I had the privilege of teaching a Tea and Scones class very recently.
It was a delightful afternoon, full of a tea tasting, a lesson on the brilliant leaves (black, green, oolong, and white), a brief history of “the scone,” and some noshing on our own lovely homemade biscuits. I treated my guests to some homemade Easy Lemon Curd and Simple Clotted Cream to go along with their handmade baked goods.
The last time I made the Easy Lemon Curd, I bowed down in front of the microwave. This time, however, I chose to whisk over the stovetop and add a touch more of everything.
Easy Lemon Curd
1 cup white sugar
juice and zest of 3 large lemons
8 Tbs. butter, melted
3 large eggs
Whisk together all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Continue whisking for 15 to 20 minutes, until thick and the mixture can coat the back of a spoon.
Transfer to a jar – or several small jars – and allow to cool and set. Serve a dollop or two atop delicious homemade scones.
“The Scone”
“There are two ways to pronounce scone — ‘Skon’ and ‘Skoan.’ Scones are believed to have originated in Scotland and are closely related to the griddle-baked flatbread known as bannock. They were first made with oats, shaped into a large round, scored into four to six triangles, and cooked on a griddle either over an open fire or on top of the stove.
“The origin of the name ‘scone’ is just as unclear as where it came from.
“Some say the name comes from where the Kings of Scotland were crowned, the Stone (Scone) of Destiny.
“Others believe the name is derived from the Dutch word ‘schoonbrot,’ meaning fine white bread, or from the German word ‘sconbrot,’ meaning ‘fine or beautiful bread.’
“Still others say it comes from the Gaelic ‘sgonn,’ a shapeless mass — or large mouthful.”
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Drizzle the vanilla and cream over the dry ingredients, gently stirring just enough to create a cohesive dough.
Lightly flour a clean work surface and divide the dough in half, creating 3/4″ depth disc out of each. Sprinkle each disc with coarse sugar, if desired. Slice each disc into 4-6 wedges, pulling apart and leaving about 1″ of space between each sectioned wedge.
Chill the scones for 15 minutes before baking in the preheated oven, on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with Easy Lemon Curd and Simple Clotted Cream.
