Afternoon tea for Mothering Sunday

We decided against doing the usual flowers and chocolates this year & instead decided to make our Mums afternoon tea. We are lucky in the respect that they both live in the next village to us and are friends so it's lovely and easy to do things together sometimes.
The menu was
Sandwiches: Cucumber & mint; coronation chicken; salt beef, horseradish mayo & rocket
Sultana scones with clotted cream & strawberry jam
Carrot cake & cream cheese frosting
Luxury fruit cake
Chocolate eclairs

Wow, when it's written it looks so bad for you! In my defense I didn't have some of everything!

I will take a better scone photo tomorrow, last time I made them they were awful but this time they turned out beautifully, the trick is to not roll them out too thinly.
Updated photo of scone:

Sultana scone recipe
500g plain flour 
4tsp baking powder 
75g caster sugar 
85g soft, room temp butter 
2 eggs, lightly beaten + extra for glazing
Carton of buttermilk (usually 184ml) 
1 large handful sultanas 
cup of tea   


1. Soak the sultanas in the slightly cooled cup of black tea for a couple of hours or so, when you come to start making your scones drain the sultanas and place on some kitchen towel.


2. Preheat the oven to 210°C/gas 7.
 
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar together in a bowl twice.

4. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
 
5. Make a well in the centre and mix in the eggs and enough buttermilk to give a soft, fairly wet dough.

6. Mix in the (patted dry) sultanas.

7. Turn the mixture onto a floured surface. Roll out lightly to a thickness of about 2.5cm. Cut into circles with a 5cm cutter.

8. Place the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Lightly brush with beaten egg, making sure the egg wash doesn't spill over the edges.

9. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until brown and well risen.

10. Cool on a wire rack. 


Last weekend we spent the day at a local airfield, it's a fun thing to do, sit & chat & watch the planes.

 Oh and my husband did this while I stayed safely down on the ground.

I couldn't do it, I could barely watch him until I saw the parachute open, then it looked quite enjoyable, I'll take the gently floating down to earth minus the plummeting towards the ground please!
This is my daughter, it's lovely when you just catch children looking natural, it's rare in our family as whenever you pull the camera out they fake smile at you & look a bit forced. Love the classic style of this shot though.

 I hope all my UK readers had an enjoyable Mothering Sunday?