Reaching for an afternoon snack is a fairly regular routine for most people. Whether it’s framed in the elegant ritual of tea service on a Sunday afternoon, or the more common, Venti to go, with a mass-produced pastry from a display case between week day meetings; a lite bite between lunch and dinner has almost become a necessity. It helps to keep us satiated till supper time, keeping us alert and avoiding a pre-dinner slump (much like the origins of Afternoon tea).
It is believed that afternoon tea became a trend around the 1840’s, when the Duchess of Bedford requested a post luncheon snack to ease hunger spells while waiting for the evening meal to be served. (Affluent households fashionably served dinner around 8 o’clock at night). The Duchess enjoyed sharing this new habit of tea, cakes, bread and butter with friends; and it caught on.
One of the treats served with afternoon tea is believed to be the humble scone, something I am embarrassed to say that I had never eaten till about three years ago. When I managed my catering business, I often worked local farmer’s markets and had a loyal following of clients who came for my gluten free selection of goodies. My flour based selection included cinnamon buns and I wanted to include something on the gluten free menu that could mirror the buns as a breakfast, or afternoon snack option. Enter the scone.
I knew nothing about scones and neither did Rock Star hubby. We had both eaten English muffins, biscuits and even crumpets, but not scones. I set out to find a gluten free version that would yield a product that my customers would enjoy: Happily, I was successful, and they sold out regularly.
When I shut down my business, I packed away the recipe and forgot about it. Fast forward to present day, and I find myself digging it up, ready to be included in the afternoon snack rotation for Rock Star hubby.
This recipe yields a dry crumb that is delightful. We both thoroughly enjoy a scone in the afternoon, but with our coffee rather than a tea, while we discuss the events of our day. Not as formidable or lavish as the Duchess of Bedford, but effective at keeping hunger at bay, and more importantly yummy. —T. Cummings
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