Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Cranberry Lemon Scones, Giveaway Winner!

Hello my dear friends and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea!

I hope my American friends have a lovely Thanksgiving. Ours was lovely and quiet, with trips on Wednesday and Friday to the doctors as my husband is having some as yet identified problem aside from the Parkinson's Disease they are trying to identify...so waiting for test results.

And more power outages, rain and wind...we must be in the Pacific Northwest! Lol!

So not a tea party as such this week, but here is a new favorite teacup to share!

This is a wonderful warm colors hand painted Paragon, England teacup from a collection I acquired recently. The design is Geraniums....Love the colors...

Paragons have pattern numbers and also Royal warrants, which I appreciate for narrowing down the dating process.

The beautifully made teacup has the royal warrant for Queen Mary, wife of King George V and her daughter-in-law Queen Elizabeth, wife of George VI, parents of Queen Elizabeth II.  
That tells us the teacup was made between 1937 when the mark changed when George VI and Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne and 1952 when George VI died and Queen Elizabeth became queen. Queen Mary died in 1953.


I do have a wonderful scone recipe for teatime!

This a scone recipe I did manage to make last week...needed some somfort food...and these were delicious and din't last long! The recipe is from The Food Network

Cranberry Lemon Scones

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour, more for dusting

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sine salt

6 Tbs cold butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped if desired

1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 large eggs

1/4 heavy cream  (I used almond milk)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.

Stir in the cranberries and lemon zest.

Beat 1 egg and the cream/milk in a small bowl with a fork.

Add to the flour mixture and mix with a fork until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7 inch round, about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife and transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Lightly beat the remaining egg and brush the top of the dough. (or use milk which I did as I only had 1 egg)

Optionally, I then sprinkled the scones with coarse sugar for sparkle

Bake the scones until golden brown, about 13-15 minutes.

Serve warm or at room teamperature.

They can be stored air tight for a day or 2 and split, buttered and broiled.

And now for my giveaway winner of the Jan Karon book....

Congratulations The Victorian Girl
Susan Kellam!
I have your email and have sent you a request for your snail mail address!

I will be joining...hopefully...

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

Share Your Cup

Thanks so much for joining me for tea! 

Here is the Tuesday Cuppa Tea linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Thanksgiving. Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving on the day!

And I wanted to share again, the 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln during the civil war. 

It still resonates today...

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere in the theatre of the military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. 

Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at seas and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, comment to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union. 

Have a wonderful weekend, and remember Nov. 25th is Small Business Saturday...remember us little guys!   :)

Tuesday Cuppa Tea for Thanksgiving, Pecan Upside Down Cake & Giveaway Reminder

Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea for Thanksgiving week...

This week has been challenging...we have had some major storms, winds, power outages, and my husband is not well... but, as always, we are so thankful for God's Grace and blessings...His daily Grace...which this Thanksgiving week brings such a reminder for many of peace in the midst of turmoil...

I am posting this hurriedly in between storms, earlier than usual...the lights have been off several times this morning already, and so...a bit rushed...

I've lost the post twice already!

My teacup today is a Shelleu in the Gainsborough shape, which I love. The pattern is not specifically named, but is sometimes referred to by collectors as Green Leaves. 

The mark only tells us it was made between 1940 and 1966, and the pattern books have no other in fo either. It was made in different colors, but I have only seen it in this color. Love the fancy gold veining...

Sorry to make this short, but I want to get it posted as the winds are agin buffeting the house, and the power flickering...

I wanted to share this recipe which is one of our favorites, and my husband has requested it for Thanksgiving...

And this is what I'm making for Thanksgiving:

PECAN UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup pecan halves
Brown-Sugar Brandy Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a large bowl, beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift twice.
4. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in chopped pecans.
5. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar, mixing well. Add cream, stirring until smooth.
6. Pour brown-sugar mixture into bottom of a 9-inch cake pan. Arrange 1 cup pecan halves in brown-sugar mixture. Spoon prepared batter over pecan halves.
7. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of cake pan to loosen cake edges. Immediately turn cake onto a serving dish. Serve with Brown-Sugar Brandy Sauce.

BROWN-SUGAR BRANDY SAUCE
Makes approximately 1 cup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar, whisking to combine. Add brandy, whisking to combine. Add cream, whisking until smooth.
2. Cook, whisking frequently, until sauce is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Sauce can be made ahead and stored in refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave before serving. 

Lastly, a reminder that I am having a giveaway for a Jan Karon Christmas themed book, Shepherds Abiding...

Jan Karon Giveaway

To enter, PLEASE go to this blue link above and comment ENTER...not on this post...

Thanks so much for joining me, and may you have a wonderful, warm Thanksgiving filled with good food, friends, lots of tea and a grateful heart!

I am joining:

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

Share Your Cup

Here is the Tuesday Cuppa Tea linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!

