scone topping, so perfect for a High Tea entry this month.  THANKS Mari!

I LOVE this next entry, Sue from Not Just any old Baking Blogspot made some GORGEOUS looking Sweet Potato Scones. My LOVELY chum says….”I must be honest, scones are not my thing as a rule, I have never made a very well risen scone, and goodness knows I have tried (having had the most success with Ruth Clemens recipe). Yes I can make pastry, yes I can make cakes, but scones? No! I’m never sure why my scones are not too good either; my grandmother was a great scone maker (she always made them in rounds with a cross on the top, for cutting/ quartering purposes), mind you its just as well, she never baked anything else only scones!”…..Well, these look LUSH Sue and I love the colour too!

My lovely friend Ren from Fabulicious Food made my heart sing with her entry, she made some Lemonade Scones and then served them with my mum’s Lemon Curd which she had made a few days before. Ren says that it kind of went completely against tradition as she opted to make scones with a recipe for Lemonade Scones. You literally need three ingredients – self-raising flour, lemonade and double cream, and she was so intrigued by this recipe, that she had to try it. She made her lemonade scones from a recipe HERE.  I was intrigued to see how they turned out too, so was interested to hear Ren say that ….“Next time, I would add 75g caster sugar and the grated zest of one lemon, too”….THANKS so much for your entry Ren and for extolling the virtues of Mum’s Lemon Curd!

We have another DOUBLE post next, I was so pleased to see so many people making more than one batch of scones for the challenge…..and Kirsten from Kitchen of Kiki  made two DELICIOUS batches of scones, one sweet and one savoury - Spicy Scones with dried fruits

and Scones with Blue cheese and walnuts. THANKS so much Kirsten for your double entry, I LOVE the ingredients you used in BOTH recipes.

And lastly, but by NO MEANS least, I was delighted to see  that Natalie aka  Hungry Hinnyhad baked some scones and served them the CORNISH way!  Natalie’s scones looked so LIGHT and FLUFFY too…….Classic scones – the Cornish way and faced with so many dilemmas, she eventually settled on this recipe from Jane Hornby, which sounded just right – self raising flour and baking powder, milk soured with lemon and butter. The only change she made was to reduce the sugar and omit the vanilla, as she didn’t  think scones should really be sweet – that’s what the jam’s for…..and the cream too, and I agree!

I leave you with a quote from Natalie….

…..”As far as I’m concerned, the only way to eat scones is with jam followed by clotted cream – not the other way round, and definitely not with jam and butter!”……

THAT’S it for the SECOND SITTING! Don’t forget that Kate is in the Tea Time Treats driving seat this month, and her challenge can be found here:

April Tea Time Treats

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR ENTRIES!