Recipes Archives - Teas The Season

Recipes

Cinnamon Apple Scones

October 10, 2022
Fall is here and it’s the season for amazing baking. Cinnamon Apple Scones are one of those recipes. Easy to bake and perfect to enjoy, you can smell the aroma warming your home. Here’s how to put them together.

INGREDIENTS
- All purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted Butter
- Buttermilk
- Egg
- Shredded Apple
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla
PREPARATION

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Prepare 1 baking sheet or 2 cake pans with parchment paper. I prefer using the cake pans.

Mix all your dry ingredients together in one bowl. Cut in the butter, using your fingers to blend to crumbles. Peel and shred apple, squeezing out excess juice. Mix egg and milk together. Add apple, milk, and egg into the mixture. Fold gently until combined. Mixture will be loose.

If you prefer, you can use a food processor for this. Add all your dry ingredients to the bowl and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until small pea-sized crumbs. Add milk, egg and apple and pulse lightly bringing the dough together. It will resemble a course crumbly mixture but will come together when you knead it.

Turn out mixture onto floured surface and knead a few times, just to bring the dough together.

If using cake pans, form into one large circle or two smaller ones. This makes two 6-inch discs. Make cuts in the dough for the desired number of scones. I have made one large disc and cut it into 10-12 scones. This works also.

Top with cinnamon and sugar and place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. I like to use Turbinado sugar with my cinnamon. When checking the scones, they will feel pretty firm to touch.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut through the scones. Finishing cooling while you prepare the glaze.

Glaze tops of scones with Maple Glaze. Spread or pipe the glaze onto the scones.

STORAGE

I love to be able to have unbaked scones in my freezer, ready for that impromptu tea guest or to gift to a friend. These scones can be made ahead, placed in an air-tight container, and frozen for up to 3 months unbaked. When ready to use, bring to room temperature and bake as in the recipe. Now time to enjoy! Once baked, store for up to 2 days for best results.

SERVING

The best part of baking these Apple Cinnamon Scones is the serving. These scones are delicious with the traditional lemon curd and cream. Or slice an apple and serve warm with butter and jam for a delightful afternoon treat.
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Apple Cinnamon Scones

A great hearty fall scone with a light taste of apple and the flavor of cinnamon. Topped with a maple glaze. It's perfect with a cup of hot tea.

Course Scones
Keyword afternoon tea, afternoon tea scones, apples, cinnamon, fall, maple, scones

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling and glazing 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Servings 12 scones

Ingredients
2 cups All purpose flour
⅓ cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
Pinch of salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ cup Buttermilk Can use high fat or whole milk
1 Egg
1 cup Shredded Apple
¼ cup Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut in cubes
1 tbsp Cinnamon and Sugar Optional
GLAZE
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 – 2 tbsp Milk
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°. Prepare 1 baking sheet or 2 cake pans with parchment paper.
Combine all dry ingredients in bowl and mix together.
Cut in butter until in small crumbles.
Shred apple. Squeeze out excess juice. Add to mixture.
Mix together buttermilk and egg. Add to mixture.
Bring everything to a dough. If dough is sticky, add a little flour.
Turn out onto floured surface. Knead a few times.
Form into two 6-inch rounds. Place on prepared baking sheet or in prepared cake pans. Score the rounds into 6 scones. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool.
When scones are cooled, whisk together glaze ingredients and drizzle over scones. Let glaze harden before serving or storing.

Notes
These scones can be made in a food processor. Put dry ingredients into food processor bowl. Pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until crumbly. Then add buttermilk, egg, and apple. Pulse lightly and then turn out on floured surface.
You can make 12 scones in one round depending on the size you want.
These scones can be made ahead of time and frozen unbaked up to 3 months. Allow to thaw for 10 minutes and then bake and glaze as above.
Store in air-tight container up to 1-2 days.
These scones have a dense quality. You can add 1/2 cup chopped pecans if you like. for a heartier texture.
The teacup pictured is vintage Royal Vale and the plate is vintage Homer Laughlin Eggshell Nautilus Dresden pattern.
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Beth No Comments
Recipes

Cranberry Ham Salad Sandwich on Raisin Bread

October 7, 2022
This is a very easy and quick recipe for Cranberry Ham Salad. Served on Raisin Bread, this is a great choice for an afternoon tea sandwich. This Cranberry Ham Salad spread can be served on any bread and even crackers for a great appetizer or snack.

INGREDIENTS
- Chopped Ham
- Celery
- Green Onion
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- Mayonnaise
- Hard Boiled Egg
- Dried Cranberries
- Bread of choice
PREPARATION

Simple and quick, if you have chopped ham, it’s as simple as measuring everything and mixing in a bowl. If you don’t have chopped ham, I use 12 ounces of cooked ham and pulse in my food processor. As listed in the recipe, I use my food processor to chop the onion and celery as well. Just combine and mix together.

CHOPPED HAM

CHOPPED EGG

STORAGE

Cranberry Ham Salad can be made ahead of time, a great option when planning an afternoon tea or do ahead lunches. Storing in the refrigerator, this will last up to 5 days. If storing in the freezer, will last up to a month.

SERVING

This is a very versatile spread and not just restricted to bread. I like to use raisin bread, but any bread will work crackers. You can also add chopped pecans or walnuts as another variation. It’s all up to your imagination!

You can also use crackers or vegetables to create a delicious crudité.

