An issue that bitterly divides the country
Jam first then cream.
Don't be a Devonian heathen.
A storm-tossed Britain woke up this morning to the heart-warming news that…it’s National Cream tea day. You've probably noticed that the country has recently been subjected to a series of rancorous debates on fundamental issues such as whether it's pronounced “scone” or “scone”. Well the debate is over, and the answers are in …
No cream or jam for me.
Working for a company which appears to be set to relocate to an EU country because we do most of our trade there, looking towards the serious threat of redundancy, I think I might have to be quite frugal for now.
I would hate to get dragged into one of the DWP's inquisitions and have my benefits stopped because I had recklessly blown my savings on cake.
"I would hate to get dragged into one of the DWP's inquisitions and have my benefits stopped because I had recklessly blown my savings on cake."
Having been in this position at the start of the recession I'm afraid to say that if you have more than sixpence in savings then you won't get any benefits, since benefits are reserved for the financially proliferate people who don't stick money away for a rainy day.
Having cake will be the least of your worries.Two tech geeks in the UK currently between jobs were investigated by the DWP a few months ago because of bizarre tip off...
"We have received information that there are an unusual number of computers in the house"
Not the Inland Revenue with a discrepancy or police intelligence just a nosey neighbour who saw a five screen flight simulator through the window and had a paranoia overload.
How uncouth! It's Twinleys* English Breakfast tea or Darjeeling for a proper Cream Tea, as all fule kno!
(oh, and it's 'scone' with an 'owe' sound, not an 'on' sound. Having been blessed with being raised in Gods Own Cream Tea Country of Wessex, I know this to be authoratative)
*If you're wondering what brand THAT is, don't. I nicked it from Dr Geoff (see http://islandofdoctorgeof.co.uk/iodg/ - warning: some may consider some of his stuff NSFW) to avoid promoting any particular actual brand.
Thank you for pointing us at the most excellent Cream Tea Society, duly bookmarked. I wonder if the CTS has heard of Tea Duelling yet?
"Just wrong!, adding milk before removing the old bag could incur floaters."
Hmmm, I think that the old bag should removed and buried in a deep hole. Leaving the old bag to float might encourage enquiries from the loacl constabulary.
I do milk after.
Now another question, teabag before water or after? I am an after man but my girly prefares to do it first.
A point of history here: Once, quality porcelain was able to withstand the shock of being filled with boiling water, but cheaper china might crack. Adding the milk first would prevent the thermal shock. Therefore if you were inclined to show off the quality and/or expense of your teacups you would put the tea in first. As a result different social sets/classes developed different tea rituals though few now know why.
I'm told that saying someone is "a bit MBT" - milk before tea - is a mortal insult in the North.
I always put in a bag and pour milk on it before pouring on hot water because the pouring action emulsifies the milk and brings out the flavour of the tea and the milk together.
I'll leave my place in the social pecking order to people who peck.
>This has divided my wife and I for a considerable time. She insists on milk added before tea bag removed. I find this horrendous.
>However, I will leave her to her deluded ideas of what tea should taste like and stick to correclty prepared Earl Grey.
Ok, well, I think the article was about tea [from tea pot] before milk or milk then tea [from tea pot].
The real answer depends on your tea service, if you have expensive China, you will pour milk first, as pouring tea first can stain your cup.
People who use tea bags need not even discuss do's/don't when it comes to "tea" as, well, "tea bag" contents has been all over the factory floor prior to reaching that bag, and, seriously, is like instant coffee to coffee out of an Italian coffee maker, or nespresso compared to a "real" espresso machine ...
From a Janner/Devonian heathen....Sterile debates with misleading claims from pompous gits... uh, sorry blotted confabulating buffoons make me so angry I could crush Brazil nuts with me buttocks... Of course its milk then tea and cream, then jam and just let me catch you putting butter on a scone. </sarc but not quite>
Sterile debates with misleading claims from pompous gits...
Really? What claims have I made here then?
Perhaps I'd better make one: The Pompous Git drinks Sikkim Estate (a Darjeeling) sans milk or sugar. You can drink your tea with/without whatever additives you want. True pompous gits couldn't give a rat's arse about what other people think.
What weird accent do you speak that gone rhymes with fawn and pawn?
FWIW pawn rhymes with porn, which means you appear to be saying scone rhymes with scorn!
Well, I pour scorn on your weird accent and give you scone not only to rhyme with "on" but make sure that the joke still works.
Q. What;s the fastest snack in the world?
A. S'gone.
What weird accent do you speak that gone rhymes with fawn and pawn
Hmm, possibly some affected upper-crust one? There is a memorable exchange in one of the G&S operettas (Pirates?) where "orphan" and "often" are pronounced the same. And and didn't the two Ronnies (?) lose a French "horn" that was "gorn"?
and for me - Pot, pre-warmed and left to brew for 3+ minutes, preferably loose leaf by the teaspoon per person. Milk first so it doesn't denature with heat - you know roughly how much you put in normally! Scone, rhymes with 'gone', then jam then clotted cream.
In fact, due to my heritage tendancies, a slice of butter between jam and cream for extra tasty goodness - and be glad I didn't try to batter and deep-fry that bad boy too!
and every xmas they make a batch of unpasteurised clotted cream. I'm lactose intolerant but by christ that stuff is too good to worry about a few stomach cramps which can be hidden by gallons of booze and . I live a few miles west of the Tamar so I feel entitled to eat my cream scones both ways (home made Strawberry jam - none of this corn syrup shit) and so long as its got this cream on it I dont care which way you do it!
If we make unpasteurised dairy products compulsory now we are out of the EU something good may come of it yet.
Try these savoury scones with hunks of good quality mature farmhouse cheddar.
Makes 7-8
Self raising flour - 225g (8 oz)
Salt - ½ tsp
Mustard powder - 1 tsp
Cayenne pepper - pinch
Butter - 50g (2 oz)
Cheddar cheese - 50g (2 oz), grated
Milk - 150 ml (¼ pint), plus extra for brushing
METHOD
1. Sift flour, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper into a bowl. Rub butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the grated cheddar cheese. Add milk all at once. Mix to a soft, but not sticky, dough with a knife.
2. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead quickly until smooth. Roll out to about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. Cut into 7 or 8 rounds with a 6.5 cm (2½ inch) biscuit cutter.
3. Transfer to a baking sheet. Brush tops with milk. Bake at 230 °C / 450 °F / Gas 8 for 7-10 minutes or until well risen and golden.
4. Cool on a wire cooling rack.
Enjoy....
Personally, tea bag (Tesco Red Label) first, boiled water second, sugar third, and milk last. Reasons, soaking a teabag in milk stops the tea from reaching the correct temperature to bring out the flavour, and sugar does not dissolve completely in a solution containing fats, the fat globules coat the sugar crystals and prevent solution. It has taken me best part of 50 years' experimentation to reach these conclusions, and I will stand by them against all comers. PS scone pronounced sc(oh!)n.