Returning to Blogland yet again! Thank You for your Kind thoughts and Patience!

Dear Blog Friends,

Project Cake With Buttercream Roses and Roayl Icing Drop Flowers

Here I am again, finally!  There have been so many impediments to my being ab le to blog lately, but I am hoping that things will settle down soon and I can get back to it with some regularity.  My health, and the health of one dear to me have been sorely challenged lately, but I see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, and I am hoping against hope it is not an on-coming train!  Al  joikng aside, precious friends, may I say that I have so appreciated your kind comments on my blog lately.  I have been instructed and truth be known, ORDERED by my doctor to do one of two things only in the past several weeks.  Due to a very nasty break-down of the skin tissue on my leg and foot, I have been told to either walk, or elevate my legs above my heart.  Of course, I had already started taking a course in cake decorating that required that I sit with my legs down for two hours plus and my legs continued, because of this to get worse and worse.  So my time at the computer had tobe curtailed and thus, I have not been able to blog!  My I have missed it and have longed to be back at it! It has been a very boring and long several weeks . Coincidental to that, my dear dog Charlie had to undergo extensive surgery on both of his back legs, as he managed, poor pup, to completely desimate the cruciate ligaments in both legs; first the right leg, followed by 8 weeks of intensive rehabilitation, and then almost immediately after that damage to the left leg, requiring surgery and a FURTHER eight weeks of recuperation.  Poor, poor boy!  But last Tuesday he finally received a conditional good bill of health.  There was significant fear that the right leg had not been corrected properly, and might require another operation, but it looks as if, for now at least, the leg has strengthened and may not require additional and expensive surgery.  Thank goodness for Vet insurance! Meanwhile, in the middle of all that muddle, my legs decided to misbehave, and the sdubsequent decision to bombard me with both topical and oral anti-biotics has left me a bit worse for wear! But, all seems to be resolving nicely, fianlly and I want to share with you the pictures of my final cake project. The roses are far from perfect, but considering that I had just learned to make them, 15 minutes prior to putting them on the cake, I was quite pleased with them! I know where I went wrong with them, and more practice will result in better technique, and hopefully better roses!  So here is the picture of my final project cake.  It tasted DELICIOUS!  And really, isn't that what its all about in the long-run anyway!      

Drop Flowers made from Royal Icing

Scone Queen's Tea Party Fun:

Welcome to another tea-lightful, 'Tuesday And Wednesday Teatime In blogland'!

This week I am joining in with these tea parties; the 20th , 'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday' @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com and also @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

.., And also @ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/  for the 48th, 'Tuesday Tea For Two', and also the 39th, 'Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee'.

I am also linking in with Martha and Terri's, Teacup Tuesday this week @
http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com

And the lovely,  Teatime Tuesday ,  at dear Lady Katherine's which is held weekly  @ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

And also with dear Sandi for, TeaTime Tuesday @ http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

If the fact that I adore Tea time is not evident by the existence of

this blog, one need look no further than my repeated afternoon tea parties!
In my life there is always room for tea!     

I also very much enjoy collecting lovely antique teacups and teapots!

Please help yourself to my new, 'The Tea Trolley',  blog button that you are free to use on your own blog's sidebar..,

Hello out there in Blogerland.., 
I HAVE co-hosted two teas this past Summer with my dear friend, from the Silken Purse in her lovely home on the east coast of Canada.  Just as soon as I can manage it, I will get the Paper Princess to share pictures from our first intimate tea, and I will share with you some of the digital images from the later soiree held in honor of my 16th Wedding Anniversary, attended by friends and family.  It was so lovely to be in my native province once again, surrounded by dear, if-not-often-near ones. Just back a week from my wanderings in the east, I am still a bit exhausted, but I will try ever-so-hard to get some images up soon.

Meanwhile.......! I have just joined a new website called http://www.yummyarts.com/ on a trial basis.  The deal was that if you agreed to order a free DVD for which you must pay only the shipping and handling fee, you get to preview the website for free for one month.  As one of my passions is cake decorating, the subject of this particular website, I thought I would give it a try to see what they have to offer.  As it turns out, there is a lot on this little site that is quite exciting and informative.  I am not yet convinced that I will join on a full-time basis, but for now, I am pursuing it quite mercilessly, gaining every bit of knowledge I can.  Give it a preview if you like and share with me your opinions and insights.

