Sweet Lemon I'm in love.

I was just recently asked to guest blog on a lovely blogger friend's site. It's always such an honor to be asked to do this. Elizabeth is one of those absolutely amazing ladies who you would definitely like to have over for tea. In fact, I hope this year to spend more time getting to know her even more. If you get a chance, go check out her blog LocalSavour and read her 12 Days of Christmas Cookies series. Each cookie is as unique as the guest bloggers that are sharing. Below is my submission.

During the holidays my daughter and I love to sip tea. It’s always been a favorite pastime and when it’s super crazy during the holidays, tea is the perfect thing to slow us down and allow us to savor all of the holiday joy instead of pulling our hair out trying to get to the next event. Of course, this experience is more than just enjoying a pot of hot tea. There are also the wonderful treats that tend to be served with it. One of my favorites is shortbread, which is also always on our Christmas cookie list. Its delicate crunch and slightly sweet flavor is perfect for gift giving, cookie swaps, Santa’s plate or a hot steaming cup of tea. Another treat in our house, or I should say in our garden this time of year, is fruit from our bountiful Meyer lemon tree. Most of the lemons are set a side for the traditional limoncello that we make every year. However, our tree is usually quite plentiful so we have enough for many other lemon treats. This shortbread highlights the Meyer lemon without being too sweet or too tart. The lavender is a pleasant surprise that brings perfect balance. After all, isn’t balance what we are all trying to achieve this time of year? I’m jus’ sayin’!

Meyer Lemon Shortbread with a Meyer Lemon Lavender Drizzle

•   1 ½ Cups of Butter
•   1 Cup of Coconut Sugar
•   3 Tbsp of Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice
•   The Zest of 1 Meyer Lemon (about 1 Tbsp)
•   3 ½ Cups of Flour
•   ¼ Tsp of Kosher Salt

Mix the Butter and the sugar together until combined. Add the zest, juice, flour and salt. Beat until combined. Dough should be able to pull together to make 2 balls of dough. Flatten each ball into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.

Roll one disk out to ¼ of an inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. I did rectangles and triangles. You could also use a cookie cutter. Place each cookie onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Allow room between each cookie. Prick with a fork a couple times on top of each cookie to allow even rising. Bake 10-12 minutes (depending on your oven). Watch the edges and remove from oven when golden. Do not over-brown your shortbread. Cool on a rack.

Drizzle Lemon Glaze on top of cookie, then sprinkle edible lavender on top before glaze sets.

Meyer Lemon Glaze
In a small bowl, combine the following (except for the Lavender)
1 Cup of Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
3 Tbsp of Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp of Meyer Lemon Zest
2 Tbsp of Culinary (Edible) Lavender for Garnish

Stir like crazy. If it seems like there’s not enough juice, keep stirring - it will come together. When it is a thick drizzle, you can spread on cooled shortbread. Or fill a small zip-lock bag, snip the corner and pipe a drizzle on top of each cookie.

Tally Ho, Y'all

Well Tally Ho and Howdy! The Summer Olympics are now well underway and if you have been rushing around trying to get your British flare on, may I suggest you slow down for a few moments to enjoy a bit of tea. Tea has always been my all-time favorite time passer. Growing up, my mother used to let us kids dress up in her old clothes and wigs (yes, I went there) and then help us put together tea parties. She would always be able to pull something out of the pantry to snack on and make us feel special by putting the tea in a pot and dressing up the table with linens and fancy plates (thanks Mom for fostering that). I remember having my first real grown-up tea while on my honeymoon at Chateau Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. That is where I also discovered my love for Crumpets!

In the years since, I have enjoyed high teas in fancy hotels and in people's homes. All of them have one thing in common - they make you feel special for taking the time to sit back and relax. As I was watching the Olympics this past week, I was thinking about how special it would be to have tea in the Royal Palace, let alone with the Royal Family. It occurred to me then that royalty or not, palace or not, taking the time to enjoy a spot of tea can make one feel royal, in a sense, especially when you can share the experience with someone and make them feel like a queen. So just like that I was in the kitchen getting that kettle blowing. Throw in some southern charm and before you know it I have tea fit to make anyone feel like they are a queen... even if it's just me. I'm jus' sayin'!

