My 31st birthday is less than a week away and I haven’t made too much of a dent in my 30-While-30 list.  While there are a few things that I’ve made, but not photographed, the vast majority of items have remained untouched.  So, I haven’t tried my hand at homemade fondant or whipped up English muffins just for the heck of it, but I did leave my corporate job, take a handful of classes and start a company.  That has to count for something, right?  I still want to finish my list, but there’s no way it’s happening with less than a week to go.  I’ll come up with something.

But in the meantime, I want to share this recipe with my readers.  I added scones and shortbread (coming soon!) to my list because they pair beautifully with tea.  While I certainly enjoy a cup of tea on the go, selecting a tea from my growing collection, brewing a pot  and savoring it slowly with tasty treats has become a favorite past time.  I first made these scones for an afternoon tea party Lisa’s (my fellow blogger!) house.  We whiled away the afternoon in her dining room chatting, sipping icewine tea and nibbling on scones, shortbread, lemon bars, raspberry kuchen and tiny sandwiches.

Thanks to the dark chocolate, orange zest and heavy cream, these scones are soft and rich with warm orange undertones.  They’re delicious warm out of the oven or room temperature the next day.  Pair with a piping hot cup of tea for a sublime breakfast or afternoon snack.

Orange Chocolate Chip Scones

Yields 8 scones

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 – 3/4 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F andline a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Place the granulated sugar in a large bowl and add the orange zest and.  Using your fingers, rub the orange zest and the granulated sugar together until the sugar is uniformly moistened.
3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, whisking to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour in the cream and, using your fingers or a fork, stir together until combined.
5. Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead to bring dough together. Pat into an 8-inch circle and cut into 8 triangles.
6. Place triangles on prepared baking sheet, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the scones are just lightly browned. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature.

Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

This year for Christmas, I got a fantastic cookbook for any Harry Potter-phile who knows their way around the kitchen - The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook.  It’s got plenty of great recipes for the treats found on the Hogwarts Express, dishes prepared in the kitchen by house elves, and all kinds of other tasty bites popular ‘across the pond.’  Coincidentally, on my list of 30 things to make while I’m 30, I happened to include the popular British tea-time snack the crumpet which expectedly is included in this book filled with British recipes. 

When I told my husband I was going to be making crumpets, he said…”what’s a crumpet?”   Crumpets are, in fact, a very tender and delicate cake similar to an English muffin in shape, but decidedly different in flavor and texture.  They are light and tender, as well as both sweet and savory.  My first crumpets were bought from a grocery store, wrapped in plastic and with a shelf life that probably rivals Twinkies.  I had always enjoyed them even if they were mass-manufactured, but I figured they couldn’t be that hard to make and sure enough, that’s true.  The most challenging part is that they require a circular mold to ensure they have the perfect circle shape – certainly you can go purchase a set of English Muffin rings like I did, but if you have a 3 or 4 inch round cookie cutter, or even a (well washed) tuna can with both ends cut off, these would work just fine.   Enjoy your crumpets toasted with butter and jam alongside a hot cup of tea – like Harry did, with the Minister of Magic.

Crumpets – from ‘The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook’ by Dinah Bucholz

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter

Whisk together dry ingredients.  Slowly mix in milk and butter until the mixture is smooth.  Let sit in a warm place for about 90 minutes, or until the mixture becomes bubbly and increased in size.  Grease English Muffin rings, and a griddle.  Preheat over low heat.  Scoop 1/3 of a cup of crumpet batter into each ring.  Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the top appears bubbly.  At this point remove the rings (They will be hot, so be careful!  Use tongs or an oven mitt.)  Flip the crumpets, and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Cool completely on a baking rack, and store in an airtight container.