There are days (a lot of them) when you run around New York City, you dodge other people on the street all day, and then squeeze onto a crowded subway train at rush hour, bobbing and weaving in the hopes of finding a seat, or at the very least a little space where there are no elbows at eye level. We all do this happily, of course, because it gives us something to kvetch about. And it is part of what makes up the great energy of the city, but it’s also exhausting and therefore it’s very necessary to develop little rituals that make you feel civilized again. Which means you should bake scones. Because there is nothing more civilized than tea time.
These scones are made with Prince of Wales tea. His mama would approve, I think. Although actually, other than sharing his title, this tea has nothing to do with Prince Charles. It was marketed in the 1920′s as the personal blend of Edward, Prince of Wales, who later became the very short-reigned King Edward VIII. Be that as it may, it was devised specifically as an afternoon tea to be enjoyed with scones, because of it’s mild flavor, so it seemed a natural thing to bake it into these, as an alternative to the rather ubiquitous Earl Grey.
Like the tea, the scones have quite an earthy flavor. They taste like tea, rather than bergamot or other flavorings, which we thought paired very well with the fruitiness of the jams we tried (especially the batch of pumpkin ginger we brought back from Prince Edward Island last summer).
The recipe makes about 16 scones, and they freeze well. We’ve been thawing and toasting them for breakfast. They don’t keep you full for very long (sugary breakfast never does, does it?), but luckily there’s a remedy for that: more scones (unless a certain fuzzy scone thief gets to them first)!
Prince of Wales Cranberry Scones
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tblsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tblsp. Prince of Wales tea, finely ground
4 oz. (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup maple sugar (white will do if that’s what you have)
1 cup milk
2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups boiling water
Put the cranberries in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and ground tea leaves.
Cut the butter into small pieces and work it into the flour by rubbing it between your hands.
Drain the cranberries and add them, and the milk, to your bowl. Use a fork to gently work everything into a dough. Don’t overmix.
When it starts to come together, give it a couple of turns, kneading with your hands, to form a ball.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 425°F.
Flour your work surface and roll out the dough 3/4″ thick. Use a scalloped cookie cutter to cut the scones.
Line a sheet pan with parchment. Bake the scones for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms and edges start to brown.
Serve warm with clotted cream or butter, and jam.
YUM!