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Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest

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I’ve been a long time fan of all the series Nancy J. Para writes so was intrigued when I heard she was releasing a brand new series under a new pen name, Nell Hampton. I was doubly intrigued when I found out that the premise for KALE TO THE QUEEN was based on an American moving to England to become the personal chef for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! Ever since I visited Great Britain years ago, I’ve been fascinated with the Royal Family, especially now that the darling young prince and princess have made their appearance. 

While the author doesn’t name names, she gives the story a realistic flavor of what it might be like living and working at Kensington Palace for such a famous family…so many rules and regulations to follow! While the protagonist, Carrie Ann Cole, is an American, many of the characters surrounding her at the palace are charming and exactly how you would envision them to be. Others display the stereotypical “British stiff upper lip” characterization when tragedy strikes. The interaction between Carrie and the British characters, especially working side-by-side in a stressful environment made even more so by murder, forces Carrie to grow as a person. I enjoyed how Nell Hampton weaves in Carrie’s self-doubts, especially when it comes to leaving her long-term boyfriend behind, to find her own path of self-discovery and strengths instead of relying on someone else. She proves to be a genuinely caring person, willing to help those in need around her. The plot is well written and will keep the reader guessing and turning pages, while the subplots add a complexity to the storyline.

The author also provides plenty of mouthwatering mentions of dishes prepared in Carrie’s kitchen and fortunately for the reader, shares some of the recipes at the back of the book. I chose to make Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest because scones seem to be the quintessential British tea time treat. I loved the extra flavor the lemon zest brought to these scones while vanilla provided a subtle delicate scent. Served with your favorite jam and a dollop of piped whipped cream, these easy to make scones will make any breakfast or tea time a special occasion! 

Amazon Synopsis

Chef Carrie Ann Cole is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime–an assignment as the new Personal Chef to the Royal Family at Kensington Palace. But no sooner has Carrie Ann touched down across the pond and donned her apron than a dead body crops up beneath the royal kale beds.

With one assistant dead and the other soon under suspicion for his murder, Carrie Ann is scrambling to keep her kitchen up and running. Not to mention she gets off to an immediate bad start with the tempestuous Royal Chef Butterbottom, who has a bitter taste in his mouth since the prestigious position in the Royal Family’s kitchen was given to an “over-privileged, under-educated American chef.”

But the Royal Family’s appetites wait for no one, and Carrie Ann must solve the murder and still get supper on the table on time–even with the annoyingly handsome Head of Security Ian Gordon tracking her every move like an MI6 agent. Suspects abound as an American chef adds a bit of spice to the traditional royal household in the first in Nell Hampton’s charming and tasty Kensington Palace Chef Mystery series, Kale to the Queen.

 

 

A huge thank you to Nell Hampton and Crooked Lane Books for providing a hardcover copy for one lucky winner! Contest ends Monday, May 15, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

 

 

 

Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest are fuss-free, delicately flavored scones that make any breakfast or tea time a special occasion!

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Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest

Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest

Ingredients

  • 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 7 tablespoons butter, cold
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg, large
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).
  2. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
  3. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until pea size.
  4. Blend together buttermilk, milk, egg, and vanilla.
  5. Make a hollow in the center of the pea-sized mixture.
  6. Finely grate lemon zest into it and pour in most of the liquid. (Leave 2 - 3 tablespoons to put back in if mixture seems dry.)
  7. Mix dough gently. You want a lightly bound dough that is neither sticky nor dry nor crumbly. (It should just make a ball.) If dough is too dry, add in the reserved milk mixture.
  8. Lift ball of dough out of bowl and knead on floured surface just enough to get rid of cracks - overworked dough makes tough scones.
  9. Pat dough into 3/4-inch-thick slab.
  10. Cut out dough with round pastry cutter or biscuit cutter.
  11. Place scones on baking tray.
  12. Bake 10 - 12 minutes until well risen and golden.
  13. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
  14. Once cooled, top with jam and piped whipped cream.
  15. Serve with tea.
https://cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com/scones-with-vanilla-and-lemon-zest/

 

Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest are fuss-free, delicately flavored scones that make any breakfast or tea time a special occasion!

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

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Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest are fuss-free, delicately flavored scones that make any breakfast or tea time a special occasion!

 

 

 

 

 

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

 

 

I was provided an advanced copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest are fuss-free, delicately flavored scones that make any breakfast or tea time a special occasion!

 

 

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58 thoughts on “Simple Scones with Vanilla and Lemon Zest”

  1. My paternal grandmother came from England and somewhere along the line it is believed my paternal grandfather’s family came from England also. It is on my bucket list to one day go to England so I can research my ancestry further. Thank you for hosting Nell Hampton’s latest book on your blog.