May He who loves you best be with you all until next time!..,

Please enjoy some pictures of afternoon tea treats and our little tea..,

For many more "tea-lightful" pictures look below..,


We enjoyed a lovely cream tea with a few sweets and sandwiches.., Enjoy!

~There were many glistening, berry reds in today's post with all of the luscious jams and jellies featured in these photos for our cream tea with scones , jam and clotted cream.

An elegant serving of scones and afternoon tea..,

Scones fresh and warm and fragrant from the oven; light, flaky, buttery, 'melt-in-your-mouth' goodness!..,

Uum!.., Scones and clotted cream with jam!..,

Yum!.., Cream tea..,

Sprinkled with a touch of confectioners sugar..,

Dear little butter pats with decorated sugar cubes.., 

Pretty chintz serve ware platter and teapot with a delightful cream tea..,

A few little sandwiches for good measure..,

 Here are some pictures from a tea party that Wanda Lee held in my; ( Scone Queen's), honour so that a few of her close friends could meet me on occasion of my visit from the west coast; ( after the passing of my elderly father-in-law, in the past months).., I came a week earlier than my husband, so as to visit my family and friends as well..,

Warmest regards from Scone Queen

Delightful Redundancy! Another Afternoon of Tea at London Farms

Welcome to another delightful, 'Tuesday And Wednesday Teatime In blogland' and also to Friday's lovely blog parties as well!.., Enjoy my friends!

This week I am joining in with these tea parties; the 18th , 'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday' @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com and also @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

.., And also @ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/  for the 46th, 'Tuesday Tea For Two', and also the 37th, 'Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee'.

I am also linking in with Martha and Terri's, Teacup Tuesday this week @
http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com

And the lovely,  Teatime Tuesday ,  at dear Lady Katherine's which is held weekly  @ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

And also with dear Sandi for, TeaTime Tuesday @ http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com


I am also linking in with the fabulous, Foodie Friday @ http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com

As well with the wonderful, Show And Tell Friday @ http://romantichome.blogspot.com  ( I am featuring my red and white, gingham slip covers for Show And Tell Friday, that my dear little pup is sitting beside at the bottom of this post)..,

If the fact that I adore Tea time is not evident by the existence of this blog, one need look no further than my repeated visits to the London Farms Tea Room to conclude that I am a bit of a fanatic.  Truth be known, I would probably go there on a weekly basis, if I had the discretionary time and funds.  My only criticism is that they don't "do" a bonifide "cream tea" as they chose  not to serve clotted cream with their delicious scones.  However, they offer a lovely homemade raspberry jam, creamery butter, and three scrumptious sweets which vary from time to time, along with a smashing spot of splosh known as London Lady Tea which they also sell in their darling little gift shop! It is seldom that I possess the needed self control to leave there without buying a little something for my collection, whether it is silver-plated spoon, a fragrant lavender sachet,  or a lovely tea-cup!   I say, blushing all the while, that I have been to London Farms no less than three times this season.

In my own defense however, I must admit that I do have a "partner-in-crime" on my frequent forays to the farm in the person of my dear friend Ruth, who knows that she need only mention the possibility of a visit to the tea room to obtain my hearty agreement.  This time we took delight in viewing a bevvy of free range chickens clucking contentedly in the front garden. amid the brown-eyed-susans.  As we sipped on our delicious brew and lingered over our scones and sweets, we discussed plans for our church's  up-coming Christmas Tea and bandied about ideas for everything from decor to door
prizes, and keynote speakers to scones!  It was a lovely break from the everyday.  I do hope that perhaps, we might go there just one more time before the season ends.  In my life there is always room for tea!     


The folks at London Farms Tea Room have many such collectable teacups and teapots .., I do not know who these little teacups are made by, but aren't they pretty!?.., I love antique, teacups and saucers!