An InLinkz Link-up

Giveaway! Jan Karon's Shepherds Abiding Book at Antiques And Teacups Blog

Hello! As promised...here is the information on my giveaway...

just in time for Christmas

For fans of Jan Karon's Mitford and Father Tim

or

to get a chance to try a wonderful, heartwarming series...

I am giving away a paperback copy of 

Shepherd's Abiding

I have the hardback, a gift from my husband when it came out, but he found 

this while getting his blood drawn at the hospital.  There is a Friends Of The Library honor book kiosk there at the hospital, and thought I might have someone to give it to...

And that's one of you, dear blog friends!

The drawing will be open to US and Canada readers only, because I want it to get to you as soon as possible before Christmas.

To enter:

Leave the comment Enter Me between today,  November 15th 

and November 25th.

I will draw a name via Random.org and announce the winner on my Tuesday Cuppa Tea blog post on Monday, November 26th...Cyber Monday!

I will hopefully reach the winner quickly via email to get your snail mail address, so if you are not a blogger, please leave an email address, or check the blog post and contact me through my sidebar Email Me link.

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Abbey Tea Rooms Port Townsend, London Fog Tea Cake

Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea on a stormy week here in the Pacific Northwest.

Despite the weather being typical November Pacific Northwest grey, damp and chilly, we headed the 30 miles or 45 minutes to the Victorian seaport town of Port Townsend, WA... a favorite place for a day out.

Our destination was the Abbey Tea Room, a new venture of the Jane Dough Gourmet Shortbread shop...the tea room only opened on October 18th, and this photo was from just after that on a sunny day...very different on Thursday!

Sorry for quality on these 2 photos...downloaded them wrong size from my phone then deleted and discovered too late...

The room is very small...we were a small group of 16, and it was a bit tight...with 2 other small tables for 2 right against the front window, in the front of the shop with the Shortbread display cases, while the group was in the back room. There was a series of screens separating the 2 areas.

Tea was served course by course, really item by item, no tea towers or assortment plates, and because you didn't know what or how much was coming, a bit difficult to gauge eating....especially as it turned out there were plenty of things!
We started with tea in vintage bone china teacups...at our table, Royal Albert Celebration pattern.

There was no choice of tea, just their proprietary Abbey blend, made for them, which was a nice brisk English black tea

The first food course was scones...a choice of Black Currant or Lemon with cream and a choice of strawberry or mixed berry jam...I had lemon, my husband had the currant, and the scones were really outstandingly good...

The next course was a salad course...mixed greens, crumbled goat cheese, cranberries, walnuts and a raspberry vinegarette...very nice...we had been talking and enjoying everything, and I almost forgot to take a photo until too late...

The sandwich course was next, and was difficult to photograph because they came out individually with one type, served all the tables, then back for another...but we didn't know how many or waht, and if we had waited it would have been about half an hour before all were served...BUT they were absolutly delicious!

My husband's plate after 2 samdwiches have come round...
cucumber dilled cream cheese on light wheat
smoked salmon on baguette with capers

Not being a fish lover, my plate had the cucumber and the best Curried Chicken on croissant I have ever had ata tea room...redolent of curry with white chicken chunks, cranberries and walnuts with a light dressing the I think included some sour cream....

That was followed out...I was half way through my cucumber with a very nice egg salad with chives on a wheat flat bread. They came around a bit lated with Tuna Salad on toast points, but by that time we were reaching capacity...

The dessert course started...although we didn't know what else was coming...with grapes, ripe cantaloupe and white chocolate covered strawberries.  And then I totally blew it...we got talking again, and I didn't photo the last course. That was a chocolate mousse parfait with fudge layer, cream and raspberry paired wirg a chocolate drizzled coconut macaroon and shortbread heart.
I know, missed the best part to photograph!!!!
This is the shortbread display in the front of the shop/tea room...

The food was really delicious, but I hope they change their delivery routine. It may be because we were one group that it was served this way...not sure.

This was what the day was like in the National Historic Register Victorian Seaport town...November, without a doubt...

So when I saw this recipe for London Fog Tea cake, it seemed a perfect recipe to share!

London Fog Tea Cake:

(makes one 9-inch square cake)

• 3 Earl Grey tea bags
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 5 large eggs, divided into 5 egg yolks and 5 egg whites
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided into 2 tablespoons and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons portions
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/3 cup cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the Vanilla Whipped Cream Topping:

(makes enough to top a 9-inch cake)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• orange zest, to taste

Recipe

For the London Fog Tea Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 (F). Prepare a 9-inch square pan by spraying with cooking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper; spray the parchment paper with cooking spray as well.


2. Steep 2 Earl Grey tea bags in 3/4 cup boiling water. Allow to cool to room temperature completely. Remove the bags, squeezing out as much liquid as possible before discarding.


