Category Archives: England

The “foodie” highlight of my trip to Devon in England last week, to visit my Mother, was to disappear for an hours peace and quiet and seriously indulge myself with a “Devon Clotted Cream Tea”.

I had not intended to succumb to temptation due to my expanding waistline, diet, sense of guilt etc, but as I walked past all the cafes and saw people eating “cream teas”, I could not resist.

Cream teas are to Piglet like Eve’s “apple” was to Adam. To be honest, after just 24hrs with my Mother I was definitely in need of some comfort food. Please trust me when I tell you I needed an hour or two alone for my nerves to recover and gather my thoughts for the next onslaught. My Mother, at 85, is not only cantankerous, but as difficult to reason with as a nest full of angry wasps. This drains me both physically and mentally.

A Devon Cream Tea, for the uninitiated, usually consists of a scone, thick clotted cream and homemade jam plus a pot of tea. Hmmm delicious

This is probably as typically English as you can get. Yes, the cream and jam combination gives me the heartburn from hell, but occasionally it’s worth suffering the discomfort.

Sitting down at a pavement café in the sunshine I placed my order for a Devon Cream Tea and waited for it to arrive.

Two women sat at the table opposite chatting about this and that. It made such a change for me to be able to eavesdrop on a conversation I could actually understand. My Cream Tea arrived; a pot of tea, TWO scones, a dish of jam and real devon clotted cream – what a treat!

I carefully cut each of the scones in half, spooned on the jam and then the clotted cream – a food orgy indeed! I was just about to take my first mouthful when I heard one of the women on the table opposite say…
“Oooh I could only eat one of these scones, two is just plain greedy”
I felt absolutely mortified for being such a glutton and wished the ground would open up to devour both me and my Devon Cream Tea; at least I could finish one or maybe two scones away from their prying eyes.

Hey, the diet starts tomorrow – live for today!

Related posts:
I hate diets because I love food…
Mrs Blobby’s 10kg Fat Attack!

SCONE RECIPE
This is a really simple recipe for scones. I am unable to buy the clotted cream in Portugal but I can still enjoy them with my homemade jam.

Ingredients
8oz plain flour
pinch of salt
½ level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 level teaspoons cream of tartar
1½oz margarine
4 tablespoons (approx) of milk
4 tablespoons (approx) of water

Method
Mix together (sift) flour, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda into large bowl.
Cut up margarine into small chunks and rub into flour until breadcrumb texture.
Gradually add milk and water and form into soft, but manageable dough.
Roll the dough to about ½” thick.
With pastry cutter cut into 2” rounds cutting as many scones as possible by utilizing the trimmings.
Place scones onto a preheated ungreased baking tray and brush with them with milk.
Bake near top of oven 450F for approx 10mins, until risen and are lightly golden brown.