Christmas Tea

Today I am joining Mr. Toast's for his Christmas Tea.
It is being held in the beautiful town of Aspen Colorado.
I am wearing my Aspen best...a la Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen

I'm sure we will be listening to Rufus Wainwright's Judy Garland Cd- perfect tea music don't ya know...






I will be sipping tea from my favorite tea cup and saucer  .. a treasure from Grandma M


I will be sipping my Out of Africa tea.....

 .... in honor of WORLD AIDS DAY and  the charity FACES OF KIBERA whose eBay auction is going on RIGHT NOW..


                                               Click HERE to check the auction out..

I will be regretting that I'm not having Jasmine Green tea with a teaspoon of honey to help rev up my metabolism from the incredible scones I have baked for the event..

Maple Walnut Scones

Yield 12-15 scones

4 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 lb butter-cubed

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped walnuts

1 beaten egg(used for "painting" tops)

In large bowl,sift together the flour,sugar,baking powder and baking soda with a wooden spoon. Cut butter with pastry cutter until mixture is well combined.

It will have a course texture. In a small bowl,whisk together the buttermilk,syrup,and walnuts. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and combine well. Add additional flour if dough is too sticky. Roll out to 1" thick on floured surface and cut into circles using a 3" cutter or an upside down glass. Re-roll dough as necessary. Place scones on well greased cookie sheet. Brush each with beaten egg. Bake at 400 f for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. I always make a double batch and freeze one. They are THAT GOOD....Enjoy!!

....from the Bakers Cafe Cookbook...which is filled with recipes from a wonderfully spectacular bakery/restaurant in Katonah NY which is now no longer there. I will continue to mourn its closing till Sloan Wainwright, if ever, decides to open a new place.



On top of my scones will be clotted cream...
I could never have a scone without Clotted Cream and Jam.

Then of course my sister Maggie will be making her very special tuna fish salad for the tea sandwiches.

I am hoping Mr. Toast will also have cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, salad sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches and egg salad sandwiches as well....

Please check out the site HEKIMA PLACE , a wonderful place for girls to have a home and education. It is located in Karen, a suburg of Nairobi..Karen is named for Isak Dinesen, who wrote Out Of Africa and lived there for many years. I have been to Hekima Place- it's a happy nurturing home where they have warm tea and milk with breakafst lunch and dinner ...5 of the girls there came from the slums of Kibera nearby, where the organization, Faces of Kibera was able to hook up with Hekima Place and give them a safe, beautiful and loving home.


So put on the kettle, put up your feet, sit by the fire and sip with me...