Crackers and Cucumber as options for serving.
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5 from 1 vote

Cranberry Ham Salad on Raisin Bread

Ham salad spread. Very versatile and can be used for several sandwiches and on many different types of breads. This makes 3 cups of sandwich spread.

Course afternoon tea
Cuisine American
Keyword afternoon tea, Afternoon Tea Savory, ham salad, sandwich spread

Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 12 Sandwiches

Ingredients
2 cups Ground Ham Can use 12 ounces ham slices. Pulse in food processor to desired texture, small crumble.
2 tbsp Green Onions
1 Hard Boiled Egg
⅓ cup Celery
2 tbsp Pickle Relish
½-¾ cup Mayonnaise
⅖ cup Dried cranberries
Bread Slices I use raisin bread for tea sandwiches.

Instructions
Measure out ham, set aside. If needing to prepare, place in food processor and pulse until in crumbles. Remove and set aside in mixing bowl.
In food processor, lightly pulse green onion, celery, and hard boiled egg. Remove and place in mixing bowl with crumbled ham.
In mixing bowl, place ham, green onion, celery, hard boiled egg, pickle relish, dried cranberries and mayonnaise. Fold together. Add more mayonnaise if you like a wetter / looser spread.
Use as desired.
TEA SANDWICHES
If using for tea sandwiches, spread on full slice of bread, top with 2nd slice of bread. Trim off crusts and cut into 4 triangles. You can use any type of bread – I like the taste of Raisin Bread.

Notes
Can add chopped walnuts or pecans. Chop or pulse in food processor and then add to mix.
This salad will last up 5 days in the refrigerator.
You can freeze this salad, but should be freshly made to get the best benefit. Can be stored up to one month if frozen. Place in freezer safe container and ensure no air.
And of course, this makes a delightful savory for your afternoon tea.

Ready for tea!
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Beth 1 Comment
Recipes

Twice Baked Potato Bites

June 15, 2021
Twice Baked Potato Bites are a miniature version of that dinner time favorite – Twice Baked Potatoes. This little morsel is easy to prepare and easier to eat. Perfect for an appetizer, party or afternoon tea. I serve Twice Baked Potato Bites as part of the savory course for my afternoon teas. And they are always a hit – gone when the plates are cleared.

Just like the bigger version, Twice Baked Potato Bites go together in a very similar way….just much smaller.

INGREDIENTS
- 12 small potatoes
- Sour Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Cream
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Bacon
- Chives
- Salt and Pepper
BAKING THE POTATOES

You can choose any small potato to use. I used small red potatoes that were about quarter or golf ball size. I wanted it to be one bite. However, any small potato will work.

Prepare your potatoes first. I used the microwave because it was easy and quick. Wash and dry your potatoes. Put one knife poke in the potato – preferably on the side that you will be scooping out. Lay the potatoes on a plate and microwave for 2 minutes on high, testing the potatoes for doneness. I bring them out when they feel just a little under baked, cover them and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. This will allow them to continue to cook.

If you don’t want to use your microwave, you can also boil the potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes or fork tender.

PREPARING AND STUFFING THE POTATOES

Once the potatoes are cooked and cooled, you want to take a sharp knife and take a very small slice off the bottom of the potato. This will allow your potato to sit flat on the plate. Then cut a larger oval off the top of the potato. Remove the skin and save this for your stuffing. Then take a small spoon (a demitasse spoon works perfectly) and gently scoop out the inside of the potato, leaving enough of the potato “wall” to hold the potato shape. Repeat this for all your potatoes.

Take the potato filling and mix with sour cream, butter, cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped up bacon. Mix with enough cream to blend together. Salt and pepper to taste. You can vary this for any way that you would like to make your twice baked potatoes. You might use blue cheese or just sour cream and butter. It’s however you want to make them.

Take a scoop of the potato filling and stuff into the potato shell. Mound on top. Repeat for all your potatoes.

At this point, you can bake immediately or you can refrigerate. These Twice Baked Potato Bites can be made the day ahead as well.

TWICE BAKING THE POTATO BITES

To bake your Twice Baked Potato Bites, preheat you oven to 400 degrees. Place your potatoes on a baking sheet. I line my sheet with parchment paper or foil to prevent any sticking. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned on top.

If you have made your Twice Baked Potato Bites ahead of time, let them come to room temperature for a bit before baking.

SERVING THE TWICE BAKED POTATO BITES

To serve, you have several options. I like to take a piece of bacon and a chive on top of the potato. You can also serve with a dollop of sour cream.

These are a great little finger food. One per person for an afternoon tea. One easily goes into your mouth for that perfect creamy taste of twice baked potatoes.

Change up the filling and have fun! Enjoy these delicious little Twice Baked Potato Bites!
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5 from 1 vote

Twice Baked Potato Bites

A smaller version of twice baked potatoes. Perfect for appetizers or afternoon tea savories.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword Afternoon Tea Savory, Small Twice Baked Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
12 Small potatoes Quarter to golf ball sized
⅛ cup Sour Cream
⅛ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
⅛ cup Cream Cheese
1 tsp Butter
1 tbsp Cream (or milk)
2 pieces Bacon, cooked and crumbled Reserve a few pieces to place on top of potatoes
Chives (optional)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions
PREPARE THE POTATOES
Wash and dry potatoes
Place potatoes on place
Poke on top to prevent bursting in microwave
Microwave for 2 minutes or until done
Remove potatoes and cover. Allow to rest for 10 minutes while preparing the stuffing.
PREPARING THE STUFFING
After the potatoes have cooled, take a very small slice off the bottom of the potato so it can sit upright on the serving plate.
With a sharp knife, cut off the top of the potato. Reserve the inside of the top to include in the stuffing.
Using a small spoon, gently scoop out the inside of the potato leaving enough in the "wall" of the potato to have it retain its shape.
Mix the sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, butter with the reserved potato. Add cream (or milk) to create filling. Salt and pepper to taste.
Fill potato with enough filling to mound on top.
BAKING POTATOES
Heat oven to 400°. Place on prepared baking sheet (line with parchment or silicon sheet).
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Top with bacon and chives for serving.

