Buttery Scones for Afternoon Tea

There is something about afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is definitely designed for the Missy. It is considered to be a ladies social occasion. I could imagine myself sipping chamomile tea from floral English tea cups and sliding finger sized pastries off the tier-plates with my girl friends on weekday afternoon, catching up on the good old times. Here in Singapore, we commonly know that afternoon tea as high tea. Unfortunately, Singaporeans have got it all wrong. The luxurious afternoon tea is traditionally known as low tea: tea served with dainty food on low tables at mid afternoon. On contrary, high tea is traditionally for the working class. It is a meal of meat and other heavy food served on high table after work. 

So bring out the scones and let's have some low tea! 

Remember, scones are not supposed to be hard and dry. Good scones are buttery, light and tender. I like my scones warmed, glazed or served with jam or whipped butter. It is not easy to find good scones here. At least, I haven't. That is why I made these today. So now you know where to get the best scones? @ weekend kitchenette!

I learnt this marvellous recipe while I was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from a wonderful neighbour who was learning to be a pastry chef. She gave up her regular job to pursue her passion in the Cordon Bleu, Boston. She shared that her dream was to set up her own bakery in her home town in Utah. Interestingly, she was also my kickboxing instructor then. 

The tip to tender scones lies on the amount of mixing. The more you mix, the tougher it gets. So perhaps that explains why commercially made scones are like stones. Simply because they are machined mixed.  

Recipe (makes 8 pieces) 
Ingredients:

• 2 cups Plain flour
• 1/4 cup Caster Sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup (113g) Unsalted Butter, cold
• 1 cup Whipping cream, cold
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Sugar to sprinkle

Steps:

1. Mix the dry ingredients together. 
2. Using a food processor, chop the butter with the dry ingredients until the butter is about the size of half a pea, coated with dry ingredients. 
3. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. 
4. Add the whipping cream. Mix lightly. 
5. Pat the dough into a disc shape on a table top. 
6. Cut the dough into 8 pieces. 
7. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. 
8. Bake the scones at 215 degree Celsius for 14 minutes or golden brown. 
9. Cool them on a cooling rack. 

Look at the soft in the inside and toasty on the outside!! Yums!