Anglophilia: blueberry scones and Beefeater

Judge all you want for buying into the hype, but what better excuse for homemade scones than the royal nuptials?

 

 Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/3 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon 

1 large egg

6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk or cream (I used 1%)

1 cup blueberries (or chocolate chips or whatever your little heart desires)

extra milk & sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (side note: when I lived in Korea I was briefly miffed that my oven only went up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit... I later realized that it was [obviously] in degrees Celsius)

-Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt

-Cut butter into small pieces and cut into the dry ingredients using two knives (or a pasty blender) until mixture looks like crumbs. This part is a pain in the butt.

-Fold in blueberries (or chocolate chips or... whatever)

-In a cup, lightly beat egg and then combine vanilla and milk.

-Add liquid to the dry ingredients, stir until the dough comes together. *Don't go crazy on this step- if you over mix the dough, the scones will be tough* Oh, the science of baking!

-Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead about 5 times.

-Pat the dough... I made mini scones, so I made a circle about 10ish inches in diameter and an inch thick, but if you want to make large scones, go with about 7 inches and 1.5 inches thick

-Cut into triangles of desired size

-Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet

-Brush tops of scones with milk, sprinkle sugar

-Bake 18-22 minutes until lightly browned

Enjoy with Prince of Wales Tea or a morning mimosa and a fabulous hat.

Or a Beefeater cocktail. We won't judge. 

via

And always remember that...

http://katemiddletonforthewin.tumblr.com/

local spotlight: Thir-Tea-First Street Cafe and Tea Room (Baltimore)

Few things can get my engine running quite like a quality cup of tea or a ridiculous vintage hat.  When I suggested to my mom that we check out a tea room in Baltimore, I had no idea that I'd be getting both in one afternoon.  The Thir-Tea-First Street Cafe and Tea Room is located on the boundary between Charles Village and Waverly in a gorgeous Victorian that dates back to the 1890s.  We had the entire place to ourselves, as the shop was closed to walk-ins in preparation for a huge party the following day, and spent some time chatting up the owner, Ms. Washington, about her charming tea room.  She bought the house at auction and opened in 2001 (the year after we moved to the area- somehow it has taken us a decade to discover her!), the hats and silver tea service belonged to various aunts, the baking is done fresh and can be made to accommodate vegans (though she doesn't like to make scones without their proper ingredients), and, yes, she frequently hosts rehearsal dinners and even the occasional bachelor party (!!!). 

We ordered the five-course royal tea.  After choosing our teas (an herbal apple cranberry for mom, and an aromatic masala chai for myself), we started with fresh-from-the-oven scones and biscuits with a smattering of jams and artery hugging creme fraiche, Devonshire clotted cream, and lemon curd.  Naturally, we wanted to taste everything, and perhaps were a little too gung-ho going after the first course.  Had we known that we could take our leftover scones to-go, perhaps we would have exercised more restraint.  Perhaps.  Soup and salad followed, both delectable, and then onto the tea sandwiches.  Much as sushi is praised as an edible art, the tea sandwiches were gorgeously crafted and presented on a serving tray that was probably a lot of fun to thrift for.  Our brownie-sundae-in-a-martini-glass dessert was probably my least favorite course, but maybe that's just because I was already way past the unbuttoning my pants phase (had I been wearing pants).  Small cookies might have felt more appropriate, but as we were the only guests I suppose it would have been asking a lot to receive freshly baked cookies AND scones in one sitting.

And have I mentioned the vintage hats enough times yet?  I don't think I have.  The room that we occupied was home to dozens of hats, boas, and costume necklaces and brooches.  We had no trouble occupying the time, as we tried on hat after hat (almost a week later and no lice to speak of!) and admired the stained glass windows (the originals from when the house was built over a century ago) and charming decor.  I wish I had brought my camera, but had to make do with my mom's P&S.

The five-course royal tea will set you back $30 and about two hours.  It may seem a bit steep, but if you go with the right attitude and company, I can almost guarantee it will be an afternoon you won't soon forget.  There are also 3- ($25) and 1- ($20) course options, and according to an ancient review you might be able to stop in for a pot of tea and a scone or two for $10.  And while you are in the neighborhood, how about stopping by the Baltimore Museum of Art to take in the legendary Cone Collection for free?

I would love, love, love to go back with a group of girlfriends.  Any takers?