It
was at a Bakers’ Market in South Vancouver that I had tons of choices when it
comes to wheat and sometimes gluten free belly.
So
I bought several items to go. And among
five purchases, one stood out, the scones from the Scone Queen. The scones were exceptional. I will explain below. So I decided it was time six months later to
educe my adoration for Scone Queen’s scones.
The
Scone Queen is Tara Lee.
Tara
told me that she grew up eating scones her Poh Poh (maternal
grandmother) made. At age six, she would
watch and “help” grandma work on the dough. Tara said, “I have a strong association
between scones and comfort, which is one of the reasons I love them so much.
That, and the fact that they taste so good, especially with lots of butter,
jam, and sometimes clotted or whipped cream.”
Tara’s
grandmother migrated in the 1930s from a small village in Méixiàn (or Moiyan) China to Cape Town, South
Africa to marry Tara’s grandfather. Tara
recounts, “Poh Poh ran a general store in Cape Town to help support her brood
of five children. At first, Poh Poh was
incredibly lonely due to being cut off from friends and family in China, but
eventually made new friends with the extremely tight knit Hakka Chinese
community, as well as the neighbors.
One of them was a Scottish woman who
taught Tara’s grandma how to make scones. The concept of baking was very
foreign to Tara’s grandmother, so Poh Poh had to ask for a lot of clarification
for instructions that the Scottish woman thought were obvious. Eventually, she
caught on, and scones became one of her favorite things to make. Poh Poh made
plain, raisin, blueberry, cheese, cheese and chive.”
Apartheid
South Africa was unbearable. Tara’s
grandparents and kids (including Tara’s mom) migrated to Canada in 1967. So in a nutshell, that is how a Scottish
lady’s scone recipe from South Africa arrived in Canada. At 102 years old, Tara’s Poh Poh is well
today but no longer bakes.
I
asked Tara:
J: What
are the ups and downs of learning and baking scones?
T: Scones
seem relatively simple to make, but, actually can turn out badly if you're not
careful. The key is not to play with the dough too much, which will make them
hard and heavy.
Your touch needs to be fairly light, and you must not overwork
them. You also have to make sure the butter is cold, and that the chunks of
butter in the dough aren't too big, or too small.
Finally, you want to add
enough liquid (milk) so that the dough stays together, but you don't want it to
be too wet either. It's basically all about balance.
J: What
really makes a good scone?
T: A
good scone should be light and flaky, with a fairly delicate texture. It should
hold together fairly well versus breaking apart when you cut or break them
open. It should also be buttery and not overly dry. In other words, it should
not taste or feel like a hockey puck.
J: How
different are your scones from the ones you can buy in other bakeries?
T: When
people buy my scones, the scones have always been made only a few hours before,
so they are very fresh. Many bakeries make big batches, whereas I make very
small-scale lots. Scone quality tends to go down the larger the scale.
J: Have
you created invented your own variety of scone?
T: My
scones use my grandmother's recipe, as learned from the Scottish woman in South
Africa. The various types I make are based on flavor combos I have had
elsewhere, as well as flavor combinations that I personally like. For example,
cardamom is one of my favorite spices, so I use it in one of my scone types.
J: How
long did it take you to master the craft?
T: I
have been making scones my whole life, so I cannot say exactly how long it has
taken me. I suppose that I have become especially good at making them over the
last few years, after my grandmother stopped and other family members had to
take over making them.
J: How
did you come up with the business name Scone Queen?
T: I associate
scones with England, elegant afternoon tea, and the Queen. I wanted to draw
upon this association, as well as indicate that I believe that I am a queen or
expert at making them (I say modestly).
J: How
many kinds of scones can you bake? What are they?
T: I
have tried all sorts of flavor combos, but I am currently making:
Aged
Cheddar and Chive, Aged Cheddar and Apple, Cardamom and Currant, White
Chocolate and Dried Sour Cherry. In the
future, I might play around with making and selling other flavor combos, like
goat cheese and pear, or feta and spinach.
J: What
are the most popular scones with men, with women, with children? Why?
T: Children
tend to like the sweet scones, most especially the white chocolate and dried
sour cherry. Some men, who have less of a sweet tooth, really like the ones
with cheddar. I have made ones with onion and bacon, and those were popular
with the men. Women often like the cardamom and currant, especially with tea. Overall,
though, the aged cheddar and chive are by far the crowd favorite, irrespective
of age or gender.
As
for moi, I had to try all four scones Tara mentioned earlier. First, what makes Tara’s
scones outstanding is the dough: buttery, a bit crumbly but still holds, and
certainly not bready or dense as the ones in bakeries. Now I know what she means when she said you
have to hand knead the dough with care and getting the right feel. It shows. The top and bottom are golden crusty. The inside is supple with the flavorings scattered
all over. Certainly not like a hockey
puck.
The
White Chocolate and Dried Sour Cherry scones were an excellent balance of sweet
and sour. Do not spread butter or
anything else. By itself, this is one of
the best scones I ever had.
 |
| Add captionWhite Chocolate and Dried Sour Cherry |
Aged Cheddar
and Chive (image below) was fragrant, colorful with bits of yellow cheese and dark green
chive specks.
 |
| Aged Cheddar and Chive |
Personally, I prefer the
pair of Aged Cheddar and Apple (image below) which was very applely.
 |
| Aged Cheddar and Apple |
Cardamom and Currant (image below) work well together like a
good marriage – the potent domination of the cardamom is subdued by the sweet
slight acidity of the currant.
 |
| Cardamom and Currant |
According
to a great blog www.savvyeat.com, to
freeze scones well “Fold a paper towel so that it fits the bottom of a plastic
container. Place the scones on top, and then add the lid.” You can
keep it in the freezer up to three months.
I find the best way to warm it up is to let the scone thaw, split it in
half horizontal wise, place it in a pan on stove top in low heat, cover with a
peaking lid, for a few minutes. Touch
for warmth. Flip for a couple of
minutes. Then serve with a hot or cold beverage.
To order
Scone Queen’s scones, e-mail Tara at sconequeenyvr@gmail.com. Each scone costs $2.50. I had to pick up mine from Tara’s Vancouver
home. She sells in some special events
markets. To find out which markets,
visit sconequeen.wordpress.com.
