“Half memoir, half travel, A Yank Back to England...is an absolutely wonderful book, not only about going home again but also about love and family and tradition and the passage of the years.”
—Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize-winning literary critic (Washington
Post)
To see the entire quote, click here.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Teaching Frances to eat scones

Frances parked the stroller inside the front parlor of our Elizabethan teashop, then we slowly edged my parents and Kate over to a table. Frances and I had tea, Kate had formula. Lew and Jesse had coffee and toast and cheese and Dundee cake, a rich fruit concoction strewn with slivered almonds. As the name implies, this sweet cake originated in Scotland and, with luck, is impregnated with that golden highland beverage. Frances ordered scones, which arrived with strawberry jam and a pot of thick, bright yellow, velvety clotted cream.
“No, no, darling, you don’t put butter on ‘em!” Lew snickered, but in good humor.
“What do you mean? How’re you supposed to eat them?”
I cut a scone in two for her, applied a layer of jam to one half and topped it off with a dollop of clotted cream.
“There you go! No butter!” I said. “Bon appetit!”
We all watched with approving smiles as Frances started to eat and enjoy her first perfectly layered scone.
“Oh, it’s so good – taste?” She did not have to ask twice.

12 comments:

Daffycat said...

We took the train from London to Edinburgh and I sat and watched a little elderly lady have her tea. She pulled out a thermos, teacup and paper-wrapped scones. Poured her tea and gobbled the scones, obviously homemade ones too. One of my fondest memories that trip.

Thanks for reminding me.

The Prodigal Tourist said...

That was very smart of her, bringing the tea & scones with her on the train! Did she share?

weenie_elise said...

how do you not know how to eat scones? ... the only ones you put butter on are the savoury scones that the baker's make to seem all lah-di-dah...

although over here the consesus seems to be whipped cream not clotted...(maybe because clotted it's very common)

Jenece said...

Thanks for stopping by again! Yes, my little Oreo is 3! The water made her look really frail and innocent. Water tends to have that affect with many famous photos. I guess because the water is so pure.

I hope all is well with your endeavors on publishing your new book?

To Weenie_elise - lots of people in the Us have no clue about the proper way to eat a scones!! We are just Americans! haha!!

The Prodigal Tourist said...

I agree with Weenie Elise and Frances, perhaps not surprisingly, agrees with Jenece!

weenie_elise said...

oh, that should be 'clotted is NOT very common'

Jenece said...

I like your diplomatic approach to diffusing this dispute!! Haha!! Guess thats why your a writer???

Jenece said...

This is why and American would buy your book...to learn the proper ways!

The Prodigal Tourist said...

Now I agree with Jenece (and thanks)!
WE--that makes more sense--though clotted cream is available here, it's just VERY expensive.

Carol Murdock said...

I have never eaten a scone! So I too would be ignorant of the proper way! Sounds wonderful though!

The Prodigal Tourist said...

WP--Never eaten a scone! Oh, you must! Will post a recipe tomorrow--try it and let me know what you think!

Amy said...

thanks for stopping by my blog! :)