Cream Tea - the healthy version

Jun 12, 2019

I’m pushed to think of a more heavenly way of passing a Summer afternoon than feasting al fresco upon a glorious cream tea. The genteel tinkling of cutlery on china, birdies chirruping in the shrubbery, may be a stream doing a spot of babbling in the background…….

I’ve assumed those days were gone given that conventional scones and jam are enough to send blood sugar levels to the moon and back. But we’re not interested in convention here. Oh no, we’re thinking outside the cake tin.

Cop a load of these cute little low carb, low sugar scones, topped with zingy fruit jam and a generous dollop of cream. They’re gorgeous and deliver the taste of Summer just as well as the sugary naughty but nice versions – except they don’t do the harm and they’re nutritious too.

Although this jam doesn’t have refined sugar to conserve it in the larder until the end of time, it should keep in the fridge for about 2 or 3 weeks – if you can hang on to it that long. So far I’ve wolfed it down fairly swiftly and not been able to test the theory. Let me know. Without the gluten to bind the scones, you’ll find they’re a tad more crumbly than wheat flour scones, so you might find it easier to use a sharp straight edged knife rather than serrated one to cut them in half.

For the scones:
250g almond flour
60g cold butter
1 ½ tsp xylitol
2 tbsp full cream yogurt
1 egg
30g golden berries chopped
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xantham gum
A pinch of salt

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Cut the butter into small pieces and rub into the flour until like breadcrumbs.
Add yogurt and beaten egg. Mix well.
Form a ball. Cover with clingfilm and chill the mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 4. 180C/350F
Divide the dough equally into 8 and make each piece into a ball. Flatten them slightly.
Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for approximately 18 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool on a tray.

For the jam:
300g frozen Summer fruits or any mix containing frozen strawberries.
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp xylitol
2 tbsp chia seeds

Put the fruit in a saucepan, add the lemon juice and xylitol. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Let the mixture cool slightly and add the chia seeds. Stir well.
Leave for two hours until cool and thickened.
Decant into a jar and keep in the fridge.