Another delightful recipe for you to enjoy my friends..,

Nova Scotian Gingerbread

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup lightly packed demerara brown sugar

1/3 cup Molasses

*1 egg

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup boiling water

Method:

In a medium-sized bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, and spices) Set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Into these wet ingredients beat in molasses and egg.Stir the dry ingredients gently into the creamed mixture, alternating with with boiled water, and ending with dry ingredients, combining until just mixed. Spoon batter into a lightly greased 8 X 4 or 9 X 5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F oven for 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for ten minutes. on a baking rack. Remove from pan and allow to sit of baking rack until completely cool. (If you can STAND it, but I like to serve mine warm from the oven!) To store, wrap tightly or put in an air-tight container. Each 1/12 of a loaf is 133 calories! Pretty good for a delicious dessert, but that of course does not include the lemon sauce or whipped cream. (Lemon Sauce Recipe to follow! Yum, yum, oh yum!)

* your egg should be room temperature, but I NEVER remember to take it out of the fridge in time for that, so soaking the egg in warm water for 15 minutes before hand will bring it closer to room temperature.

Lemon Sauce

1/2 cup white sugar ( if you are concerned about calories you could use a 1/2 and 1/2 split if sugar and Splenda)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon butter ( Go ahead and indulge, it won't kill you!)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

*the juice of one lemon

In saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg/ Gradually whisk in boiling water, stirring to remove any lumps. Simmer over low hear, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. Serve over warmed gingerbread and enjoy AS, NO DOUBT, YOU WILL!

* To get the most juice out of your lemon, heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds on high. You will double or even triple the amount of juice you will get from the lemon. I like to zest my lemon after if has been juiced, because if you do it before, the lemon falls apart as it is juiced.

Please  also enjoy my little, "puppy-scape", tablescape for Marti's , Tabletop Tuesday @ http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com 

~This is my dear little doggie,  Charlie D. Dog. ~ Woof!

 Warmest regards from Scone Queen

~ I always so enjoy your comments , so please kindly leave me a comment and I shall visit you in return.., (I am still making the rounds from last week, so please be patient; I adore visitng you as well my dear blog friends)!  ~ Thanks so much for all of your lovely comments last week!

Queen of sweets; Cape Breton Pork Pies:

This week I am joining in with these tea parties; the 16th , 'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday' @ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com and also @ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com

.., And also @ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/  for the 44th, 'Tuesday Tea For Two', and also the 35th, 'Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee'.

I am also linking in with Martha and Terri's, Teacup Tuesday this week @
http://marthasfavorites.blogspot.com

And the lovely,  Teatime Tuesday ,  at dear Lady Katherine's which is held weekly  @ http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

I collect the Old Country Roses Pattern by Royal Albert and have many pieces; I so enjoy using the teacups especially!..,

A picture of a tart tamper.., very handy for making tarts of any kind!

If the scone is the "queen of sweets" for the tea table, then surely the delectable tart must be her "lady in waiting".  Easy to make, and ever-so-dainty, a variety of tempting tarts offers the tea-taker a symphony of tastes wrapped in  a sweet, melt-in-your mouth shortbread crust.  For an afternoon tea, I delight to offer at least two (and sometimes three!)  types of tarts,.  My favorites are the ever popular lemon curd, tart served plain, or presented with a diminutive dollop of clotted cream,  the Maid of honor, a delightful jam filled tart with a delicate cake hat punctuated with a Florette of pink butter cream, and finally, in deference to my east coast  ties, the toothsome Cape Breton Pork Pie.  This little gem, one of my husband's all-time favorites, contains NOT ONE OUNCE OF PORK! 


It's name is the subject of some conjecture. My favorite explanation is that they are so good, when you have one, you can't resist having another, and another and another!  Thus, you "pork" out on them, making a little piggy of yourself in the process!  So dear bloggerites, here is my recipe for Cape Breton Pork Pies. I found it in a venerated cookbook, which was given to me by my dear friend , June one year for Christmas.  Imagine my delight, precious bloggerites, when I received this, to discover that it was the cookbook most used by my own sweet Mom.  In fact, she used it so much it was in tatters by the time she passed away, and was mistakenly discarded when my sisters were packing up her kitchen.. The title page had gone missing when I was just a little girl,  so the name on it's front meant little to me, but the pages looked familiar somehow, so I quickly turned to the cake section to discover the recipe for the birthday cake mom had always made for me. 

