Paris . . . in a cup!

My sister and I took my mom to Paris . . . in a Cup for her birthday . . . and we had a wonderful time!  
  

  

Paris . . . in a Cup  is a simply charming French themed Tea Salon located in historic Old Towne Orange, and was inspired by a love for old movies, especially ones about Paris during the 1940's- 1950's.  
   
Owner Cheryl Turner began her research on French tea salons by scouring everything these unique and beautiful tea rooms have to offer, from their menus to furnishings and everything in between.  She searched for companies that imported items from France including tableware, gourmet foods and beverages, as well as a countless array of other lovely novelties. Her inspiration stems from tea salons like Laduree', Angelin's, and Marriage Ferrer's.

Paris . . .  in a Cup is beautiful. Mirrors and torchieres decorate the walls. Glass chandeliers hang from the ceilings. White linens cover the tables. Beautiful white china sits atop the tables eagerly waiting to be dined upon. The music is French.  A simply beautiful combination.  

  

Our formally set table awaited us with a collection of menus . . . Le Menu, the dessert menu, the seasonal tea menu, and the everyday tea menu, with more than 130 tea selections, including four lines from France.  

We were each brought a small black tea pot filled with our tea of choice. I sampled a wonderful Vanilla Bean tea that reminded me so much of one that I had on my honeymoon.  

A vessel holding the most beautiful white and brown sugar cubes sat next to a small vase of fresh flowers. I smiled when I saw them . . . I adore the tradition of sugar cubes to sweeten tea!

It was difficult to choose from Le Menu, because everything sounded so delicious. My mom, sister, and I chose different entrees, which was wonderful . . . because it allowed us to sample one another's dishes. 

We were served scones with our tea . . . and I must say, the flavor combinations were the best I have ever had. We sampled a traditional scone but with a vanilla sugar top . . . and a white chocolate and candied ginger scone. Oh my heavens . . . I was speechless.  Since I think I've perfected the basic scone with my Cream Scone recipe, I'm going to have to try these incredible combinations in my recipe! Maybe I can have Paris . . . in a Cup at home (smile).

Our lunches were just as delicious. My sister ordered the French dip sandwich. Tender roast beef piled on a toasted baguette, and served with an au jus and their honey-balsamic dijon mustard. For me, my heart seems to pitter-patter over quiches and frittatas lately, so I ordered Lorraine . . . a petite quiche crowned with crumbled bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese.  It was served with a cup of cream of chicken soup with wild rice.  Delicious.

And my mom . . . Well, she always chooses the more traditional tea fare . . . light and elegant.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that we also enjoyed a refreshing glass of Vanilla Lemonade. I was pleasantly surprised to see this special lemonade on their menu, especially after recently sharing a similar recipe with you.

It wouldn't have been a special birthday celebration without dessert, so we sampled the petit four assortment that accompanied my mom's tea fare . . . a petite lemon tart, chocolate ganache, and a raspberry petit four.  The presentation was a beautiful balance of flavors, each a piece of delicate art.

When I learned that my sister had never tried a French macaron, I promptly ordered an assortment for us to enjoy . . . mocha, salted caramel, raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio. She was pleasantly surprised by their delicate nature and intense flavors. Their presentation was quite breath-taking served atop an Eiffel Tower stand . . .

We ended our lunch with a leisurely stroll through the French boutique located at the front of the restaurant.  

Oh it was so much fun . . . and there were so many pretties! And the best part . . . there is a glass case nestled right in the front where you can buy French macarons and other delicacies to take home (big smile). 

We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of leisure & laughs, sipped on tea, and enjoyed delicious food. My mom casually mentioned that she would like to celebrate her 70th birthday next year at Paris . . . in a Cup with her close girl-friends, my sister, and me.  Given that Paris . . . in a Cup already has all the makings for a beautiful and elegant celebration, as well as delicious food . . . my mom's 70th birthday should be the easiest party I will ever host! I can't wait!

À bientôt!

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sour cream scones

  
I adore scones.  
  
Because scones offer just a hint of sweetness, you will find that they are a wonderful accompaniment to most beverages and menus.  

One of my favorites is the sour cream scone. It's the perfect scone if you're wanting to serve a light sweet treat with an array of spreads, like lemon curd or a home-made blackberry preserve. 
  
Sour cream scones are the perfect combination of butter and sour cream that marry to bake an incredibly tender and moist scone And what about the outside texture of the scone you might ask? Well, it's just irresistible.  Something magical happens in the oven when you've brushed the tops with heavy cream, and then sprinkled them with raw sugar . . . a heavenly sweet crust forms atop each one. The sweetness of the raw sugar rounds out the hint of sweetness found in the scone itself.  
  

This wonderful recipe always finds a place on my brunch menu, and I'm often asked for the recipe. I must admit that this posting is long overdue!  
  
Don't wait for a special occasion to make this treat.  If you don't have any spreads, fresh berries and cream taste absolutely wonderful as well. It's a quick and easy recipe that you and your family will truly enjoy! Bon appetit!  
  

 

Here's how . . .

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, COLD, cubed

1 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar in the raw  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Be sure that all your ingredients are COLD.

In a food processor (or mixer), pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the cubed butter until a coarse meal forms. Pulse in the sour cream and egg yolk until just combined.

Turn the sticky dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together into a ball. Gently pat the dough down into a 3/4 inch thick circle shape. 

With a large knife cut the dough square into 4 smaller, equal squares. Then cut each smaller square diagonally, with an X, making 4 smaller triangles.

Don't worry if the top is uneven, or even flaky, it will only hold more heavy cream and raw sugar . . . which yields an even more heavenly crust!

Transfer the 16 triangles onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle it with some sugar in the raw. This will create a shiny and crunchy top for the scones.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms of the scones are light brown. Remove from oven, cool slightly on the sheet pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  

     

Serve warm with lemon curd or a berry preserve 

. . . and enjoy!

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