Sweet Bites

We have spent this week with you, our Chums, talking about the various aspects of tea, taking tea, having tea parties and heartfelt thoughts of those dear to us.  But we couldn’t finish out the week, or a tea party, without some Sweet Bites to eat.  For us any tea time wouldn’t be complete without some scones, lemon curd, raspberry or strawberry jam, and a lemon tea cake.
 These are the recipes we want to share with you to end up this week on a “sweet” note.  These scones and cake are simple to make and a treat for old and young alike.  This week when I made them to photograph the steps for today’s post, two of my four granddaughters, Sadie Rae and Evangeline, came in and saw the goodies and ended up on the stools in my kitchen enjoying a tea party.

Of course also there, but not seen in this photo, are their mothers, Sara and Amanda and me all enjoying our scones and tea.   As Sara said, “I wasn’t going to have any, but I just can’t pass up a scone when I see one.”    After you have tried these tasty morsels I’m guessing you won’t be able to pass them up either!

I have a special tea cookbook that my dear friend, Nancy Joy, (she also just happens to be Jackie’s cousin) gave me for Christmas many years ago.  It is called Having Tea.  It is full of lovely photos and great recipes for goodies that can make any tea party a delight.  One of my very favorites from the book is Mrs. Pettigrew’s Lemon Cake.  Often I tweak recipes after trying them to make them better to my taste.  Not this one.  It is perfect just the way it is….I think you’ll agree 🙂

So put the kettle on, mix up a batch of scones and lemon curd  and strawberry or raspberry jam, or whip up a lemon tea cake and call some chums, or your children and grandchildren, and make some memories….and by all means remember to celebrate
love,  joy and abundant living!

Mrs. Pettigrew’s Lemon Cake

2 lemons
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick salted butter
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup all purpose flour
6 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons sugar, for topping

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and line a 7 inch cake pan with parchment or waxed paper.  Grate the lemon rinds and set aside.  Combine the juice of one lemon with the 3 Tablespoons of sugar and set in a warm place until the sugar dissolves and forms a syrup in the juice.

Cream the butter and 3/4 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.   Stir in the grated lemon rind.

Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in flour and beat again thoroughly (the longer you beat the softer the cake).  Add the milk and beat again. Pour into prepared pan. (Licking beaters and fingers is mandatory if you have a little one at home 🙂

Bake for 1 hour, the cake should spring back when pressed gently in the center.  Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, prick the top with a long tined fork and pour lemon juice sugar syrup all over the top until completely covered.
Cool in the pan to allow the syrup to be soaked up and create a moist tangy cake.  Remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar and a garnish of sliced strawberry or thin slice of lemon and some fresh mint leaves.  Serve with lemon curd and whipped cream.

Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd recipes are all very similar.  It is always a mixture of lemon juice, butter, eggs and sugar.  You can play with these amounts to achieve the flavour that best suits your taste.  You can use less lemon juice, with the  result being a bit less tangy.  Less butter will make it less…well, buttery and more tart.  Less sugar will naturally make it less sweet.  Don’t cut down on the eggs or your curd won’t “set up” properly.  Since I like my lemon curd buttery, sweet, and very lemony these are the proportions I have come up with for what I think is  delicious lemon curd.

3 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup of sugar
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons
2/3 cup lemon juice

Beat the eggs into the melted butter. Stir in the sugar and beat thoroughly until combined.  Add lemon juice and rind and stir again.  Cook over a medium-low heat until the mixture is thickened, stirring constantly.  Let the mixture cool slightly and then pour into jars or serving bowl.  This can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week…if it lasts that long 🙂

Cream Scones
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2 cups flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg beaten
Approximately 1 cup heavy cream

Glaze for Scones
1 egg beaten with 2 Tablespoons of cream
1 Tablespoon sugar for sprinkling
Measure flour and add to it the sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing well.  Stir in the beaten egg and stir with a fork to move egg all around the flour mixture.  Flour mixture will now resemble coarse meal.
Stir in the cream.  The dough will begin to absorb the cream but will still look a little crumbly at this point.  In the bowl, knead the dough with your hand, about 10 turns, until it all comes together in a ball.  If the dough is still too dry add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it all comes together, but do not over moisten.  Roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.
 Use a 2″ biscuit or round cookie cutter to cut out scones.  I prefer this fluted cutter but a straight edged round also works very well.  It is important when cutting out scones that you cut out simply by pressing straight down.  Do NOT twist the cookie cutter after pressing because this seals the edges and does not allow the scone to rise properly when baked.  Use your fingers to loosen the dough from the cutter if it sticks.  Dipping the cutter in flour each time before pressing down on dough will help each scone release more easily.   Place scones on a cookie sheet close together but not touching. Brush with glaze.

Sprinkle with sugar.  Scones are now ready for the oven.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or just until golden brown.
Cool and serve with strawberry or raspberry jam, lemon curd and whipped or clotted cream.  Makes 12 scones.

Fresh Strawberry Freezer Jam
This is made with the same method as the raspberry freezer jam and is equally full of rich fruit flavour and deliciousness!

2 packages fresh strawberries (16oz. each) This will equal about 3 1/3 cups crush fruit
2 2/3 – 3 cups sugar
1/2 cup  Ball Real Fruit Instant Pectin
8 oz. jars

Rinse berries and remove the stems.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Mash the fruit with a potato masher, one package at a time.

Mix sugar and pectin together.  Add crushed fruit. Stir for 3 minutes.  Ladle into clean jars leaving about 1/4 inch at the top as the jam will expand when it freezes.  Allow jars to sit at room temperature for 24 hours.  Jam can be kept in the freezer for several months or in the refrigerator for about 1 month.

Makes about 6  jars – 1 cup each

So now Put the kettle on and brew your pot of tea,

make some tea sandwiches,
and finish off your tea party with some sweet bites…Enjoy!