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."

~ C.S. Lewis

Some quick tricks I have learned over the years...

~ You don't have to have matching china. Mixing and matching is fun and it brings more charm to the table.

~ You don't have to make everything from scratch. Fix a few items like a sandwich or a scone and then purchase cakes and cookies or visa versa.

~ Make a tea that is to your liking. Though many prefer a rich black tea, you most certainly can make an herbal remedy as well. With so many on the market, click here to find what's right for you.

~ Keep your sandwiches from drying out or getting too soggy by making a thin swipe of butter over your bread before you place your filling. This will create a barrier so that the filling does not soak through. To keep sandwiches moist, place a clean, damp linen over your plate of sandwiches in the fridge while waiting to serve. This will keep them from drying out. 

~ Remember the curds and jams. Lemon curd is extremely easy to make for your scones and the pay off will be all the compliments you receive. I found this easy recipe several years ago and it is my all-time favorite curd recipe. Don't forget to pull out those yummy jars of jams that you have been hoarding in the pantry. They go perfect on a scone or as a spread on a tea sandwich.

~ Enjoy the art of conversation when you invite someone to join you for tea. We get so used to communicting through social media that we sometimes forget to simply enjoy talking to a friend in person.  Here are some great conversation starters.

~ If you are sipping by yourself, always remember that this is a great opportunity to relax and reflect. Grab that journal or book and blow off the dust.

~ Most importantly, remember that the art of tea is to slowly sip and relax


Here is my Southern spin on an English Scone. Notice I make mine sweet whereas traditional scones are only sweetened with currents. I have added fresh peaches and some heavy cream because that's how we do it in the summer in the South.

Peaches & Cream Scones
(Adapted from Allrecipes)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1 medium sized peach, diced
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons of heavy cream (and a bit more for the tops)
1 large egg

Directions 
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater. Use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in peaches. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and heavy cream and egg until smooth. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. The dough will be sticky in places and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7 to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles, placing each on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Paint the tops with a thin brush stroke of cream. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in peaches.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and heavy cream and egg until smooth. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Paint the tops with a thin brush stroke of cream. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.











And just in case you would like to have a tea party, but are not in the mood to do it yourself? Check out this fabulous post/pod cast from Field & Feast this week where Cecilia Nasti interviews the lovely Sophie Parrott here in Austin. Sophie runs "The Marvelous Vintage Tea Party" and she is an expert when it comes to high tea.

March Madness - Oh My!

It's the first week of March and that means that my busiest month of the year is here - hosting guests, throwing parties and attending conferences. With all this pending craziness, I try to take a moment here and there to breathe in the fresh air and contemplate my strategy for the weeks ahead. Sipping tea is the perfect way to relax in your thoughts. I have always enjoyed tea and have passed this tradition on to my daughter as well. Of course, with tea comes delicious sweet & savory morsels and because my time is limited and I would rather spend it sipping rather than baking, I try to make either a quick scone or a quick shortbread. I like these quick breads because you can make them in a jiffy and freeze what you don't eat so that the next time you're having one of those days - or weeks... or months (yes I have been there too) - you can pop it in the toaster and then pop it in your mouth and let that sweet zest become your zen for the day. I'm jus' sayin'!



When I think of spring I think of citrus and even though the first official day of Spring is still a few weeks away, I always like have big bowls of citrus sitting on my table. It's fresh and awakens your senses.

Zesty Orange-Almond Shortbread

• 2 stick (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar
  
• 2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tablespoon coarse sugar (optional)
  
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
  
• 2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
  

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Blend together butter, sugar, zest, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift flour into butter mixture and blend with fork until mixture forms a soft dough.

Transfer dough to an ungreased large baking sheet and pat into a 10- by 5-inch rectangle. Prick dough all over with fork and sprinkle with coarse sugar (if using), pressing it gently into dough with your fingertips to adhere. Score dough crosswise with back of a knife into 6 rectangles (do not cut all the way through),
Bake shortbread in middle of oven until edges are golden but center is pale, 12 to 17 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes, then cut into 12 squares along scored lines while still warm. Transfer triangles with a long spatula to a rack to cool completely.

Serve with homemade Meyer lemon curd and fresh berries.