copyright Bettina Network, inc. 2016 for Marceline Donaldson
Tea time is one of my favorite times of the day. And what helps it to be favorite is what is served.
Not all tea times are equal. Some are fantastic and some are so bad you just want to forget they happened.
One of my favorite foods, to go along with Organic Tulsi Tea, or organic peppermint tea, or organic hibiscus tea are these English Biscuits. They take about five minutes to put together and about 15 minutes in the oven. Hot and fresh – there is nothing like them. Pastries are great, but home baked is far better, especially when you know what went into those pretty pastries and so called ‘tea cakes’. I keep trying to eat them because folks keep bringing, sending, having them for tea when I join them, but I’ve just given up. I enjoy looking at them because they are beautiful and that has to suffice. I’ve had to make some ridiculous excuses for not eating those lovely confections when I have been invited for tea, but today I just look, don’t touch and don’t try to justify not eating them. They are works of art, not food for the stomach. Those who serve them should know better so I will not justify their bad taste anymore – neither the bad taste of those serving them nor the equally bad taste of the pastries. They taste sweet and little else.
English Biscuits*
*Please remember: American-style biscuits are savory. English Biscuits are sweet – what we would call cookies in America. Although this is not a cookie recipe that looks anything like chocolate chip cookies. It is a sweet made especially for tea time.
One cup organic whole wheat flour
One cup organic pastry flour
1 teaspoon himalayan salt
1 tablespoon baking powder (no aluminum, please)
1 stick organic butter
1/2 cup or to your taste of organic raisins
One cup (or to your taste) organic turbinado sugar
One cup organic heavy cream (or if you are squeamish – one cup organic whole milk)
One or two tablespoons Organic Hazelnut Oil or whatever taste you want to add – Organic Vanilla Oil – Organic chocolate, etc.
The Process
Put the two kinds of flour, salt, baking powder in the food processor and process for a few seconds
Add the organic butter to the mixture in a food processor and process until they are one. The mixture will look basically the same, except a little as though it is wet
add the raisins and sugar and process again for a few seconds
add the milk and process until this mixture seems to hold together. The longer you process the more gluten develops – so judge your time as to how you like your biscuits. More bread like and rubbery or more crispy and flaky.
Smear a cookie sheet with butter wherever you are going to put one of these biscuits. This recipe makes about 12 English biscuits
Take lumps of the mixture, roll it around in the palms of your hands until you have a nice ball
Each ball makes a biscuit and put the balls on the cookie sheet (no aluminum cookie sheets, please)
Bake at 350 degrees until done – about 15 minutes.
If you like ‘stuff’ on top of your biscuits – use 3/4 cup organic turbinado sugar in the biscuit mixture and sprinkle the rest on top of these biscuits before baking.
___________________________________________________
Learn More About How We Use Your Donation!
[give_form id=”3763″]
__________________________________________________
Everything talked about in this blog and in any other blog in the Bettina Network, inc. is the opinion of the person who wrote the blog and does not necessarily represent the opinions of Bettina Network, inc. It is the property of Bettina Network, inc. and/or the person who wrote the original blog.
Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.
Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.
Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.
Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net
Tags: bed & breakfast, Bettina Cookbook, Bettina Homes, health
