The Magician’s Nephew Tea Party/Book Club: Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream

So every Wednesday, starting in October, I have been a part of a Tea Party/Bible Study/Book Club on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This is different from my book club and the Book Club Picks I have been reviewing (and desperately need to catch up on). The first week we had Cederberg Tea Company Rooibos + Ginger Tea, Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream, Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Cucumber Sandwiches, Fotina & Pork Puffed Pastry, and Mini Apple Pies.

I couldn’t share the recipes in October as I was in the middle of Horrorfst IX, so I will be starting now-and of course beginning with scones.

So last time I made scones I was trying to decide between Brown Sugar and Cream Cheese Scones and this one-Cranberry-Spice Scones with Maple Cream. When it came to picking out a scone, I immediately went to this one as it was part of a Fall Teatime and because I really, really want to try it.

This comes from Teatime’s Teatime Celebrations Autumnal Harvest Tea

Cranberry-Spice Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Flour (They said whole wheat but I just used regular)
• 1/4 Cup of Granulated Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Allspice
• 1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Cup of Cold Unsalted Butter, Cubed
• 1/3 Cup of Dried Cranberries
• 3/4 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• Sugar for Garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, allspice, and pepper, whisking well.
4. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Add cranberries, stirring to combine.
6. In a small bowl, combine cream and vanilla extract, stirring well. Add to flour mixture, stirring until mixture is evenly moist. (If dough seems dry, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Working gently, bring mixture together with hands until a dough forms.
7. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 4 to 5 times. Using a rolling pin, roll dough to a ¾-inch thickness. Using a 2¼-inch round cutter, cut 10 scones from dough. Place scones 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
8. Garnish tops of scones with additional sugar, if desired.
9. Bake until edges are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean, approximately 20 minutes.

Maple Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of Cold Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 Tablespoons of Confectioner’s Sugar/Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup, Divided

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat at high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup, beating until stiff peaks form.
2. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 2 hours.
3. Before serving, drizzle cream with remaining ½ tablespoon maple syrup.

 

OMGOODNESS these were so good! They were just beyond delicious. I loved them and I loved the cream that went with it. All of us at the tea party did and couldn’t stop eating them.

No, stop! Alright.

If you like good scones, you should definitely make these.

For more recipes, go to Brown Sugar and Cream Cheese Scones

For more scones, go to Scottish Oat Scones

For more tea posts, go to Countdown to Christmas: Tea Advent Calendar Swap 2019

Skinny Chai Tea Latte

It is winter and cold and what better thing to do than to have some chai tea?

Especially if you have won a giveaway that has a box of tea, including chai tea.

Yes, I’ll be reviewing this at a later date, but for now I have this recipe to tide you over. This recipe comes from a book we added at the library, Lose Weight By Eating: Detox Week by Audrey Johns. I was flipping through the book, processing it, when this recipe caught my eye and I had to make it.

“Oh, the irony…I’m typing this at a coffeehouse. I’m just trying to be honest here, because though I don’t often visit coffeehouses, I do once in a while when I need a quiet space to work. I made this recipe earlier today, then figured, “What the heck, let’s make sure it is as good as Starbucks,” so I headed on over to my local spot and ordered-you guessed it-a chai tea latte. So here I am, drinking my second chai tea latte of the day and typing up my recipe, which I think tastes exactly the same.

I whisk the milk by hand, and it’s very easy. It only takes a minute and you’re done (and by the way I’ve had two wrist surgeries in my whisking hand, so I assure you anyone can handle this mild activity).”

Ingredients:

• 3 Chai Tea Bags, with the Paper Tags Cut Off
• 2 Cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk or Milk of your choice
• 2 Tablespoons of Pure Maple Syrup (optional)
• Sugar (optional)
• Pumpkin Pie Spice (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat 2 cups of water.
2. One heated, remove from heat and steep 3 bags of chai tea for five minutes.
3. In a small saucepan heat the milk over medium-low heat. As soon as the milk is simmering, whisk it.
4. Pour the tea into two cups and and add sugar, maple syrup, or other sweetener.
5. Top with frothy milk.
6. Sprinkle on some pumpkin pie spice (if using).
7. Congratulations, you just saved yourself $5.04.

I thought it was really good, but I had way more milk than tea. I don’t think the author planned for how it grows when heated and whisked. I had to make additional cups of tea to use it up-but otherwise, it was delicious!

For more tea posts, go to Blueberry Matcha Smoothie

For more recipes, go to Crispy, Chewy, Matcha Green Tea Cookies

Crispy, Chewy, Matcha Green Tea Cookies

So today I had originally planned to review Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe the movie, but unfortunately bad Jane Austen films scare me too much.

Just, kidding. I just haven’t had a chance yet. So then I decided that I would review YULETIDE audiobook, but the review isn’t completed and I need it to be as good as the audiobook. Nothing subpar!

As I haven’t finished that, I decided to instead share the Matcha cookies I mad last night as a Christmas gift to a few people.

So this recipe comes from Kirbe’s Cravings.

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tsp of Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp of Baking Powder
• 1 Cup of Butter (Softened)
• 1.5 Cups of White Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract (I ran out, so substituted with Maple Syrup)
• 2.5 Tsp Matcha Green Tea Powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. In a small bowl stir together flour, matcha powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
4. Beat in egg and vanilla.
5. Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the wet.
6. Roll dough into balls about one inch in diameter and flatten slightly to create round discs. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for two minutes before removing from wire racks.

These cookies were so gooood!!! I tried a few and then kept eating them.

Thank goodness that they were for other people or I don’t think I could have stopped myself.

No, stop! Alright.

For more recipes, go to Matcha Green Tea Blast Smoothie

For more Matcha Green Tea recipes, go to Green Tea Frappuccino

For more cookies, go to Basic Shortbread

Earl Grey Infused Blueberry Smoothie

I LOVE tea!

So when I see tea smoothie’s I’m down for that! A while back I made an Earl Grey Blueberry Smoothie, and it was alright. I liked the concept better than the taste and began searching the internet to see if I could find a better version.

This is based on Mid-Life Crossiant‘s recipe, but I did change a bit.

Ingredients:

• 2 Teabags or 2 Tsp of Loose leaf Earl Grey Tea.
• 1 Cup of Milk
• 1 Tablespoon of Oats (I use Quaker Oats)
• 1 Cup of Frozen Blueberries
• 1 Cup of Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup

Directions:

1. Microwave the milk, or warm in a pan.
2. Steep the tea in the warm milk for 5 mins.
3. After tea has steeped, allow milk to cool.
4. When milk has cooled, put in blender.
5. Add oats, blueberries, yogurt, and maple syrup.
6. Blend until smooth.
7. Serve.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!

IT WAS SOOOOOOO GOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!

It is one of the best smoothies I have ever, ever, ever had. It was soooo delicious I wished I had more.

For more recipes, go to Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

For more on tea, go to Tea Chocolate

For more smoothies, go to Blueberry Earl Grey Tea Smoothie