Friday, April 8, 2011

English Wedding Inspiration

We're certainly not immune to the royal wedding fever that's taken over the wedding world. It may age me, but I remember waking up early to watch Princess Diana's wedding (I was very young, of course--practically an infant) and being entranced by the pomp and ceremony. So today I found just a few little nods to British wedding elegance.


Nothing says English like enormous boxwoods!



These flowers were inspired by legendary English floral designer Constance Spry, who designed flowers for Queen Elizabeth's coronation and several royal weddings.




This wedding cake was inspired by an old English china pattern.



And, of course, nothing is more British than a nice spot of tea in lovely china tea cups.

 Bekka Brunsteter

 I'm including my favorite recipe for classic cream scones (I got this from Southern Living Magazine years ago). They have an amazingly light texture for scones and seem to melt in your mouth. These are brilliant with clotted cream and strawberry jam or lemon curd. I could eat an entire batch just by myself!

Classic Cream Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, cubed
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
Sugar, for sprinkling

Recipe

Combine first 4 ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.

Whisk together cream, egg, and vanilla; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, and place on baking sheets.

Whisk together egg white and 1 teaspoon water; brush mixture over tops of scones. Sprinkle scones with additional sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. This recipe makes 1 dozen scones