Chocolate chip scones served with strawberry preserves and almond cream were a hit at Emma's recent Tea for 2, so I thought I would share the recipes here. The owner of Gracie's Tea Room in Montgomery, Ala., told me how to make almond cream several years ago. It is so-o-o good! And the scones are adapted from a recipe in Pink Princess Cookbook by Barbara Beery. This is a kid-friendly cookbook no princess should be without, so leave a comment below to enter a drawing for a copy of the book. I will draw a number out of a teacup this Thursday. I plan to have the cookbook to you before next Thursday, when I hope you will celebrate the first day of spring with a cup of tea.
Gracie's Almond Cream
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Combine cream and extract. Whip until almost stiff, then add powdered sugar and whip until stiff. (Note: I sometimes substitute vanilla for almond extract. Other extracts would work well, too.)
Chocolate Chip Scones
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add chocolate chips and toss to coat with flour mixture. Pour 1 cup whipping cream into the mixture, stirring just until ingredients are moistened. Turn mixture out onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently until soft dough forms (about 2 minutes). Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick. Cut out into assorted shapes. Place scones 1 inch apart on two foil-lined baking sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Brush each scone with the remaining 2 tablespoons whipping cream. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Serve warm with strawberry preserves and cream.
Photo by Nathan Prichard