I felt as though I had recovered a bit of my own heritage from the ashes of time.  What a blessing! Upon further investigation of it, I found the recipe for the Pork Pies, something my husband had intimated was an integral part of his own Christmas tradition from Sydney, Cape Breton.  I made them as a surprise for him, and to his delight, he pronounced them "better" than his auntie's.  So now they are a staple in our house for Christmas, but also for tea. ~ Enjoy and please let me know how yours turn out!..,  

CAPE BRETON PORK PIES

Tart Shells:

1 cup of cold, creamery butter ( this is what made them better than Auntie's.  She probably used margarine, which was a common practice in Cape Breton.  The difference it makes to the recipe is unmistakable!)

4 tablespoons icing sugar

2 cups flour

Cut the butter into the flour suing a pastry cutter.  Add sugar and knead until well-blended.  Press small amounts into small muffin tins.  Bake at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes.  Keep a close eye on them as they brown very quickly, and you DO NOT want to make them too dark. ( In my opinion, the lighter they can be, the better, but that is just MY preference!) Remove and allow to come to room temperature.  Carefully remove from tins, as they are VERY delicate!

Filling;

2 cups finely chopped dates

1 1/2 cups brown sugar ( I use demerara)

1 cup water

Lemon Juice (the juice of one lemon, whatever that may be.  I usually heat my lemon in the microwave for a quick 10 seconds.  It DOUBLES the amount of juice you will get from it.  How much of that juice you put in is really up to your taste, but I like the whole amount.)

Simmer the above ingredients until the dates are of a soft consistency.  Cool, then fill the tart shells.  Top with a piped swirl of butter cream icing which has been flavoured with maple syrup or flavouring.  YUM! YUM! YUM!  These freeze well, and can be made weeks ahead if covered well in the freezer.


* anecdotal additions are my own, but this wonderful recipe is from "Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens" by Marie Nightingale  (Nimbus Publishing Limited)    

A lovely, Old Country Roses, teapot, creamer and teacup..,  So pretty! 

Happy  16th, 'Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday', 44th, 'Tuesday Tea For Two' and 35th,
'Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee'!.., And also  please enjoy your other  lovely, 'Tuesday And Wednesday Teatime In Blogland', tea parties at other blogs ladies!

Cheers from Scone Queen

I love hearing from you so please kindly leave a comment.., Thanks

A Delicious Spot of Splosh in Big Pond, Cape Breton: Tea with Rita

Heading back to the mainland of Nova Scotia after sojourning on Cape Breton Island for two weeks with my husband's recently widowed mom, Eric and I decided to take the old highway, instead of the new one which is quicker but terribly boring.  The biggest delight by far was visiting Rita MacNeil's famed tea room in Big Pond.  What a delightful place indeed.  We had heard rumours that the prices were high, but dear friends, I do not know the last time I had a large, sumptuous bowl of fragrant seafood chowder, a mile-high cloud-light scone, with homemade strawberry preserves, and a robust and flavourful cup of tea for under $15.00!  The service was swift and friendly, and the surroundings were picturesque to say the least, and there was no sense that you were being rushed through your meal to accommodate the incoming crowds.  The icing on the cake, ( or perhaps one might say the clotted cream on the scone!) was the presence of the grand dame herself.  Yes, indeed Rita McNeil was there in the flesh talking congenially and having her picture taken with all manner of folk, treating everyone like a long-lost friend visiting "from away".  I chose not have my picture taken with her.  Believe it or not, I am a wee bit on the shy side myself, when it comes to celebrity, and I did not want to impose, but I must say it was ever-so heart-warming to see her and to experience the genuine warmth of her personality as she greeted her tea room patrons.  It made me proud to be a Nova Scotian, even though I have been in exile these 14 years on the absolute opposite of the country!

I must say I was suitably impressed by the scones.  They were positively massive, at least 5 inches high, and light as light could be!  HOWEVER, to be totally honest, they were a wee bit lacking in terms of taste.  If I could combine the height of hers with the taste of mine, I would be a rich, rich, woman!  That having been said, I have to say that the chowder was absolutely lovely, with five or six HUGE scallops in it, and a clam or two for good measure.  The only thing it lacked was lobster.......PRAISES BE!!!! As I am allergic to the little red-shelled devils and would have been heartily disappointed had they ruined my chance to enjoy this steaming dish of delight.  So, Rita dear, congratulations on your great success as a singer, entertainer, entrepreneur and tea-room maven. I doubt that anyone deserves or appreciates it more than you do, dear soul.     

