I made a batch of scones this week that I was particularly happy with, introducing crumbs of feta and thyme leaves to the dough, and offering them warm from the oven with a peppery butter of watercress and cucumber. A tiny mouthful of summer. Afternoon tea is a timeless treat that rarely fails to delight, and never more so than in a shady corner on a summer’s afternoon.
Homemade scones, freshly baked biscuits and a pot of tea is a treat beyond measure, especially if the rain stops for long enough to set them up on a table outside. There was also a tray of sugar-dusted shortbread, made with the usual ingredients, but also with semolina and cornflour to give them a softer and more crumbly texture. Half were kept back for later, the others topped with cream, cherries and chopped pistachios and served in lieu of a cake.
I should also mention the huge bowl of strawberries that brought wide smiles as it emerged from the kitchen. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the cream, butter and sugar that lies at its heart, afternoon tea never seems to lose its attraction. Something the long queues for the event in hotels and restaurants cheerfully attest to.
Perhaps it is a collective need for an occasional indulgence, for something which, no matter how simple, will always feel like a glorious treat. Vanilla shortbread with pistachio and cherries Crumbly shortbread made especially soft and tender by the addition of fine semolina and a little cornflour. The shortbread can be cut into wide.
