Kate’s scones sell out quickly, so arrive early on National Scone Day. When Kate’s scones run out, you’ll be forced to eat scones baked by me.
Here’s how I make scones. Generously grease and flour a cookie sheet or cut parchment paper to fit.
Combine 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Add 1 tablespoon of room temperature butter and mix with your fingers until the mixture has a sandy texture like fine breadcrumbs.
Add 1/3 cup milk to the dry ingredients. Use your fingers to mix the dough until all the lumps are gone. The dough will be quite sticky.
Place the dough on a well-floured surface. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough and knead 2 or 3 times to coat it with flour. Shape the dough into a 1-inch thick round.
Use a well-floured cookie cutter or glass to cut the dough into 1½-2 inch circles. Place the rounds on the cookie sheet. Combine the scraps to form rounds. You should have 4 or perhaps 5 scones.
Break an egg in a bowl and brush the tops of the rounds. Bake at 425 for around 15 minutes.
Kate Currie’s scone recipe is different than mine. For her recipe, I refer you to the cookbook she authored “True Food,” available at MOON Co-op.
As for the tea, three basic types are commonly available: black, green, and herbal. Black and green tea leaves are harvested from the same shrub, which is called camellia sinensis.
Black tea is the traditional hearty British breakfast beverage, typically a blend of leaves from India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka. Earl Grey is black tea infused with oil of a small citrus called bergamot orange.
Green tea has a more delicate flavor than black tea. Chinese and Japanese teas are typically green. Jasmine is green tea flavored with jasmine blossoms.
Herbal teas come from a wide variety of sources. Rooibos is a legume grown in South Africa. Chamomile is brewed from daisy-like plants. Mint teas can be made from peppermint or spearmint leaves.
For each cup of tea, place 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in the teapot’s strainer, or directly in the pot if there is no strainer. Pour boiling water over the leaves and steep for 5 minutes.
I hope to see you on the morning of May 30 at MOON Co-op for National Scone Day.
Locally baked scones and Fair Trade loose tea are available at MOON Co-op, Oxford’s consumer-owned full-service grocery, featuring natural, local, organic, sustainable, and Earth-friendly products. The store, located at 516 S. Locust St. in Oxford, is open to the public every day. Visit it online at www.mooncoop.coop.
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