I should call this article the health benefits of scones. There are many ways to strengthen the immune system. The best ways are to spend time with those you care for, being kind to yourself, and good food never hurts---make a date for Teatime.
During the holidays I try do something special, something
iconic and Christmas-y. To many of us in the USA, that means doing something
reminiscent of a “Victorian, English Christmas.” This year I invited a group of
friends to Christmas Tea at the Fleur De Lys Mansion B&B.
Tea refers to several different meals in countries, which
were formerly part of the British Empire. Teatime is the time at which the tea
meal is usually eaten, which is typically in the late afternoon, or early
evening when tea is traditionally served.
The Fleur De Lys Mansion B&B is a gorgeous, luxury inn
set in the grandeur of a 19th century mansion and features dark woods, leaded
glass windows, fire places, granite tile, and deep, soft brocade couches. Fleur
De Lys is located in St. Louis, Missouri’s grand, historic district of Compton
Heights.
Our wonderful tea was prepared Jane Muscroft of Queen’s
Cuisine LLC. Jane was born and bred in Melton, Leicester, England. She arrived
in America in 2000 and moved to St. Louis in 2007. She gives cookery classes at
a local supermarket chain, has a catering business, and sells pastries online
and at local farmer’s markets.
According to Jane’s website, English afternoon tea dates
back to 1840 and the home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, Belvoir Castle,
which is just 12 miles from Jane's home town of Melton. Anna Maria Stanhope,
the 7th Duchess of Bedford was visiting and asked for tea and bread to be
served in her quarters as it was mid-afternoon and she needed a little
something to stave off the 'sinking feeling' she was having. Typically a
Victorian dinner was not to be served until 8 pm in the evening.
Over time the original bread and butter became
sandwiches, scones and clotted cream were added as well as delicate little
pastries and desserts. Afternoon tea was born and became a social affair
of Victorian Britain for the ladies of the upper classes. Afternoon tea was
initially served in private residences. Then in the finest hotels of London
began providing afternoon tea. Today afternoon tea is a tradition at the Ritz
and Harrods in London as well many other tearooms, department stores and hotels
around the world.
Jane tells us “Somewhere along the line, Americans got the
idea that "high tea" meant "fancy," as in "high
class." In fact, a high tea is simply a light meal with a meat dish or
two, often eaten by laborers. The stereotypical tea with scones, clotted cream
and jam is properly known as "cream tea." Add some dainty sandwiches
and other pastries and it's called "afternoon tea."
Jane’s scones inspired me and as a Christmas present for my
sister-in-law I made scones for the first time. I choose to make
Cranberry-Black Walnut Scones, which are made with buttermilk. I made this
recipe because of the inherent healthiness of cranberries, black walnuts, and buttermilk!--- The wonderful flavor, and the way scones make breakfast, or tea,
a transcendent experience was an afterthought, right? (Also, amazingly easy
to make)
Cranberry & Walnut Scones
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Serves: 12, Yield: 12 Scones
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used bread flour-all I
had-worked out great)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup sugar (I used turbinado sugar—much healthier than
refined white)
2 tablespoons margarine (I used butter)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, nonfat
Cooking spray (I used parchment paper-no yucky sprays for
me)
3 tablespoons walnuts, chopped (I put 1/3 cup right in
the dough to take advantage of health benefits)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 400°F
Coat baking sheets with cooking spray, or use parchment
paper.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in a
medium bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender until mixture resembles
coarse meal. Stir in cranberries.
Add buttermilk and vanilla, stirring with a fork until dry
ingredients are moistened.
Spoon 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart,
onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with walnuts and
1 ½ teaspoons sugar.
Bake at 400F for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Makes 12
(13) scones.
Health Benefits
Cranberries
The website teachervision.com tells us Native Americans made
pemmican, deer meat and mashed cranberries mixed together as a survival cake
that kept for long periods of time, long before the Pilgrims arrived in 1620. They
used cranberries for their medicinal value in poultices to draw poison from
arrow wounds. Cranberry juice was a natural dye for rugs, blankets and
clothing. To the Delaware Indians in New Jersey cranberry was used as a symbol
of peace. The German and Dutch settlers came up with "crane berry,"
because the vine blossoms resembled the neck, head and bill of a crane, which
became the word cranberry we use today. The cranberry is one of only a handful
of fruits native to the USA.
The health benefits of cranberry juice include relief from
urinary tract infection, respiratory disorders, kidney stones, cancer, and
heart disease. It is also beneficial in preventing stomach disorders and
diabetes, as well as gum diseases caused by dental plaque. Phytonutrients, which
are naturally derived plant compounds, are present in cranberries and have been
found to prevent a wide range of health problems.
Buttermilk
L.V. Anderson,
on slate.com, tells us that the confusion surrounding this drink dates back to
the 18th century or before. While some historical sources use the word
buttermilk to describe the byproduct of butter making, others use it to
describe milk that had gone sour from sitting around too long before being used
to make butter. The butter by-product, buttermilk, could be either “sour,” if
you started out with the off milk, or “sweet,” if you started out with fresh
cream.
Before the 20th century, buttermilk could refer to at least
three different categories of beverage regular old milk that had gone sour, the
sour by-product of churning sour milk or cream into butter, and the “sweet”
by-product of churning fresh milk or cream into butter. “By the late 1800s,
buttermilk had taken on a more specific meaning and usage in the kitchen.
Cookbooks started calling for the sour version of buttermilk in recipes for
bread made with baking soda.”
Buttermilk helps improve the body’s immune system as it prepares
to fight diseases. Buttermilk contains all essential nutrients required by our
body, but contains few fats and calories. It is often included in weight loss
diets. The vitamin B12 helps synthesize the fatty and amino acids, in addition
to fighting anemia and stress, while promoting nerve cell growth. B12 is also aids
in converting glucose into energy. The potassium and riboflavin in the
buttermilk helps lower blood pressure, and the calcium improves bone health.
The cosmetic industry has made extensive use of it in beauty
products. Buttermilk is good facial mask that softens, and the lactic acid
brightens and exfoliates the skin to create a youthful look, while its
astringent nature removes blemishes, freckles and tightens sagging skin.
Black walnut
Walnuts were found in prehistoric deposits dating from the
Iron Age in Europe. They are mentioned in the Bible; King Solomon's nut garden
dates back to 940 BC. The Black Walnut ( Juglans nigra L.) is
a native of eastern North America. They grow mostly alongside rivers from
southern Ontario, Canada west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia and
southwest to central Texas. Black walnuts were an important food for
American Indians and early settlers.
The website grandmasherbs.com tells us black walnut is known
as a vermifuge—worm and parasite remover. Worms and parasites are a
problem even in the United States. It is thought that even with our standards
of sanitation nearly a third of the population is infected with parasites.
Parasites like ringworm, pinworm and tapeworm have been a problem with humanity
for thousands of years.
Black walnut is an antiseptic, a germicide, a parasitic, and
a laxative and can ridding the body of intestinal parasites and tapeworms,
heals skin conditions, fungal infections, and balances sugar levels. The nut is
thought to oxygenate the blood, provides a source of iodine and omega 3 fatty
acids. It also is able to burn up excessive toxins and fatty materials.
http://www.thefleurdelys.com/