3. In a large bowl, whisk together 5 large egg yolks and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until thick and pale. Slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup vegetable oil and continue to whisk until completely incorporated. Pour in the cooled tea (from the 2nd step), tea leaves from the remaining bag of Earl Grey tea, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Sprinkle 1 1/3 cup cake flour and 3/4 teaspoon baking powder over the mixture, before using rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERMIX — at this point, it's okay to have one or two flour streaks left in the mixture. Set aside.


4. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the remaining 5 egg whites on medium-high speed until the eggs begin to foam, before thickening and stiffening. Once the egg whites have started to stiffen, add the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar slowly, one teaspoon at a time, while still beating at medium-high speed. Continue beating until stiff, glossy and shiny peaks form — at this point, the mixture should have tripled in size. In this step, you're basically making a stiff meringue.


5. Once you've made a perfectly stiff meringue, turn off the mixer. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the flour mixture (from the 3rd step) in thirds. Pour the batter into the pan and lightly tap it on your counter top one or two times to remove any errant air bubbles.


6. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven or until the top of the cake bounces back when gently poked and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow to cool completely in its pan.

For the Vanilla Whipped Cream:

1. In the bowl of an electri mixer with whisk attachment, combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, before transferring to the top of the cake and sprinkling with orange zest.

Recipe from 

http://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/

Thanks do much for joining me for tea!
Just a reminder that my 15% THANKFUL sale at Antiques And Teacups ends on Friday, November 18th...

I will be having a giveaway that I will post later in the week, so look for that!

I will be joining:

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

Share Your Cup

Here is the Tuesday Cuppa Tea linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!

An InLinkz Link-up

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, My Version Beauty And The Beast, After Halloween Leftover Candy Cake

Hello and welcome to the first Tuesday Cuppa Tea for November...amazing!

November began with wind and snow for us....but that's okay....

normal, really....

But as it was just Halloween, the flavor lingers on the post today...

I am calling this my Beauty And The Beast tea...as you will see...

The Beauty is...the teacup trio from Royal Albert, England from the 1940s...

In the pattern called Tea Rose....

I don't often have yellow teacups around, my eye usually goes to blues, pinks or reds, but I have always liked this pattern...

I like the way the Roses contrast with the foliage, and I really like that it has the better quality brushed gold or sponged gold trim.

The pattern was discontinued in the early 1970s, when Royal Albert was part of what...if you have followed my blog much...you will have heard me refer to as The Great Slice And Dice, or major reorganization...read closing and redstructuring...of the potteries in that period.

The upshot was, that since 1998 all Royal Albert has  and still is, made elsewhere in the world...primarily in Indonesia.

Royal Albert was a mark of Thomas Wild until 1964, and after 2 subsequent swallows, became part of Royal Doulton in 1972, then WaterfordWedgwoodRoyalDoulton who were acquired by Danish Fiskars in 2015.  It remains to be seen what happens now, as all UK production of Royal Albert ceased in 2002...sigh...

And now for my Beast...Builder's Tea! Made for and by Builders it says...I really bought this brand because I LOVED the large, square tea tin with the Union Jack it it...containing this cardboard box full of yea bags inside. The woring all around is so fun!

The Full Flavoured British Cuppa

Make Mine a Builders

Championing the Great British Cuppa

Pick of the crop

Good tea is like a good building...

Srong, sturdy and well put together

Britain wasn't built on Chamomile

You dig?

Pretty fun, huh? 

Now it's cofession time...I don't like the tea...too dark and one dimensional in flavour to me...I think it is pretty well all Assam, and I'm a Darjeeling girl...

My husband will drink though, so that's all right...and I'll still keep the tin!

So there you have my Beauty and the Beast tale...

As Halloween has just passed, and you either might have left over trick or treat candy, or have been to a store with a half off on candy post Holloween, I thought I'd share a great recipe I found on MyRecipes.com with an ingredient of a lovely looking cake being leftover mini candy bars.

Candy Cake

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely chopped chocolate candies such as Snickers, Almond Joy or Reese's peanut butter cups
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Icing:
• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• Preparation

  • 1. Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-cup nonstick Bundt pan. Sift 3 cups flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, toss candies with remaining 1/2 cup flour.
  • 2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light, 3 minutes. Add yolks one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Beat in 1/3 of flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of milk. Repeat, ending with flour mixture. Do not overmix.
  • 3. In a clean, dry bowl using dry beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Stir candies and 1/3 of egg whites into batter. Fold in remaining whites. Spoon batter into Bundt pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold cake.
  • 4. Make icing: Place chocolate in a bowl. Warm cream in a pan over medium heat until just boiling. Pour over chocolate, let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly. Pour icing over cake, allowing excess to drip over sides.
  I will be joining this week:
• 
  

   Tea Cup Tuesday 
   Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
  Home Sweet Home

  
  

  Share Your Cup

Thanks so much for joining me for tea! 

Here is the Tuesday Cuppa Tea linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!

An InLinkz Link-up