Notes
These bites can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you want to serve. Bring to room temperature and then bake as described.
Change up the filling and serve to your taste.
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Beth 2 Comments
Recipes

Skewer Appetizers – An Easy Treat

May 23, 2021
What is a skewer appetizer? These Skewer Appetizers – an easy treat are a delightful little tidbit of several flavors, easy to make and easy to enjoy! There are so many variations – I will be sharing a Caprese Skewer that I frequently serve for afternoon tea as a savory. Its fresh taste is a nice interlude so all the richness that is frequently served with savories. But this only serves as a platform for you to change and create new skewers depending on your menu. Here is Caprese Skewer – one skewer appetizer – an easy treat.

Ingredients
- Fresh Italian Basil
- Mozzarella Balls (I use the marinated ones)
- Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
- Bamboo Skewers
- Balsamic Glaze Reduction
Assembling the Skewers

Its very simple. For the Caprese Skewers, take one of the basil leaves, fold it and insert onto the bamboo skewer. Follow this by one tomato, then a mozzarella ball, another tomato, and finally another piece of basil folded.

If you are not serving immediately, place the skewers in a container and refrigerate for up to one day. Any longer and the basil will turn dark to black.

I like to use 4 inch bamboo skewers. These can be purchased about anywhere. Grocery stores, restaurant supply stores, and even Amazon.

A comment about the basil. For the Caprese Skewer, you will want to use Italian Basil. Thai Basil is frequently available but has a sharper and peppery taste – you could use this for an Asian inspired skewer.

Prepare the Balsamic Glaze Reduction by taking 1 cup of Balsamic Vinegar and bringing it to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until it reaches the thickness that you desire. Don’t inhale over the pot – the vinegar fumes are pretty strong as they reduce. This reduction will keep for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

If you won’t want to use a Balsamic reduction, you can use an Italian dressing or a Balsamic dressing. Dress your skewer directly before serving. If done too early will turn your basil black.

Serving and Variations

To serve, simply place the skewer on your serving plate and drizzle with the Balsamic Reduction….and enjoy! If serving for afternoon tea, place with other savories for your guests.

This recipe is so simple and has so many variations. Here are just a few to stimulate your imagination.
- Mint / Watermelon cubes / Feta cubes
- Italian Basil / Salami / Tomato / Mozzarella
- Italian Basil / Pepperoni / Tomato / Mozzarella / Pepperoncini…topped with marinara sauce
- Thai Basil / Cucumber / Green Pepper / Roasted Chicken….topped with soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce
Serve for a party, have a platter full. Or serve individually – great for an afternoon savory. Skewer appetizers…..an easy treat.

Ready to enjoy with other tea time treats!
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5 from 1 vote

Caprese Skewers

An easy and delicious appetizer skewer, only limited by your imagination.

Course Appetizer
Keyword Appetizer Skewers, Caprese Skewers

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
12 Marinated mozzarella balls
24 Grape or cherry tomatoes
24 Fresh basil leaves
12 Bamboo skewers
Balsamic Glaze Reduction
1 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions
Assemble items for skewers
Starting with a basil leaf, fold leaf and insert onto skewer
Place remaining items in sequence – basil, tomato, mozzarella, tomato, basil
Drizzle with balsamic glaze / reduction
Balsamic Glaze / Reduction
Take 1 cup of Balsamic vinegar and place in a saucepan.
Bring the vinegar to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 -1 5 minutes or until reduction reaches your desired thickness.

Notes
This is a very simple recipe and really can be altered and adjusted to fit your imagination. The numbers are only an idea depending on what your guest number is.
Other variations include Mint / Watermelon / Feta Cheese Cubes, Basil / Salami / Tomato / Mozzarella, Basil / Pepperoni / Mozzarella / Pepperoncini.
Can be made ahead and refrigerated for several hours before serving. However, not too long as the basil will turn dark or black.
The Balsamic Reduction will keep for up to 3 months if kept in an airtight container.
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Beth 2 Comments
Recipes

Pretty Fours – Simple Elegant Cakes

May 10, 2021
This little treat is a delicious little mouthful of almond flavor and elegance. Not to be confused with Petit Fours, these little cakes are called Pretty Fours. First presented by my sister, Pretty Fours are simple yet elegant cakes. This recipe can also serve as a basis for many variations depending on your imagination. These are a great option for Afternoon Tea – Desserts or for group functions. Here is how it comes together – its really just this easy! Here is Pretty Fours – Simple Elegant Cakes.

Ingredients
- Cake Flour
- Almond Paste (can or tube)
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Buttercream Frosting
  - Butter
  - Vanilla
  - Powdered Sugar
  - Cream (or milk)
Putting the cake together

This is a very simple cake to put together. But an important step is to crumble up the almond paste by itself. This helps to facilitate the blending of the ingredients into a smooth batter.

