What is Cream Tea?

English Scones Recipe for an Afternoon Delight with Devonshire Cream

Jul 14, 2009

What could be more English than the traditional afternoon tea with scones, jam and Devonshire cream? Cream tea epitomizes a favorite English pastime.

For the English, tea is a light meal as well as dried leaves brewed into a hot drink. Tea time isn't simply time for a cup of tea. Tea time is the third meal of the day. Traditionally, the English have their main meal in the early afternoon and a light supper in the evening. A cream tea on the other hand, is a treat any time of the day.

A cream tea consists of English scones with side dishes of Devonshire cream or clotted cream, strawberry jam and a pot of tea, English style.

Devonshire Cream

Clotted Devonshire cream, as well as Cornish clotted cream is made from unpasteurized cow's milk. To make it, the fresh milk is placed in shallow pans and left to sit until the cream separates from the milk and clots together as it rises to the top of the pan. Foodies call it rich and heavy. On it's own, Devonshire cream has little flavor, but the combination with jam, scones and tea, make it a delight for the taste buds.

Devonshire Cream or Cornish clotted cream is available in most grocery stores, fine food stores and specially food import stores.

English Scones

Across the pond, the scone is called the English Tea Biscuit or Quickbread. If there is no scone, there is no cream tea. While every English cook has his or her own recipe, this one is for a basic scone and is very easy.

Scones Recipe

The scones should be served warm with cream tea, so these can be prepared in the morning and put into the oven as the table is being set.

Jam with Scones

The traditional English cream ea is served with strawberry jam. It's a good combination with the cream and the scones. But any jam will do, from gooseberry to raspberry.

For a proper cream tea scone, place a teaspoon full of the clotted cream on the a sliced scone and then add a teaspoon full of jam on top.

English Tea

The English have rules about how to make the perfect pot of tea. The water in the kettle should boil until is bubbles. The teapot should be brought to the kettle and just before the water begins to bubble, a little should be poured into the teapot and swished around to heat up the pot and then emptied. Add a teaspoon of loose tea to the pot for every cup of hot water. Pour the bubbling hot water into the teapot and replace the lid. Cover the teapot with a tea cozy. The tea has to be hot.

Let the tea sit for two minutes to steep. If left for too long, the tea will become bitter. Add a little milk to the bottom of the teacup. Always add the milk first. Traditionally, tea cups are made of fine bone china. Boiling water could cause cracks, so the milk cools the hot tea as it's being poured into the teacup. This is also one reason why the teapot is warmed before adding the boiling water.

Pour the tea. Strainers aren't necessary since most of the loose leaves have sunk to the bottom of the tea pot. Add sugar to taste. And that's how the English make a cup of tea.

Accouterments for Cream Tea

To serve a cream tea as a traditional afternoon tea, the English set the table very prettily. Bone china teacups and teapots are used along with matching creamers and sugars. A tea cozy is a must. The clotted cream or Devonshire cream and the jam is placed in pretty china bowls with teaspoons. A tea plate holds the warm scones and more tea plates are used for the diners. Everything shines on top of a lace or damask tablecloth.

Cream tea is a delight to the palette and delight for the eyes. If it isn't done correctly, it just isn't English.

The copyright of the article What is Cream Tea? in European Culinary Travel is owned by Lorraine Syratt. Permission to republish What is Cream Tea? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.