Dark Chocolate Peppermint Scones

When my book club met to discuss The Secret, Book, & Scone Society, we also had to have snacks and not just any snacks we needed to have scones! Why scones? Because in the novel one of the characters, Hester, is a baker and makes comfort scones. These scones are based on what she thinks her patrons will be comforted by.

“I just ate the most amazing scone at the Gingerbread House, but the baker said the recipe couldn’t be duplicated because her scones are based on people’s fondest memories. She told me that she uses a basic recipe and adds certain ingredients after talking to each customer.” “That’s what I’ve heard as well,” Nora said.”

The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams

Hester makes quite a few scones in this mystery but I decided to go with a peppermint chocolate one as she makes that for the character who gets murdered, as his death is the catalyst that brings our ladies together and what forms the The Secret, Book, and Scone Society

“Even though he ordered a comfort scone, I sensed that he didn’t think he was worthy of comfort. He seemed weighed down by guilt. When people with an untroubled conscience enter my bakery, their faces light up like a Christmas-tree star. If they’ve come to Miracle Springs to seek relief from cancer or arthritis pain or what-have-you, they still glow with that firefly light when the aroma of fresh-baked bread envelops them. That scent speaks of coming home…but this guy’s lips were practically zippered closed. I decided it would take a powerful flavor combination to coax a good memory to the surface, so I went out on a limb and chose a wintery recipe: Peppermint mocha.”

The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams

As Hester doesn’t give an exact recipe, I went looking online and found this Peppermint Scone recipe from Domestically Blissful. In The Secret, Book, and Scone Society Hester mentions putting mocha in her scones, I don’t like mocha so I chose a recipe without it.

Ingredients for Scones:

• 2 & 3/4 Cups Flour + Extra for Stickiness
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Pinch of Salt
• 1/2 Cup of Cold Butter
• ½ Cup Half & Half
• ½ Cup + 3 Tablespoons French Vanilla Creamer
• 1 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract
• 2 Tablespoons French Vanilla Creamer, optional

Ingredients for Icing

• 2–3 Tablespoons French Vanilla Creamer
• 1 Dash Peppermint Extract
• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1–2 Candy Canes, crushed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, preheat your oven to 400° degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl sift together 2 & 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 pinch of salt.
3. Use a cheese grater to crumble 1/2 cup of butter into the dry ingredients.
4. Then stir the butter crumbles into the dry ingredients.
5. Next, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the 1/2 cup of half & half, ½ cup + 3 tablespoons French vanilla creamer, and 1 teaspoon peppermint extract.
6. Stir until combined and then form the dough into a ball.
7. Flatten with your hands and fold the dough in half. Repeat this process 3-4 more times to create layers.
8. Roll the dough out so that it is 2-3 inches tall then use a biscuit cutter to cut the dough into scones.
9. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the top of each scone with French vanilla creamer.
10. Place the scones in your preheated oven and bake your scones for 12-17 minutes.
11. Let cool slightly and then top them with peppermint icing created by mixing 2-3 tablespoons of French vanilla creamer, 1 dash peppermint extract, and 1 cup powdered sugar to your desired thickness.
12. Before the icing hardens, sprinkle crushed candy cane on top of each scone.

These were absolutely delicious! We all loved them and were very comforted as we discussed our book. As we met in February or discuss this book, I had plenty of candy canes left to go on top.

For more scones, go to Sweet Cream Scones

For more recipes, go to Brown Butter Matcha Brownies

Literary Tea Parties

So I few years ago I did a post on a tea party that we had at my church. Of course, you know how I love books…I just had to tie them in together!

To read the whole post, click here. So every year at my church we do a Christmas Tea Party, and the past three years my friend and I had a table that I’ve been in charge of decorating. And if you think I just had to feature a book each year, than you are right! I love books!

In 2016, the theme was “Our Journey”, and shoes were the center as it was about “the paths we take”. Of course shoes made me think of one thing:

As Dorothy and all her friends go on a journey, along with having a magical pair of shoes,  it was PERFECT! We did a:

• Yellow Brick Road Runner: Canvas that we painted with three different shades of yellow
• Poppy Magnets as our favors: I used this one from Hometalk and did button centers and glued magnets on the back.
• Mason jar water glasses with gingham ribbons and red mugs for coffee or tea.
• Wicked Witch of the East candy straws: I got the straws from Wal-Mart and made the shoes from Swedish Fish.
• We painted our own Emerald City on glasses.
• And I sewed a sock monkey king of the flying monkeys, out of black and white socks (just like the ones the Wicked Witch of the East wears). Yes, I sewed it-help from Madsen Creations and my mom.
• We made our own Dorothy’s magic red shoes, but they weren’t ready when I took the picture, so I put my own red shoes in there.
• And of course, a copy of the book.

The next year the theme was “Friendship”

So my friend and I choose to do:

• We used this lovely pink overlay that had glitter and sparkles in it.
• Our favors were mugs with the either the quote, “I am a princess. All girls are” or “All women are princesses, it is our right”.
• The other favors we had were pink princess crowns (we had four kids sitting at our table). I got a great deal from Amazon 12 for $7.82
• I used two teacups for sugar and cream.
• Gold striped napkins tied around the cutlery with a pink sparkly ribbon.
• I used a square vase to lift up A Little Princess by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver, that I had purchased for my niece for Christmas. Inside the vase was yellow sunflowers, like the ones in the movie when Sarah and Becky wake up on Christmas.

Last Christmas the theme was Holy Ghost…hmmm ghosts. Which book? 🙂

• We used a holly and cranberry patterned runner on the table.
• Sheets of music as place mats, with red chargers over them.
• The centerpiece was a Christmas Tree, as those became popular in the Victorian era with Prince Albert, that I strung with popcorn.
• I also placed a basket with the Christmas gifts/favors as that was how Victorian tables were set up. Each package was a different copy of A Christmas Carol. I got them all by swapping on PaperBackSwap.com I wrapped them up in brown paper and red yarn.
• We had chestnuts on the table and each place setting got on orange, as they were very popular gifts, but I didn’t put cloves in it as you can’t eat them when you do that.
• We had Earl Grey Tea, Hot Chocolate, and candy canes.
• Each person received a homemade Christmas Card (made by me), and each had a little token in it, my version of the Christmas pudding.

This year the theme is gifts and I have to admit, I’m a bit at a loss. Any ideas of a book that gifts plays a role?

Please help me!

For more on The Wizard of Oz, go to Bookish Thank You

For more on A Christmas Carol, go to Book Club Picks: A Christmas Carol

For more tea posts, go to I Ran Out of Milk So I Put Buttermilk in My Tea

For more book-filled posts, go to Stranded at the Bookstore