Once the almond paste is crumbled, mix in the sugar and 2 of the eggs. Beat until smooth. Add your room temperature butter and then the remaining 4 eggs.

Grease and / or line your 15X10 jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Pour batter in pan and spread to even. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. Let the cake completely cool before cutting into shapes.

Prepare the toppings for your Pretty Fours

Here is where the fun of these little cakes begins. You can use several toppings just depending on your imagination and your menu. You can use the buttercream frosting recipe provided or use jams or curds. The options are endless and you just have to give them a try.

Putting the Pretty Fours cakes together

Using a 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut the cool cake into desired circles. This cake is a dense cake full of almond flavor. It holds the cut very well and allows you to frost as a single layer or as a double layer, with a filling. Though I have only used the circular cookie cutter, I think you could use any shape as long as the cake is level.
You can see both a single cake and a double cake. The double cake is filled with simple strawberry jam and then topped with a second layer of cake and buttercream frosting. For a recent afternoon tea, I served this cake as a Strawberry Jam Cake and had fresh strawberries on the side.

Serving your Pretty Fours

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This cake freezes well, uncut or cut. And it also freezes well went it is prepared as a Pretty Four. You can always have some in your freezer for those impromptu afternoon tea times! Have fun and enjoy.

These little treats are special additions to your sweet recipe file…..Pretty Fours – simple elegant cakes
.
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5 from 2 votes

Pretty Fours

A delicious and moist almond cake that serves as a base for buttercream frosting or fillings

Course Dessert
Keyword Afternoon Tea Desserts, Almond cake, Jam cakes, Pretty Four

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Frosting / filling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Servings 50 cakes

Ingredients
1¼ cup cake flour
1 can 8 ounce almond paste (or tube of almond paste)
1¼ cup sugar
6 eggs
1⅓ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Buttercream Frosting
½ cup salted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar
1-3 tbsp cream or milk (use to thin as appropriate)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°
Crumble almond paste by itself. Very important step.
Add sugar and 2 eggs. Beat until there are no lumps in the mixture.
Take room temperature butter and add to mixture.
Add remaining 4 eggs to batter.
Fold in the flour.
Place in greased jelly roll pan, 15X10 inch
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until light brown.
Cool completely.
When cool, use 1½ inch cookie cutter to cut out circles.
Mix buttercream frosting until smooth.
Using piping bag, pipe flower of frosting on top.

Notes
This cake freezes well uncut or in cut circles.
You can top as a single layer or double and will with jam or curd.
Allow to come to room temp for serving.
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Beth 4 Comments
Recipes

An Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe

March 15, 2021
March comes around and all the delicious Irish recipes come to the table. One favorite of mine is Irish Soda Bread. Best fresh out of the oven, great toasted and loaded with butter. Anyway you serve it, Irish Soda Bread is a treat. Here is an easy Irish Soda Bread recipe that I have been using for years. This recipe comes from Ina Garten https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/irish-soda-bread-recipe-1949134. I first started using this recipe around 2006 and have kept it as one of my favorites since then.

The History of Irish Soda Bread

Let’s talk about this historic bread. You might initially think that it was first developed by the Irish but actually, the first bread documented using a non-yeast form of leaven was by the Native Americans who used pearl ash as soda to make their breads rise. The Irish continued to develop this rustic bread when baking soda was introduced and can be found as early as 1830’s. Its origins continue to be evidence of a hearty people needing to feed during a time of famine, so making it with what was available was critical. First loaves were made of whole wheat and didn’t include fruits or additives. Many Irish families did not have ovens so early loaves were baked in a three-legged iron skillet over a fire. Today, loaves can be made on a sheet pan, in a cake pan or iron skillet.

Not only is the recipe steeped in tradition, but also the shape of the loaf. In Northern Ireland, loaves were cut into triangles whereas in the Southern regions, loaves were shaped into the classic round and with the characteristic “X” on top. And that “X” was to release fairies and ward off evil, keeping families safe.

This is a quick bread, eaten with the main meal and enjoyed warm and slathered in butter.

Nowadays there are many variations on the basic recipe. This is a fairly basic one – but includes the addition of currants and orange zest. Let’s look at the ingredients.

Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking soda – of course!!!
- Kosher Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- Buttermilk
- Egg
- Orange Zest
- Dried Currants
Putting the Bread Together

This is not a complex bread but there are many schools of though on how it should go together. I followed the recipe but will also tell you some of my variations.

Mix your dry ingredients together – flour, sugar, soda and salt. This recipe calls for you to use an electric mixer, so you would mix in the mixer bowl. But this can also be done by hand.

Then add the butter. Chilled and cut into small pieces, you want this combined into the your dry ingredients.

In a measuring cup, take your buttermilk, egg and orange zest and mix them together. If I don’t have buttermilk, I have used a powdered butter milk product (Saco Buttermilk Powder) or the old tradition of lemon or vinegar in milk. As well, if you don’t have fresh orange zest, I have used dried orange peel as a substitute.

With your mixer on low, add the liquid mixture to your dry ingredients. Mix to just combine. Dust your currants with a little flour and add to the mixture.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 3-4 times. Don’t over knead. And this is one of the other differences as well – some recipes don’t knead at all and some do. I did to make sure the currants were evenly distributed. But if not adding a fruit, not sure that the kneading changes the end product, so it’s your preference.

