Cricket Tea Baking - Mary Berry's Devonshire Scones

I was asked a while back if I would be happy making a tea for Sutton Bonington Cricket Clubs Sunday XI. As there would be baking involved, of course I said yes!!

Now I have history when it comes to the humble cricket tea. 

I've been brought up with cricket and spent many a weekend in my youth watching Notts Unity Casuals. 

During my teens I was the clubs tea girl. I was paid to prepare and serve the tea to the players. My grandma made all of the cakes and I think that is where my love of baking has come from.  She made scones, millionaires shortbread, malt loaf, scotch pancakes and Viennese fingers (or melting moments as she called them) to name but a few.  The teas at Unity were famous among the Nottinghamshire leagues and I think that was down to my grans cakes.

Me and my gran in 1976!

After she sadly passed away in 1997 lots of people talked of how much they enjoyed her cakes and biscuits. So it was decided that a little recipe book of all her favourites would be put together and sold to raise money for the club.

So here I am following in my grans footsteps and doing a cricket tea.

The first thing I've decided to bake is scones. Now I loved my grans scones, full of fruit and lovelyness, but when I visualise a scone it has to be big a fluffy. So my go to recipe is Mary Berry's Devonshire Scones. You can find the recipe here http://www.maryberry.co.uk/recipes/baking/devonshire-scones.

They are very easy to make. Instead of rubbing the butter into the flour with my fingertips (I'm lazy and it always goes too lumpy) I use my food processor and give it a quick pulse.

As Mary says, the secret to good scones is not to handle them too much before baking. And she knows her stuff!!

Once placed on a greased baking tray and brushed with egg mixture, pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until well risen and golden.

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool, covered with a clean tea towel to keep them moist.

Once fully cooled I pop mine in a container and freeze until needed. As Mary advises, I will allow them to thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours and then refresh them in the oven for about 10 minutes.

These will be served with lovely sweet strawberry jam and a generous dollop of cream.

Fingers crossed we get good weather.

Until next time.

Sarah xx