Cranberry Orange Scones Recipe and Inexpensive Holiday Gift Ideas
Dear Tea Lovers,
Can you believe the holidays are almost here? As I sit here writing this e-mail I realized that my sons are out of school for Thanksgiving break starting next Monday. Wow! It also made me realize that I need to get moving on my shopping. I hate doing everything at the last minute and since starting the tea room I’ve realized I need to be organized otherwise I feel absolutely crazy during this season.
It seems I go overboard every year with gifts so this year my focus for gifts will be authentic and sincere. It’s really friendship and family that count – not what you give or get. I’m really trying to enjoy living in the moment and not waiting for the future. So here are a few ideas I’ve been working on for the tea room.
A Few Gift ideas under $16.00:
- One idea is to give a 2 oz. tin of tea, a few Tea Pockets, and a favorite recipe. Of course one of my favorite gifts to give is a tin of tea, but I’m never sure if the person already has an infuser. It can get expensive if you buy an infuser for every tin of tea you give. Therefore, I have discovered if I buy a box of Tea Pockets (which has 50 pockets), I can give away 5 pockets with their tea and I can get 10 gifts out of one box. I also like to include a favorite recipe. This adds a very personal touch and if I received this gift I would be thrilled! I love favorite recipes. The cost for this gift idea is about $9.95 per gift.
- Elephantino tea pot and infuser – $11.95 – I love this pot! I bought a sample at the World Tea Expo in May and have used it ever since. It’s a 2 cup pot, perfect for one person.
- Prepackaged Gift Sets – $15.95 – These gifts are beautifully wrapped. We have 3 styles:
- A tea cup and a tin of tea
- A tea cup and a box of decorated sugar
- A teapot trivet and a tin of tea
- Scone Mixes – $5.95 basic, and $6.95 for the Cinnamon Pumpkin Pecan add a jar of our homemade lemon curd or Devonshire and you have a yummy gift!
- Cookbooks – These make wonderful unique gifts for anyone who likes to cook. (“SORRY – EMAIL only customers“)
Upcoming Events and News Items:
- Learn How to Make Quiche – Wednesday, November 12th at 9:00AM
- Scone class – November 18th 9:00AM
- Sacramento and Company – November 20th – I’ll be talking about tea!
- Mandarin Festival – November 22nd – I’ll be a guest chef making Mandarin Orange Scones
- Sugar Plum Fairy Teas – December 5th, 12th and 19th 3:30-4:30
- Check out our brand new World of Tea Exploration Program – Bring the world of tea right to your door…
- Free shipping for online orders this month – Use the coupon code (“SORRY – EMAIL only customers“) at checkout
- We now offer Morning Tea – $6.95 per person Wednesday-Friday 9-10:30
- Don’t forget we are open on Sundays 11AM-4PM (seatings at 12PM and 2PM)
Have a wonderful week!
Amy
Cranberry Orange Scones from Creating an Afternoon to Remember
Scones
- 3 c. self-rising flour
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 c. buttermilk
- 1/4 c. orange juice
- 1/2 c. chopped cranberries
- peel or zest of one orange
Glaze
- 1 c. powdered sugar
- 2-3 T. orange juice
Combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Add cranberries and orange peel/zest. Combine buttermilk and orange juice. Add just enough of the liquid mixture to make a soft dough. Turn out on a floured board and cut with a biscuit or cookie cutter.
Place scones close together on a cookie sheet sprayed with vegetable oil. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned about 10 minutes. Brush with glaze while still hot. Enjoy!
Scones are served best warm and may be reheated in foil before serving.