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Baking the bread

Form the dough into a loaf. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. You can also bake this in a cast iron skillet or in a round cake pan. And remember to release the fairies – using a very sharp knife or a serrated knife, cut the traditional “X” in the top of your loaf.

Dust the top of the unbaked loaf with a little flour to add a rustic flair to the bread. Into the oven for 45 – 55 minutes and the smell will permeate your kitchen!

The bread is finished when a tester comes out clean and you tap on the bottom of the loaf and it sounds hollow. Let cool on a rack.
This is an easy bread that comes together quickly and truly this is an easy Irish Soda Bread recipe. Best when eaten fresh and warm, but if you are making this ahead, it can be frozen once baked.r

Serving suggestions

Though originally this bread was served with the main meal, it can be served at any time. First meal with eggs and breakfast meats, lunch with ham and cheese, and even just for afternoon tea. A thick slice, warm with butter and a little jam is a delight. Steep yourself a nice cup of Irish Breakfast tea or Irish Cream….pull up a chair and up go the feet to enjoy a moment of relaxation….. and Go gcuire Dia an t-ádh ort (Guh gir’uh d’eeuh uhn tah ort) or May God Put Luck on You!
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5 from 1 vote

Irish Soda Bread

An easy and delicious soda bread with currants and a light taste of orange zest.

Cuisine Irish
Keyword Irish Soda Bread, Irish Soda Bread with Currants, Soda Bread

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
4 cups all purpose flour 1 tbsp for dusting currants
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
1¾ cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp grate orange zest
1 cup dried currants

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle, add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg and orange zest together in a measuring cup.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. The dough will be fairly wet.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times. Form into a round loaf.
Place the load on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut with a X into the top of the bread. Dust with a little flour.
Bake for 45 – 55 minutes or until a cake test comes out clean. The loaf should have a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes
This bread is best when eaten fresh, warm and with butter. Also delicious when toasted and buttered. If making this bread ahead of serving, can be frozen baked.
If you prefer, this bread can be mixed by hand. Combine the butter and flour with your hand, then mix the liquid ingredients in. Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 3-4 times. Bake as outlined above.
This recipe is from Ina Garten http s://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/irish-soda-bread-recipe-1949134
_{Sources for historical references: https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/irish-soda-bread-history/, https://www.myrecipes.com/holidays-and-occasions/st-patricks-day-recipes/history-of-irish-soda-bread,https://www.abigailsbakery.com/bread-recipes/history-of-irish-soda-bread.htm}
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Beth 2 Comments
Recipes

Citrus Almond Quick Bread

March 1, 2021
Here is a delicious quick bread, one just ready for spring time. Its Citrus Almond Quick Bread. A perfect bread for sharing with a great cup of tea.

This recipe was developed by Michelle from A Latte Food and I didn’t change a thing. I love a good quick bread and this one will not disappoint.

Here’s how it goes together

Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Lime Zest
- Lemon Zest
- Canola Oil (or Vegetable Oil)
- Milk
- Eggs
- Lemon Juice
- Lime Juice
- Almond Extract
- GLAZE
  - Powdered Sugar
  - Lemon or lime juice
  - Almond Extract
  - Almond Slices
Putting the dry ingredients together

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and both lemon and lime zest.

Putting the liquid ingredients together

In another small bowl, mix together oil, milk, eggs, lemon juice, lime juice, and almond extract. Whisk together until well combined.

Put it all together

This recipe is easy and is put together by hand. Take the wet ingredients and fold them into the dry until completely incorporated.

Pour into prepared 8×4 pan. I use cooking spray and parchment paper but you can just grease the pan as well. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. It took perfectly 55 minutes for this loaf to be done. And resulted in a beautifully domed loaf.

To finish off this delicious little loaf, you glaze it with a lemon-lime powdered sugar glaze and top with almond slices. For ease, I put the glaze in a plastic bottle. Once the almond slices were applied, I topped with a second helping of the glaze.

Serving

This bread freezes well. Best served at room temperature and deliciously with a hot cup of tea. This is a great bread to gift and to share. Enjoy Citrus Almond Quick Bread.
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Citrus Almond Quick Bread

This lemon – lime flavored quick bread is integrated with a subtle flavor of almond. Topped with a lemon glaze and sliced almonds, this quick bread is a perfect lemon dessert for your spring afternoon tea.

Course quick bread
Keyword Citrus Almond Quick Bread, Lemon Lime Quick Bread

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 10 slices

Author Michelle

Ingredients
1½ cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp lime zest
1 tbsp lemon zest
⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
½ cup milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp almond extract
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp lemon or lime juice, or a mixture of both
¼ cup sliced almonds

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 ° and grease an 8½ x 4½ bread pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment.
Bread
In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and both lemon and lime zest. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together canola oil, milk, eggs, lemon and lime juice and almond extract. Whisk until well combined.
Slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Once the mixture has just been combined, pour the batter into prepared bread pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool 10-20 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a cooling rack.
Glaze
Mix lemon juice or lime juice (or a combination), almond extract, and powdered sugar together until well combined.
With the bread on the cooling rack, pour glaze over the bread. Immediately, while the glaze is still wet, sprinkle the almonds on top. Allow glaze to set, about five minutes or so before cutting.

Notes
This loaf freezes well.
This delicious recipe was taken from Michelle at ALatteFood.
https://www.alattefood.com/citrus-almond-loaf-cake/
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Beth 2 Comments
Recipes

How To Make Chocolate Madeleines

February 8, 2021
Want to take a basic recipe and make it into a special favorite? This is how to make Chocolate Madeleines from a basic recipe. Perfect for Valentine’s, these madeleines are easy to make into some chocolate goodness. You may have already seen those beautiful golden madeleines that have spurred the age-old question….Is it a cookie or a cake? These have the same texture but are laden with chocolate flavors.

