Garrett’s English Tea Scones
Anne, Duchess of Bedford, was one of Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting in the late 1830’s and early 1840’s. It’s Anne who is credited for “inventing” Afternoon Tea.
It was during these early days of Queen Victoria’s reign, that the time between lunch and dinner was widening. Anne began asking for tea and small cakes to be brought to her private quarters in mid-afternoon to stave off her hunger between meals.
It wasn’t long before she began inviting other ladies to her private tea in the hopes of learning the latest gossip, which of course she would share with the Queen. And the afternoon Tea with treats became a mainstay of English society.
The baker in our house is Garrett, who has a talent for breads. And his tea scones are no exception. They’re great with dinner, especially on the side of a bowl of Vickie’s Beast Stew.
Preparation Time: 30 min
Makes approx 16 scones
Ingredients:
- 2 c flour
- ½ tspn salt
- 1 tblspn baking powder
- 2 tblspn sugar
- 6 tblspn butter or margarine – at room temperature
- 1 c milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tab of butter for greasing the cookie sheets
You’ll need:
- Lightly Greased cooking sheets
- Rolling pin
- Pizza cutter
- Basting Brush
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425° F
- Melt a tab of butter and coat the baking sheets generously with a basting brush.
- In a mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) with a fork and mix thoroughly.
- Cut butter into mixture until the mix resembles course crumbs.
- Add 1 beaten egg and milk folding the wet ingredients into the dry flower until the dough clings together .
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed until you’ve created a dough ball.
- Using your hands, roll the dough ball into a loosely formed loaf. Then split the dough into 2 equal halves.
- Shape each half into a ball. Set one aside.
- With a rolling pin, flatten the smaller dough ball into a circle, to approximately ½ inch thick.
- Using the pizza cutter, slice each circle into 6 to 8 pie wedges.
- Place each wedge onto a cooking sheet; do not let sides touch.
- Take remaining egg and lightly beat it in a cup.
- Use the basting brush to paint the egg wash onto each wedge.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until brown
Alternatives:
- Mix in ½ to 1 cup of your favorite chopped fruit. Strawberries and blueberries are the most traditional for scones. Be cautious and gentle when you knead the dough.
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