Autumn arrives! Shelley Fruit Center and Computer Ills, Apple-Cinnamon-Walnut Scones

Welcome friends... I have been off the computer A LOT this last month... first with computer problems...still ongoing... and also our annual 2 week break for me as a caregiver for my husband with Parkinson's Disease.

It began August 19th with a Windows update that crashed my computer. To the techs the next day, but didn't get it back until a week later, the day we were to leave on our 2 week cruise which is a break for me from a lot of care issues of being the caregiver for my husband.

We got back, and I have found much is still not right on the computer, and yesterday realized the computer no longer recognizes or will communicate with my camera, so now I have to figure out what to do about that. Sigh...

I had photographed an autumn tea, but... still on the camera and can't get it off!

So... a partial repeat post from 2015.

This week's teacup is a Shelley China Fruit Center tea cup in the Boston shape...

I guess I have fruit on the brain, because we have had THE BEST peaches, nectarines and plums this year...absolutely succulent! And as we have been wandering around the last 2 weeks with family and friends to various places we have brought home a lot of small organic farms, which this area has in abundance.

Doesn't the fruit look luscious? Love it! The teacup was made between 1963 and 1966 when the pottery closed. There were lots of Fruit Center versions made by Shelley in different shapes, colors and fruit. They are all wonderful!

For more info on the Shelley Fruit Center fall teacup at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.

I wanted to share some of my favorite fall photos from the September/October 2008 issue of Victoria Magazine, my most favorite subscription.

I have pumpkins on the brain...because I am planning some pumpkin cashew coconut curry from a recipe in Sunset magazine!

Love this because it is so like our Tinker who we lost 3 years ago and still miss!!!

I wanted to share a recipe I have made several times since it's appearance in Tea Time Magazine in Sept-Oct 2012...

Apple-Cinnamon-Walnut Scones

Ingredients

1. 2 cups self-rising flour*
2. 3 tablespoons sugar
3. ¼ cup cold salted butter
4. 1 cup diced, peeled green apple
5. ¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
6. ⅓ cup cinnamon baking chips†
7. ⅔ cup cold heavy whipping cream
8. 1 large egg
9. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
10. 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar, whisking well. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add apple, walnuts, and cinnamon chips, stirring to combine. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine cream, egg, and vanilla extract, whisking well. Add to flour mixture, stirring until mixture comes together and forms a soft dough. (If dough seems dry, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until uniformly moist.)
5. Using a levered 3-tablespoon scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle tops of scones with turbinado sugar.
6. Bake until light golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

Notes

1. *For testing purposes, we used White Lily Enriched Bleached Self-Rising Flour, available in grocery stores throughout the Southeastern region of the United States and online at whitelily.com.
2. †For testing purposes, we used Hershey’s Cinnamon Baking Chips.
3. When making scones for a crowd, prepare a few batches at a time, but do not bake. Freeze the raw scones on parchment-lined baking sheets, transfer scones to airtight containers, and keep frozen for up to three months. An hour or two before the event, bake frozen scones according to recipe directions until golden brown.

And they are delicious!

Well, I hope I have my computer and camera back working soon!

Will keep you posted!