But what are these little delights. The story goes that, in 1755, Louis XV, son-in-law of the duke, was charmed by the little cakes prepared by Madeleine Paulmier, thus the name. And the rest is history.

Madeleines are shell-shaped delicious cookies that have a nice crunchy exterior with an amazing cake texture….thus the quandary. You will need that special madeleine pan that is just for making these cookies. I went with a non-stick one. There are several types to choose from.

So in search of a Valentine’s treat, I found this super easy and great recipe by the Pioneer Woman for just a basic madeleine. So full credit goes to Rea Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, for the foundation of this recipe and how to make chocolate madeleines. Flavored with vanilla and almond extract, these delights seemed like the great baseline to have some fun with. Here’s what I did to change them up a bit.

Ingredients

Here’s the ingredients and the items that I added (bolded).
- Unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the pan
- All purpose flour, plus extra for flouring the pan
- Dark cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Kosher salt
- Baking powder
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vanilla Bean Paste
- Almond Extract
- Semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
Putting them together

These cookies come together easily as compared to other madeleine recipes.

Take the butter and melt it in a pan, allowing it to bubble and foam. Let this cool.
While the butter is cooling, take your dry ingredients and mix them together. Set them aside while you prepare the egg mixture.

In your electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until you achieve this thick and pale yellow mixture. This takes about 6 – 8 minutes. Its actually very beautiful as it transitions. Add your extracts. The combination of the vanilla and almond make a great pairing with chocolate.

Fold half of your dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Then the butter and remaining flour. Cover the bowl and place in your refrigerator to cool for 1 hour. The batter will thicken while its is chilling.
Preheat your oven and get the pan ready.

Preparing the pan

These pans are great. They come in smaller sizes as well but I have always used the standard size. Using your pastry brush, coat the cavity liberally with butter and then dust with flour. You want the pan to be well coated so the cookies will come out. Otherwise they will get caught in the ridges of the pan.
Place 1 tablespoon of batter in each of the cookie cavities – its a great firm batter. You don’t need to spread the batter – this happens in the oven. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until they spring back lightly to touch. And they do – its glorious.
Take out of the oven and using a fork, gently lift the edges up and the cookie should come right out. Let them cool on a rack completely.

I decided to do stripes on the cookies instead of the traditional dipping. Not sure why I broke tradition, but they turned out delicious. I melted the chocolate chips in the microwave and then put the chocolate in a plastic bottle and striped the cookies. You could use a plastic bag or piping bag as well. And you could even just use your fork to do a splatter stripe on the cookie.
Lessons Learned…..

If you have read some of my other posts, you know I like to try new recipes and change things but I also like to share my “lessons learned” with you. Learning every time I make something new or change something, I hope that these skips and bumps help you in some way.

Freezing….not so good! I like to freeze everything. Make ahead and freeze has been my motto but I found that with these, it changed the texture of the cookies. they became very dense. They didn’t deter me from eating them but they didn’t have that classic fluffy madeleine texture. So I would not recommend freezing them.

Chocolate Stripe instead of Dipping…..I wanted something a little different than the usual dip, though I have been told “dip the whole thing – I love chocolate”. I chose to do a little diagonal stripe across the top. Now if you have frozen these little gems, the chocolate doesn’t adhere well. Looks great but comes off in chunks, so I would as I said before, not freeze. Dip or decorate once cooled, and the chocolate will adhere.

Serving

In any case, even with the “lessons learned”, these little cookies were delicious and a treat to serve. Steep up a nice hot cup of Godiva Roche Rooibos tea or your favorite tea. It will go great with the chocolate and almond flavors in these cookies. Grab your sweetheart, make a batch of Chocolate Madeleines….and you have a sweet Valentine’s treat.
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Chocolate Madeleines

A cookie or a cake, these delicious version of the classic madeleines loaded with chocolate flavor.

Course Cookies
Keyword chocolate, madeleines

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Refrigerating dough 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 42 minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients
10 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp unsalted butter, for buttering the pan
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
2 tbsp all purpose flour, for flouring the pan
¼ tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 eggs, room temperature
⅔ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
½ tsp almond extract
⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, for glaze

Instructions
Melt 10 tbsp butter over medium heat. Cook butter over medium – low heat stirring frequently while it foams and bubbles. After about 5 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool.
Whisk sifted flour, salt, baking powder, cocoa and chocolate chips. Set aside.
In an electric mixer, on medium high speed, beat the eggs and sugar for 6-8 minutes until thickened and pale yellow. Beat in the vanilla bean paste and the almond extract.
Gently fold in ½ of the flour mixture. Fold in the butter. Add the remaining flour and fold gently until incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Using your pastry brush, coat each cavity of the madeleine pan. Dust with flour, tapping off the excess.
Remove the batter from the refrigerator but do NOT stir. Place a heaping tablespoon of batter into each cavity. Do NOT spread the batter – this will happen in the oven. Place the remaining batter in the refrigerator in between baking cookies.
Place the cookies in the oven and lower the temperature to 350°. Bake for 12 minutes or until the cookie springs back to touch.
Remove from the oven and using a fork, lightly loosen the cookie out of the pan. Allow the cookie to cool completely on the rack.
Take the ⅔ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and melt in microwave. Using a pastry bag, or plastic bottle, place stripes of chocolate across the cookie.
Store cooled madeleines in airtight containers, layering with waxed paper.

