Happy Birthday Charles Dickens! It’s your 200th. And even though you lived long ago and wrote about what was happening back then, in the 19th century, what you had to say still seems fresh, new and relevant today.
You spoke out for social justice. You showed how unfairly balanced your society was between the haves and the have-nots. You wrote about how poor children were made to work and beg. And your stories portrayed how people can speak in high moral tones about “good values” and yet be mean-spirited and behave like brutes.
It rings true even now, in the 21st century.
I raise my tea cup to you.
And for anyone who loves the writings of Charles Dickens, here’s a recipe for scones to go with that tea, a fitting way to celebrate the birthday of the great English master storyteller.
Scones
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teasoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel
6 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel in a bowl. Add the butter in chunks and work into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Mix the egg and buttermilk together in a bowl. Pour into the flour mixture. Mix into a soft, uniform dough. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter. Place the circles on the cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the scones are browned and well risen. (You can also cut the dough in half, roll each half to 1/2-inch thickness and cut each into 6 wedges, for triangular shape scones). Makes about 12
Cutting for Scone
Still nannyless,two of my grandkids spent the day with me yesterday.
We baked scones. Lila wanted to make raisin scones. She became adept at cutting them and we had a delicious snack.
Here’s the recipe:
Raisin Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup raisins
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel in a bowl. Add the butter in chunks and work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins. In a small bowl, beat the egg and buttermilk together and pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft smooth dough forms. Roll or press the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until scones are lightly browned and well risen. Makes about 12
I just got a call to be “the entertainment” at a bridal shower cooking demonstration in a couple of months. That got me to thinking about suggesting a Tea. And that got me to thinking about spring.
Not that tea has anything to do with spring. In fact, one of the best “teas” I remember was when I was in London during the winter, on business there with my husband, and we went for tea at The Ritz. So glamorous. Everyone was cold, the weather was brisk. The tea was hot and comfy.
Still, the food at tea is light. More springlike. Cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon sandwiches. Little cakes. And scones (I am sure I asked for extra clotted cream). And that got me to thinking about this recipe:
Scottish Lemon Currant Scones
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel
1/2 cup currants
6 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel. Stir in the currants. Add the butter in chunks and work into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix the egg and buttermilk together. Pour into the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough has formed. Cut the dough in half and roll each half on a floured surface into a circle 1/2-inch thick. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Place the wedges on the cookie sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Makes 12
Serve with butter, clotted cream or strawberry jam
