And we have scone success!

Since my last post, I have made two batches of beautiful, perfect scones. The first has golden raisins. The second, which I'm currently enjoying, has dried apricots. My plan to adapt and combine  my never-fail soda bread recipe with the technique for making scones totally paid off. I have also made two different and equally successful batches of whipped/clotted/Devonshire cream. John likes the version with cream cheese, but I like the version without. With the first batch, we finished the strawberry champagne jam, and I just bought some nice strawberry jam for my next few batches (I've already got requests for more!).

And so, without further adieu, I present the specimens which have restored my faith in my Irishness:

Fresh-cut dough, waiting to pop into  the oven.

 And here we are, fresh out of the oven:

 Split with freshly-made Devonshire cream:

And here's the apricot version, enjoyed at my desk this morning with jam and tea:

Next up, I'm fantasizing about my St. Patrick's Day menu, which will include scones, shortbread cookies, and two new recipes, amongst other staples: potato leek soup and brown bread. I will experiment with both recipes next month so they won't be an epic fail on the actual holiday. So stay tuned.

Stay tuned also for birthday updates!