Notes
This recipe was adapted from The Pioneer Woman.
I do not recommend freezing these cookies – it changes the texture and makes them dense….still delicious but not like a madeleine.

Equipment
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Beth 2 Comments
Recipes

Making Cucumber Finger Sandwiches

February 1, 2021
The cucumber sandwich is the quintessential tea time finger sandwich for anyone who enjoys afternoon tea. Making cucumber finger sandwiches is easy and just as fun but let’s first talk about the classic basic cucumber finger sandwich.

The first course in an afternoon tea is known as the savories and one of the keystone sandwiches is a simple cucumber sandwich. Though cucumbers have been around for centuries, the use of them in sandwiches first started with the advent of afternoon tea in the 1800’s. Serving a light meal in between breakfast and dinner, afternoon tea gave royalty and upper class the sustenance to maintain until the evening meal. Composed of small items, finger sandwiches and in particular cucumber sandwiches were a frequent and now expected item for the menu.

Basic Cucumber Finger Sandwich

The basic cucumber sandwich is a very simple sandwich of thinly sliced cucumbers on thinly sliced and lightly buttered bread. The bread can be your choice, but the classic sandwich is usually white bread. the crusts are removed and the sandwich cut into three small finger sandwiches.

Basic ingredients are white bread – I like to use a firm but not rustic bread. Pepperidge Farms has a nice sliced loaf that is fairly dense. You can sometimes find it in the thin slices. Butter and an English Cucumber. If you are using unsalted butter, then you can add a little touch of salt to the sandwich. Don’t peel or seed the cucumber – you want the vibrant color to come through.

Prepare your cucumbers. You want thin slices. I like to use my mandoline on the lowest setting but you can use a sharp knife as well.

Lightly butter one side of the bread. Make sure your butter is room temperature. Then layer the thinly sliced cucumber slices on the bread. Add a light dash of salt and top with a second light buttered slice of bread.
Putting The Sandwiches Together
Cut the crusts off the sandwich and then slice the sandwich into three finger-sized portions. Use a serrated knife. You are now ready to enjoy your cucumber tea sandwiches.
Variations On A Theme

But wait…..there are endless variations on this theme. You can switch out the butter for cream cheese, add dill or other seasonings, try different breads and even alter the shape to fit the occasion. Literally endless variations on the fugue, only limited by your imagination.

Here’s a basic cream cheese version along with some of my favorite variations on the cucumber tea sandwich.

Cream Cheese Filling Variation

Use one 8 ounce package of cream cheese at room temperature.

Take your cucumber and cut it in half. Use one half of the cucumber for your slices. The other half for the cream cheese mixture.

You will want to seed the cucumber before adding to the cream cheese. Cucumbers have a high water content and it will make your cream cheese spread too watery. Seeding a cucumber is very easy. Slice the length of the cucumber and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

Chop up the cucumber and add the dill and cream cheese to a food processor. Blend till mostly smooth – I like a little chunkiness to it.

Its that simple. Refrigerate this mixture until ready to use. When ready, just spread on your bread like you would the butter and then embellish as desired.

Serving and Enjoying

These sandwiches can be made several hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. I will lightly dampen a paper towel and lay it on the bottom of my plastic container. Then lay the sandwiches in a single layer. Cover with another damp paper towel. The sandwiches will stay fresh and not dry out until its time for service.

Serve your sandwiches along side your other savories and enjoy!

Some Fun Ideas To Try

I have used different breads – classic white bread with a dense texture, pumpernickel, gluten free bread and even raisin bread.

Using my cookie cutters, I have made mushroom shaped with a tomato lady bug for the Midsummer Night’s Tea . For Christmas, I took a Christmas tree cookie cutter and embellished with fresh dill.
A garden tea I used a square theme with cucumber, dill and radishes. A delicious fresh taste. And of course for that Valentine’s Tea, a heart shaped cookie cutter with a tomato rose on top.
Making cucumber finger sandwiches is easy and fun and will make your afternoon tea a very special time. Have fun and enjoy!

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Beth 2 Comments
Recipes

Gluten Free Teatime Treats

January 4, 2021
Recently, I gifted an afternoon tea to a group of ladies. Always a delightful experience but one that requires a lot of planning and preparation. One of my standard questions when hosting any event is “Are their food allergies or food preferences?” Though I have had few requests for gluten free items, nowadays you need to have that available. This time around, I did have requests for a gluten free menu. So this post will focus on Gluten Free Teatime Treats and what I did to make the menu work for these guests.

Menu Adjustments

Here is the menu that was developed and those items that I chose to recreate using a gluten free approach. I wanted my guests to feel like they were having the same experience with the tea, so I tried to mirror the menu as much as possible.