  2. No. Never been off North American Continent. Though my Great Grandfather emigrated here from England when he retired. He was a colonel in her Majesty’s service. I do not know this author and look forward to learning more. Hope this will be an early start

  5. Yes! I lived there in EastHam London for 9 1/2 years our 2 daughters were born there, my husband is English. We live in California now. I do miss it
    Penney

  6. No, I have never been to England, but it one of my life’s dreams. Every Saturday night, I sit in front of the television, and watch what they call Britcoms, and that’s the closest I get.

  9. I went on a school trip to England when I was 13 and loved every minute of it. I hope to go back someday and visit all of the UK. I am such an Anglophile. Thank you for the chance to win Kale to the Queen. It has bern on my wish list since i first heard it was coming out.

  10. I visited England in 1986 while stationed overseas. Had a great time with my parents.

  13. I’ve never been to England, but it’s been my dream to visit the U.K. since I can remember since I’m an Anglophile and love the British way of life.

  14. I’ve never been anywhere fun…especially Europe. Ahhh, bucketlists. 🙂 Someday I’ll do fun things. Thanks for the awesome review to read too. I’ve been eyeing this new series for a while now. I’m excited to read it!

  16. I have not been to England but would love to go! I’m going to try my hand at those scones. They look so delicious! The book sounds amazing. I don’t follow the royal family excessively but I do get caught up sometimes. I did watch Princess Diana’s wedding. Since I was a little girl I have dreamt of living in a castle. I think it will be fascinating to read Kale to the Queen.

  20. What a wonderful recipe thank you for that. I have never been to England but in my dreams watching all the royal weddings and Kate is just so beautiful everyone over there is so lucky they have all of their brains and looks together compared to other countries! Thank you for the chance and love the play on words with the title. Thank you for also offering a print copy. Happy Mothers Day!

  21. I’ve never been to England but my small town actually has a Tea Shop and one of the tables is a Teacup and saucer.

  24. If you don’t need the milk/egg mix to finish off the dough, you could brush it on the tops before baking.
    Yes, I’ve been to England. The trips were years apart and the differences were interesting.

  25. I worked in England for 6 mos. in 1985. Helped to open TRU stores. Would be so much easier today with GPS to get around and social media to keep in touch with family (I spent hundreds on phone calls back then!)

  27. No, I’ve never been to England. The scones look so delicious Kim! Thanks for a chance to win in the give-a-way.

  30. I spent 3 1/2 weeks in England, based in London, in January, 1973, studying nursing and the British Healthcare system. I have wonderful memories and would love to return one day, beyond the layover time spent at Heathrow in November, 2012 catching a connecting flight to and from Kenya for a mission trip. Thanks for an intriguing review and also the recipe!

  31. Cornwall is at the top of my bucket list! I have dear friend there. But no, I’ve never left the continental USA. I have hopes of making it to Cornwall before I kick that bucket!

  32. I have never been to England. It is definitely on my bucket list. Can’t wait to try the recipe, I really like scones.

  33. I have not been to England but if the opportunity to go ever comes up, I will go!

  34. Only as far as our dining room table. 🙂 I’ve never traveled to England but there’s a lot of recipes that we love that are said to originate in England and I do so love a good cup of tea if that counts.

  38. No I haven’t been to england. I’d like to. The scones look so good! I will makevthem soon! Thanks for the chance.

  39. No I have never been to England. Thanks for sharing this giveaway on your blog also. 🙂

  42. I’ve not been to England before, but hope to someday. The book sounds great, I would love to win a copy.

  43. LOVE scones – I once visited England with my sister and we had a “cream” tea which was
    tea with clotted cream for the scones! Delicious! We can’t get clotted cream here – something
    different about the cows, I guess. A shame, really!!

  46. I have not been to England…yet! I hope to fulfill this life-long dream of spending a few months exploring. I hate to have my ‘anglophile’ membership card revoked because I’ve never been there. LOL I hope to find more about my ancestors–Fowler. I hoping to find out I am a long lost heir of a great fortune.

  51. No, I’ve never had the pleasure of going to England, but I would love to go! So I like to read mysteries that are set there!

  53. I’ve never been to England, but I do want to visit Scotland and see where my father was born at some point in my life. I still have family in Scotland that I have never met so it will surely be exciting.

  54. I have never been to England. I would like to some day. My son had a lay over in the airport (Heathrow) when he went to Ireland.

  55. Sadly no I haven’t ever visited England! I did make it to Europe to visit Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.

  57. England is my favorite Country so I have visited. It was fabulous too…long night flight and jet lag but it is worth it. I felt like I was home…thank you for the contest. The book looks great.
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

  58. Oh how I wish! I would love to visit Merry ol’ England and have some scones!
    Cheers-
    Kelly Braun

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