Afternoon Tea Week with Tasty Muffins and Scones!

By Mariealicerayner @MarieRynr

Afternoon Tea Week takes place this year from the 10th to the 16th of August and as a proper English Institution it's only right that afternoon tea should be conducted with only the best ingredients.  The English Provender Co. has teamed up with Afternoon Tea Week this year to sponsor the tastiese week of the year for a week of activities, themed menus, exclusive offers and competitions.

Creating your own homemade afternoon tea with treats to rival the best hotels is made each with the delicious recipes from The English Provender Co.  Mouth watering muffins and scrumptious scones made using their fabulous Wild Cranberry Sauce and Luxury Lemon Curd are two perfect ways to make an afternoon tea worthy of this very English experience.

These muffins are fabulously moist and delicious and went down a real treat with the both of us.  With just enough orange flavours which highlight that delicious cranberry to the full.  These were simple to make and oh so tasty!
 
*Cranberry and Orange Muffins*Makes 10Printable Recipe 
Moist and delicious muffins with beautiful flavours.  From the people at English Provender Co.
2 large oranges275g of self raising flour (2 cups minus 2 tsp)1/2 tsp of baking soda75g of caster sugar (6 1/2 TBS)1 large free range egg, beaten90ml of sunflower oil (6 TBS)6 TBS of English Provender C. Wild Cranberry Saucea little demerara sugar to sprinkle (turbinado) 
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Line a muffin tin with paper cases. 
Finely grate the rind from the oranges and place into a bowl along with the sugar.  Rub together. (This will smell fabulous).   Sift in the flour, soda a mix alltogether with a metal spoon. Cut the oranges in half and squeeze the juice into a measure.  You should have 180ml (34 cup).  If you don't add water to make up this amount.  Beat in the egg, oil and cranberry sauce with a fork.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir together, just to combine.  Mixture will seem lumpy, but that's how it should be.  Divide between the paper cases.  Sprinkle a bit of demerara sugar over top of each. 
Bake in the heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and golden.  Leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Delicious served warm or cold.

English Provender Co Luxury Lemon Curd is the vital ingredient in these delicious Blueberry and Lemon Scones.   This tasty Lemon curd is made according to the original secret recipe from founder Ann Curwin's grandmother!

The Blueberries are ripening in our garden at the moment and this was a perfectly lovely way to showcase them!
 
Tender and delicious these scones are stogged to the hilt with lots of lovely berries and delicious lemon flavours . . .

Split and filled with some softly whipped cream and of course lashings more of lemon curd they went down a real treat as well!  Of course clotted cream would have been the creme de la creme for this tasty delicacy, but alas I did not have any, so softly whipped had to do . . . these were quite simply  . . . FABULOUS!

*Blueberry and Lemon Scones*Makes 10Printable Recipe Delicious! 
300g of self raising flour (2 1/4 cups)1 tsp baking powder75g of butter, cut into cubes (scant 1/3 cup)50g of caster sugar (1/4 cup)100g of blueberries (about 1 cup)3 TBs English Provender Co Luxury Lemon Curd150ml of milk, plus extra for brushing (scant 10 TBS)To serve:Clotted creamEnglish Provender Co Luxury Lemon Curd 
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a baking tray with baking paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray. 
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.  Drop in the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.  Stir in the sugar and the blueberries.   Whisk the milk and lemon curd together to mix well. Gently stir into the dry ingredients using a round bladed knife to form a soft dough.  Tip out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead gently a couple of times to bring together.   Pat or roll out to 1 inch thickness.  Cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds using a sharp round cutter.  Place an inch or so apart on the baking sheet.  Try to get as many cuts as you can from the first cutting.   Bring any scraps together and cut again.  Brush the tops with some milk.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until risen and golden brown.  Transfer to a cooling rack to cool. 
Serve split and filled with some clotted cream and more lemon curd.  Delicious!
 
These delicious baked goodies were the perfect way to celebrate Afternoon Tea week!  Many thanks to The English Provender Co. for their quality ingredients and delicious recipes which helped to make it even tastier!  (I'm a huge fan of all their products, especially their delicious chutneys and curds.  The Lemon Ginger Curd is fabulous)  For even more recipe inspiration do check out their recipe page.