I love hearing from you so please kindly leave a comment..,Thanks!

Regards, Scone Queen

http://www.ritamacneil.com/tearoom.html

Easter Time: Decorating Easter Bunny Cupcakes!

        I am having a hard time believeing that Easter will be with us in slightly over a week!  Wasn't it Christmas just last month?  Where does all the time go, dear bloggerites?  I just finished co-hosting a very informal Easter Tea at my church along with my friends, Ruth and Janet.  It was a lovely time of whimsy, with a few delightful women.  We reminisced about Easters of yesterr-year, spent some time thinking about what the first Easter must have been like for Mary, the mother of Jesus and closed the afternoon off by decorating Easter bunny cuppcakes.  How cute they were, and how delicious, accompanied by fresh fruit and steaming cups of coffee and tea!  There isn't anything I enjoy more than the company of women, and an afternoon of conversation and tea.
      Today I made my final decision about Easter Dinner.What should I serve and who should we invite?  The guest list was the easiest of tasks, as we have those who it has become a tradition to entertain on holidays.  The menu was not so easily decided upon.  As I attempt to graciously accept that I am not getting any younger, I am trying to make preparations as easy as possible.  I think this year, I have managed to keep the prep time to an all-time minimum.  The ham is a pre-bakedand spiral cut, and needs only to be heated to a specific temperature. I am making a scalloped potatoe casserole, one or two vegetables, and a wild rice and barley recipe that is made in a rice cooker and is dead easy to throw together. As an appetizer I am going to do devilled eggs, keeping the eggs in the shell, and serving them in lovely egg cups.  That should be fun and different. For dessert, dear readers, I have done the unthinkable.  I have purchased a FROZEN CHEESECAKE selection from Costco: six different varieties of cheesecake. It was on sale, and frankly, I couldn't make it for the price they were charging.  I have had the Costco cheesecake before and it is quite delicious, so I am throwing caution entirely to the wind, and vowing to take it tres easy this year.  For once, I will not be totally exhausted by the time we sit down to eat. One of my guests has offered to bring the salad, and should another guest offer to bring something else, well then, that will be even less work for me.  I do feel almost guilty about the whole thing, but I am trying hard not to let it bother me too much.  For the past 16 years, I have done the lion's share of the cooking and baking in my home, but, as the British put it, that has become "a bit beyond the rabbit-proof fence" for me at this point. and it has just gotten to be too much.  Perhaps this time next year I will feel different, and go back to the way things used to be, but then again, maybe I won't!  What are your Easter traditions, dear readers?  Do you do any table-scaping?  I am looking for something simple but elegant.  Any ideas?       

A Spring Celebration Of Friendship Afternoon Tea:

Hello there dear friends,

It's 'Tuesday Tea For Two', teatime once more.., Please do join us!

Pop over for a visit after you have visited and enjoyed your scones with clotted cream and jam and a freshly brewed pop of Rosey Lee in Scone Queen's, Old Country Roses, china teaset!: theplumedpen.blogspot.com

Just a little note from moi, a.k.a./ Silken Purse; a guest blogger today at Scone Queen's lovely, The Tea Trolley blog.

Today is,Tuesday Tea For Two, at my The Plumed Pen blog, once more:
Whereas my dear friend Scone Queen and I have been friends for many years; in fact I have known her since I was 12 and she was 14; today dear friends, we have decided to collaberate with a special teatime blog posting!.., (Yet with reference to our respective ages, we shall not reveal how old we are now)!..,Hehe!~ Scone Queen was originally an aquaintance of my older sister, then much to my delight and thanksgiving to the Lord, over the years we became fast friends!

