Sunday, January 2, 2011

Alice's Tea Cup Peppermint Stick Scones and Cookbook Giveaway!

















Like many others living in the New York area, I love Alice’s Tea Cup. I love their selections of scones and tea, I love the flavorful potato-chicken hash, and the sense of whimsy I feel each time I visit. When I read through Alice’s Tea Cup Cookbook, I was even more charmed to learn that many recipes incorporate tea as key ingredients!

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I shared these peppermint stick scones with my in-laws while visiting Indiana for Christmas. They were the perfect biscuit for the holiday, and I’ll take any excuse to have candy for breakfast. I’d also love to share a copy of this cookbook with one lucky reader! Just leave a comment on this post, telling me your favorite breakfast to share with others. You have until January 9, 2011 at 11:59PM, EST. A winner will be picked at random. One entry per person, and giveaway is limited to US residents only.

*These may look more like doughnut holes than your typical scone because we shaped and baked them in mini-muffin pans. Following the cookbook’s recipe below will give you a classic scone shape.


Peppermint Stick Scones
makes 10-12 scones

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup crushed Brach's peppermint Star Brites (or similar candy)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream (for brushing)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. With clean hands, work the butter into the dry mixture until it is thoroughly incorporated and has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Add 3/4 cup of the crushed peppermint candy and combine well, so that it is evenly distributed throughout the dry mixture.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the buttermilk and vanilla extract into the well. Combine the ingredients until all the dry mixture is wet, but do not knead!
5. Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and gather the dough together. Gently pat the dough to make a rectangle about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a dough cutter, cut the scones into wedges measuring about 3 1/2 x 4 inches, and lay them on a nonstick baking sheet. Gather the remaining dough together lightly to cut out more scones - just don't knead the dough too much.
6. Brush the top of each scone liberally with heavy cream, and sprinkle them with the remaining 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy.
7. Bake the scones for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

FTC Disclaimer: I received free copies of Alice's Tea Cup Cookbook to review/giveaway from HarperCollins Publishers.

26 comments:

albert said...

Give me! Happy New Year!

Suburban prep said...

I love to make a bread pudding french toast or a eggnog waffles.
msgb245 at gmail dot com

Grace said...

- Brioche french toast
- Dim sum no-holds-back spread with congee and fried dough
- Fresh bagels with heapings of lox, capers and cream cheese from Ess-a-Bagel

Teslaca said...

I love to make poached eggs and serve them over roasted asparagus with fresh baked bread toasted on the side. Also love to make stuffed french toast.

Tanya said...

Oh, I want to have breakfast with Gracie- that sounds yum! I will have to come back to NY because I didn't end up going to Alice's Tea Cup (or Ess-a-bagel). I love going out for breakfast- I think it's my favourite meal out (went out for breakfast with some VERY nice people when I was in New York recently, actually). Sit, drink coffee, read the paper, eat slowly. Savoury for me, all the way. And eggs probably. I wonder what eggnog waffles are.
Great to see a blog post from you Ms. Talida- obviously this is not a competition entry because there is a lot of water between where I live and where you live.

Anonymous said...

I like to make a Mushroom Cheese Omelet. Serve it with some toast and tea, of course!

Susanbillietaylor [at] gmail [dot] com

Unknown said...

I like eggs benedict with waffles !

talida said...

@albert - Hm, you didn't mention your favorite shared breakfast.

@suburban prep - I've never had eggnog waffles before! Now that's something I'll have to try :)

@Gracie - Three absolutely wonderful breakfasts I'll have any day.

@Teslaca - Your breakfast guests are treated so well! Sounds divine.

@Tanya - Great to hear from you as well! And I'm happily munching on the Cadbury bar you brought me from Australia! I am sorry I couldn't extend the giveaway beyond the US as I'm just following the publisher's rules. I hope we can share breakfast together another time in the future!

@Susan - Yum, I love mushrooms for any meal :)

@joe - A classic breakfast!

crystal said...

uh... can i just have you bake me stuff from the cookbook instead of the cookbook??? :D

Jennifer Jeng said...

Breakfast eaten during non-breakfast hours! Looking forward to hearing more from you this year, Talida :)

auschick said...

fried eggs, bacon curls, roasted tomatoes, fried mushrooms - i use the recipe from this australian cookbook i have by Bill Granger.

Lisa said...

Your scones look delightful. My favorite breakfast to share with others is homemade cinnamon rolls with a cream cheese icing.

Joan said...

I love scones and those sound delicious. My favorite breakfast to share with other is a breakfast casserole and fruit salad.

Unknown said...

My favorite breakfast to share with love ones are 2 for $3 McDonald's Egg McMuffin and Wellness' Turkey and Sweet Potato formula :)

Unknown said...

lox eggs benedict, but i won't share w/ others!

Unknown said...

Mmm.. I love good old-fashioned blueberry pancakes and sausages! But eggs benedict also ranks up there in my favorites, as well as scones and clotted cream!

Anonymous said...

I'd love to win this cookbook! I like to make blueberry pancakes with a blueberry sauce for my family on Sat. mornings - I make plenty so I can share with them :)
june_spirit2628 at hotmail dot com

Cheryl said...

my favorite is also andrew's favorite.

talida said...

@monkey - If you win the cookbook, we can bake some stuff from it together!

@Jennifer Jeng - I love breakfast any time of day too! Pancakes sometimes appear at our dinner table :)

@aus_chick - What a hearty breakfast! What kind of mushrooms, and are they deep-fried?

@Lisa - Delicious!

@Joan - Another classic breakfast :)

@Christopher - Haha, perfect for your family :)

@Andrew - Aw, my point was to talk about shared foods, but that does sound good enough to keep to yourself.

@Michelle - Sounds like my top 3 choices as well!

@Marci J - What tasty Saturday mornings!

@Cheryl - Thanks for sharing!

Ren-Yi said...

after spending my xmas in the UK - i wouldn't mind having scones for my breakfast, as long as they are accompanied with clotted cream ;)

my usual favorite for breakfast is a soft-boiled egg and buttered toast cut into strips to dip into the egg yolk. Love the "interaction" and it's a fav childhood memory.

otherwise, a recent favorite to gather friends is plugging in 2 hot griddles with bacon, pre-made pancake or crepe mix and eggs where everyone can make and assemble what they want. it's always a fun event.

Rachel said...

Hello - I'm a lurker reader, I think this is my first comment. I love this blog, and I can't wait to try the scones!

My favorite breakfast is probably my dad's scrambled eggs and chocolate chip pancakes, or vegan banana muffins on busier days. Those things pack 1/3 banana in each muffin, it's pretty awesome.

Carolyn G said...

My favorite breakfast is coffee and a fresh bagel with cream cheese

Unknown said...

I love doing a potato hash with onions and peppers... pumpkin pancakes received a good response also.

Unknown said...

i've spent many a sunday morning at my cousins' house where someone makes tuna salad, and then we all share everything bagels topped with the tuna. and then we all go to church together. always a great morning =)
that, or ihop dates with betty and rebecca =D

by the way, i suppose i don't qualify since i don't currently live in the states =( but i still wanted to share. if i manage to find some peppermint sticks somewhere around here, i'd love to try making those scones!!!

talida said...

@Ren-Yi - Everything you mentioned sounds really great!

@Carolyn G - Another classic that's one of my all-time favorites too.

@Kathy - Mmm, pumpkin pancakes sounds like something I have to try.

@Ann - So sorry you don't qualify, but thank you for sharing! Your Sunday mornings with cousins is a lovely idea :)

auschick said...

@talida - just regular mushrooms, whole, stewed/fried in a saucepan w/ some butter. I think I put cream in there too.