For all of you that follow my Facebook page or on twitter or Instagram you would have heard about the big ask I had bestowed upon me Saturday morning. Each month the School of the Arts committee (of which I am a committee member of) hold a morning tea. They put on an Old School spread of baked goods, big pots of tea made with tea leaves in huge pots and equally large steaming fresh pots of coffee. It’s a lovely chance for all the people of the village to come together and have a chat and see what’s been going on and also a chance for the School to raise some money as most people make a small donation when they come along. And why wouldn’t you? It is a seriously good spread – home made sausage rolls, cakes, slices, egg sandwiches (Eden I even ate a couple and thought of you) and always a scone.
Now this month a few of the big wigs were away and so the baking tasks were handed down the line. Dawn who for the sake of privacy we’ll call Dawn (because that is her name) usually does the scones, and does a great scone, but because she was away I was asked to bake the scones. Me! City blow-in asked to provide for the town the scones! Gulp. Being all bravado I of course accepted and said that I would nail it, but as the days got closer the pressure was mounting. By Saturday morning I looked like this:
Sure, great hair, but seriously anxious. It kind of felt like the morning of an exam. And yes, that is a MOFO apron I have on. When I bake, I don an apron, I feel it helps to bring out the Bev in me. I went with my Mum’s trusty lemonade scone recipe. You know the one? This one:
Lemonade Scones
4 cups Self Raising Flour
300mls thickened cream
300mls lemonade
You mix it all together in a bowl and when it’s combined enough transfer to a floured board. It can be quite sticky the mix, so keep adding flour till you pat down to about 6cm thick. I even used a cutter this time to ensure even scones. Tip is to put them close together on the baking dish so they hold each other up as they rise – you can them snap them off – bake in 180 degree oven for 15 or 20 mins (until they are golden brown). I don’t bother with a wash either – just bung them in and away you go!
This is them bunged in the oven awaying and going:
After 15 mins they were done and I was quite happy with result. I mean look at them! This time last year the extent of my baking ability was a 69 cent packet cake from Aldi. And you think I am exaggerating…
While the scones cooled on the kitchen bench we drove up to the hall to help set up. I had Daisy and Harper with me and they were a great help getting the tables set, milk jugs out and flowers in vases. Daisy is such an old lady who was beside herself fanning spoons out on the tables – she loves that old lady stuff! It must have something to do with her name. Harper mostly ran around falling over and trying to sneak baked goods off plates before an appropriate time.
I started to get nervous when I saw those fancy tiered plates come out – an unfair disadvantage as they make everything look better. Especially floral ones like this.
This is the hall, all set up pretty like ready for the spread to hit the table.
I, of course, forgot to take a picture of the finished spread or my scones. Mostly because they thought it was strange enough that I had a phone with me, let alone one that took photos, let alone why I was taking photos, imagine if they knew I was a blogger? What’s a blog? A what? A who? Who put what on the what? What’s the internet?
My cream was not whipped quite enough, but it was made up for by the fancy jam my mother in law had given me a few days before when she was down for Tulip Time. They were a triumph though, sealed to me by a comment from an older woman who turned to me and said “Now tell me, who is Beth? Her scones are AMAZING!”
My work was done.
The mighty scone impressed all. Bev stepped up the plate and succeeded. I now have the confidence required to enter them at the local show in March. I think. Maybe? So long as they don’t work out how simple they are to make, or the fact that they have been blogged about…
You have SO made it. From Aldi mix to School of Arts scone queen in 12 months. Go Bev π
So curious about the lemonade addition to the recipe…sounds interesting. Congrats on the lasting impression!
Bloody brilliant Bev! I fully snorted with laughter at my desk when you said about ‘imagine is they knew I was a blogger’? I have my camera at numerous small town events all the time and the locals think I am a total weirdo! One of my friends husbands found out I was a blogger and now always asks me how the ‘bogging’ is going??? Cracks me up. I love the small town newbie stuff, we moved to a small country town and did the whole initiation thing, and have now moved back to the country town I grew up in and I actually miss the initiation stage! On the move again so I’ll have to crack out a scone recipe to impress my new neighbours π
Bev is really taking over. Soon there’ll be no Beth left. π
I want those scones. Like really, really want. xx
Huge effort – scone making from scratch and getting the hair looking so fantastic (and I love the apron)
Good on you Bev, you’re an inspiration to all of us π
Firstly, GREAT HAIR.
Secondly, AMAZING scones. Shhh, don’t tell anyone but my amazing scones come from a CWA packet mix. They really are the fluffiest, yummiest scones ever. This recipe looks so easy and I do have the ingredients on hand, maybe I’ll give it a go.
Finally, being a blogger is so weird sometimes (a lot of the time), right? I was at Potato Appreciation Day with non-bloggers and I had to do a lot of “don’t mind me, doing something weird, pay no attention, nothing to see here”.
Yes great hair – and Yay! Fabulous scones. Well done!
My hubby is the scone maker in our house and is actually entering them in the local show this weekend. He’s gonna clean up all those grandma’s !!
You are so funny! Love the photo of you pre-baking. I had such a good chuckle at this post which i really needed this morning so thanks π
I sense a screenplay in this, no?!
City girl gone scone.
Well done to you, Beth or Bev.
π
Scones come and go but great hair is forever. And on one day you had both. Awesome! I still want you to feed me though.
who cares what you’re baking, look at your hair!
I’ve been meaning to ask (since you mentioned ‘glen’ in your last vlog) if your hairdresser is indeed my old hairdresser ‘Glen’. Did he work on the coast and then in Sydney before being in your area?
x
they look great!
I have to admit to owning two beautiful two-layer cake platter thingamajiggies.
I stalked ebay for 3 months in the hunt for one I would like and snaffled it up when I found one. It rocks the morning tea.
I’m sick today. But not sick enough to go to the shops and buy some lemonade and cream … I am making these babies, Bev.
Have never made scones in my life … are you allowed to make them for dessert? Are there scone rules?
Dawn better watch her back…
Well done xx
You’re brilliant!! Dawn had absolutely better watch her back. I sense a scone war in the future, and you have the upper hand, with all your bloggy back-up π
well done..i attempted to make them (as ive never baked scones before)and they did taste absolutely delicious but i think i mixed them too much (i used a blender, and i dont think i was meant to) as they didnt rise, and i didnt stack them together like you advised, which i shall do again on the weekend.
you nailed it. how awesome are you! now i want to make scones!
x jody
I need a scone now. Actually I need to know how to really make them. :)They sound and look perfect.
You legend! The scones look inspirational! No, really. I’m making them tomorrow!! I just wanted to check we are talking Aussie lemonade, right? The comes-in-a-plastic-bottle-fizzy-soft-drink, yeah? Not the American actual-lemon-juice-sugar-and-water-blend-thingy?… Please forgive my ignorance, but it just sounds too easy/good to be true! And, love the hair!
Em, you are bang on – the dodgy can of cheap lemonade is what I’m talking about! Good luck!