Some items were made to be completely gluten free for all guests and others were made in duplicate with both gluten containing items and gluten free versions.
- Savories
  - Blue Cheese Tart with Cranberry Chutney ** Adjusted tart crust for all guests.
  - Spinach Ball with Marinara Sauce ** Adjusted bread crumb ingredient. Served both gluten free and gluten containing options.
  - Caprese Skewer with Balsamic Reduction – No adjustment necessary
  - English Sausage Roll in Puff Pastry ** Reworked to be a Sausage Handpie. Guests had the traditional puff pastry roll.
  - Cucumber Sandwich ** Used gluten free bread for all guests
- Scones
  - Toffee Scone ** Adjusted recipe and presented both gluten free and gluten containing.
  - Currant Scone ** Adjusted recipe and presented both gluten free and gluten containing.
- Sweets
  - Gran Marnier Brownie ** Adjusted recipe for all guests.
  - Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread ** Adjusted recipe and presented both gluten free and gluten containing.
  - Peppermint Bark – No adjustment necessary
  - Eggnog Mouse with Ginger Snap Crumbles – No adjustment necessary. Ensured that the pudding in the recipe was gluten free and omitted the Ginger Snap Crumbles.
Product used

I chose to go with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. This product allows for 1:1 substitution. It has all the ingredients that I would need to adjust the recipes for my gluten free clients. And because this was my first foray into gluten free preparation, I wanted to make this straightforward as well. I learned of the gluten free request late in the planning and also felt that I needed to be able to expedite my timeline for preparation.

https://www.bobsredmill.com/

I have published some of these recipes as gluten containing, so will reference both of them as a comparison. But here’s how things turned out, with lessons learned!

Blue Cheese Tart with Cranberry Chutney

This is one of the savories that I served for the Christmas tea. It is a delicious little quiche-like bite topped with a cranberry chutney and a sprig of rosemary. I use cranberry relish for the chutney – an easy holiday standard. It starts with making a butter crust. So instead of using all purpose flour I substituted Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Just straight across.

Lesson Learned: The crust is moister than a traditional crust that is flakey – blind baking was a little tough. So I just removed the foil and beans and let the crust bake and dry out a little. Then layered the blue cheese and the custard as I would normally. It worked out beautifully and I would make this again.

Blue Cheese Tart with Cranberry Chutney

Spinach Balls with Marinara Sauce

I have posted this recipe before Spinach Balls – A Savory Treat. These little morsels call for bread stuffing to be used in the recipe. I had already made the batch for gluten containing recipe and decided to make another version for my GF guests. Instead of the bread stuffing, I used ground up corn chips. They turned out great and would as well serve these again.
Original Recipe / Gluten Free Recipe
English Sausage Roll vs. Handpie

This was one of the more challenging recipes to adjust. This recipe for Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls calls for the use of Puff Pastry. I couldn’t find a substitute so went a different route. Using the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour pie dough recipe, I created a hand pie. After making the pie crust, I rolled it out and cut a 3 inch circle. The dough was easy to make and easy to work with. I placed a rounded teaspoon of sausage in the center, closed over the circle into a semi-circle and sealed the edges with a fork. I did use an egg wash on the top. Poking holes to release the steam as the sausage cooked, I baked on a parchment lined sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly brown. I found that the gluten free recipe didn’t brown as readily as the puff pastry, so I used an egg wash to help brown the hand pie. These too turned out amazing. They had a nice crunch to them and were served with the honey mustard sauce that I did with the sausage rolls.
Cucumber Sandwich

This was the easiest of all. I just replaced the bread I normally use with gluten free bread. And voila – gluten free alternative cucumber sandwich.

Toffee Scone / Currant Scone

With this adjustment, I made completely separate scones for my gluten free guests. However, I took my traditional Toffee Scone Recipe Sweet Scone recipe, omitted the toffee chips and made it as usual, divided in two. Then added the currants to one batch and toffee chips to the other half.

Lesson Learned: These scones looked amazing but my first bake, I kept thinking that they would brown up. They do not. And I ended up overbaking them, not burning them but overbaking. Once overbaked they are crunchy like a cookie and definitely not a scone texture. I opted to redo them and but a milk wash to facilitate browning. And most importantly – underbaked them. When I thought they weren’t done – I took them out. So they were baked at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes and I watched them intensely.
Raw scones / Baked Scones
These scones were okay – not my favorite. So will have to work on them but I think they were acceptable for the tea. But will be striving to improve.

Gran Marnier Brownie Bites

I have not posted these before but have used them several times for my afternoon teas and they are decadent. Little bites of dense and intense chocolate brownie with an amazing chocolate ganache….all flavored with orange and Gran Marnier. For this recipe, Gran Marnier Brown Bites, I just substituted the flour for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and they were superb. Tasted the very same as the all purpose flour ones. So all my guests received this treat and I will top these brownies will a little orange zest for that extra punch of citrus and also letting my guests know of the flavor profile. I would definitely make these again.

Gran Marnier Brownie Bites

Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread

I recently posted on these Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread. So I did the same switch as I have with several other of these recipes – just interchanged the all purpose flour for the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. They turned out beautifully but the baked texture is a little more crumbly and dry. The dough is great to work with and very similar to the original recipe. Again, though I had learned from my over-baking previously, I think I could have underbaked a little more. These will not brown like their all purpose counterparts but still have the great Earl Grey and buttery shortbread taste. I glazed them like the others and they were a treasure. I would make these again with the caution of the bake time.
All Purpose Flour Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread
Gluten Free Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread
Final Thoughts

I was very pleased to be able to offer these very delicious gluten free alternatives. I share this with my readers as many of you have asked whether or not these recipes can be made gluten free. And I am here to tell you YES they can! I would make many of these again and enjoy them just the same. Always some learnings but some successes as well. Gluten Free Teatime treats is a great option for your guests.

Oh and author’s note – No I am not currently being paid for endorsing Bob’s Red Mill products. Just felt it was the more readily available option at the time!
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Beth 52 Comments