When dear Scone Queen created her second blog, we had thought that partnering with regard to occasional guest blogging at each others respective blogs would be lots of fun!~(Her other delightful blog is aptly named; Tea By 2).~ I do hope she will also grace the pages of my blog sometime soon, as she is an exceptionally gifted writer, as well as being very knowlegeable in her own right on the subject of Afternoon Tea!.., (I'm sure Scone Queen would not mind in the least, if); I also warmly, and with loving embrace of friendship, referring to a dear friend, (who shall remain nameless):~ This other dear personal friend, (whom if reading this), may just recall a similar offer to guest blog and be ever so delightfully supported should she ever decide to create her own meme; a little 'birdie told me that she would 'give me a heads up', so to speak, when she is ready with her sweet surprises..,wink!

The delights of Afternoon Tea and a precious friendship spanning many years, are numerous, dear friends:

The rich, wonderfully soothing and refreshing repast of many an Afternoon Tea for us, is delightfully full of poignant memories, shared laughter and dreams; (even tears, as we arranged  together for a soothing tea to be held after her dear mother's passing).~ These precious teatimes have proven to be a lasting bond of friendship and common interest between my dear friend Scone Queen and I, over these many years! ~ Alas, we are separated by thousands of miles as we reside on the opposite ends of our nation, the coastal regions of Eastern and Western Canada, respectively. We do most thankfully, enjoy frequent conversations by phone however.

Do you have a special friend with whom you share Afternoon Tea, (or perhaps coffee), and with whom you also share many precious memories?.., Please do tell!

Scone Queen and I would dearly enjoy to hear of your pleasant memories of friendships further enchanced over a piping hot and fragrant pot and a pretty cup of Rosey Lee or coffee, as you enjoyed your very own, Tea For Two or coffee hour with your dear friend!


*Please do leave a comment and also kindly consider following me; that  way it is easy to stay in touch!~ I will be delighted to visit you as well!

Warmest Regards from Scone Queen

*Photo credits: China, Old Country Roses teacup with pretty molded sugar @ 'Michele's Treasures,Teacups, And Tumbling Rose Cottage' blogspot blog.~ Blue and white teacup picture @ Google Images.~ Molded bunny sugars in Sugar bowl @

Top O' The Marnin' to Ye! Tis a Lovely Day to be Irish! Happy Saint Patrick's Day to One and All!

This week I am partaking with Wanda Lee's 22nd, 'Tuesday Tea For Two' blog afternoon tea party @ theplumedpen.blogspot.com

It has been ever-so-long since I blogged!  My, but the time just seems to speed by and before you know it we will be looking at a full-fledged spring here on the West Coast of Canada!  We have alredy had the crocuses, the daffodils are now in bloom, along with the forsythia and the flowering crab trees, and yet, there are mornings when it is still necessary to scrap the frost from the windshield of the car!

But one of those lovely harbingers of Spring is about to be upon us, and I couldn't let Saint Patrick's Day go by without offering you a wonderful recipe for 100% Whole Wheat Irish Soday Bread!  This is an absolutely scrumptious recipe, and so light and delectable, I am seriously conidering serving at tea INSTEAD of my traditional scones.  It is very toothsome, and a slight bit sweet, without being too overpowering andt tastes like heaven when served warm with butter and a wee bit of honey.  Try it and see if you don't agree that it would be a lovely alternative to the sweet and less-healthy scone.  Do let me know your opinion!

100% Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

makes two 9 inch round loaves

4 cups whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 c. ( 4 tblsp.) cold butter cut into small squares

1 1/4 c. raisins or currants or a combination of both

1 egg beaten

1 3/4 c. buttermilk ( or 1 1/2 c. plain yogurt and 1/4 c. milk)

1 tablespoon molasses or honey

1.   In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2.   Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal.

3.   Add raisins or currants

4.   Combine liquids seperately and add 1/2 to dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly with a fork before adding the  second half.

5.   When the dough becomes hard to mix with the fork, use your hands to combine the ingredients completely, kneading it right in the bowl until it is smooth. (about three minutes)

6.   Shape the dough into the two balls, and place them on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Flatten each ball slightly and cut an  X  about 1/4 inch deep in the top of each loaf.

7.  Bake at 375 degrees F. for  35

Dear Reader, I do hope you will try this recipe as it is suprisingly delicious! Kind of like that wonderful pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

Hugs and blessings from Scone Queen

Please do leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!