How to Make a Devon Cream Tea - From Scratch!

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The Dartmoor National Park, Devon receives tourists from all over the world, and one thing that almost everyone wants to experience is a Devon Cream Tea. If, like me you love making things from scratch, this little article will tell you how. Now, I'm not a purist about this, I'm not going to say first milk your cow, or plant your hillside with Camellia sinensis, but I will give you recipes for the key components, that make up this delicious, artery-clogging treat.
Devon Cream

First of all, the scones. I hesitate to enter into the debate about whether the word is pronounced SKONN or SKOWNE, but for me, they are SKOWNES! An ideal Devon Cream Tea, should contain two medium sized plain scones. There is a worrying trend for people to request fruit scones with their cream tea (my partner being a culprit), but tradition states that the scones should be plain. Here's how I make mine:
Plain Scones
7oz (200g) Plain flour
1tsp Salt
1tsp baking powderI
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
4tbsp cold butter - chopped
5floz (150ml) cold milk
2 heaped tbsp plain yoghurt
Preheat the oven to 425 F/ 220C. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Dollop in the yoghurt and stir in the cold milk gradually, to form a soft dough. Roll out until 1/2 inch thick and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter, or an upturned wine glass. Place on a baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire tray and set aside. This recipe should make twelve to fifteen scones.
Strawberry Jam
I grew a huge number of strawberries on my allotment this year; we picked a bucketful every few days, so some went in the freezer, many went into our teenagers and some went into this fragrant, simple jam.
5-6 Jars with lids, pre-warmed in the oven on the lowest temperature
1 3/4 lbs strawberries (800g)
2.2lbs (1kg) jam sugar (the type with pectin added)
1 knob of butter
Crush all the strawberries with a potato masher and place them in a saucepan. Add the sugar and heat gently whilst stirring continuously, until all the sugar is dissolved. DO NOT BOIL. Add the knob of butter. Increase the heat and bring the jam to a rolling boil, one that rises in the pan and cannot be stirred down. Begin timing and boil for five minutes. Remove from heat and using a jug or mug, pot the jam, place a waxed discs on top and put the lids on. Leave to cool.
Clotted Cream
Clotted cream is an absolutely divine substance, sent from heaven to make dieting futile! Few people make it at home, but it's not difficult.
Take two pints of Jersey or Guernsey full cream milk. Place it in a bowl and let it stand for around six hours (it may need longer in winter), for the cream to rise to the surface. Skim off the cream and place it in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Heat gently until rings form on the surface of the cream. The clotted cream will again rise to the top. Skim this off and store it somewhere cool for twelve hours, after which time a thick yellow crust will have formed on the surface.
Devon Cream Tea
Make a pot of your favourite tea. I personally favour English Breakfast (at any time of day), or Assam tea. On a plate, assemble two plain scones per person, a tablespoon of home-made strawberry jam, and two tablespoons of clotted cream. Scoff the whole lot whilst drinking the tea, then sit somewhere warm and cosy for a little doze.




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