The Seasoned Farmhouse

France is magical any time of year, but Alsace at Christmas feels truly special. Half-timbered villages, historic market squares, church bells, and evenings lit by candlelight set the scene for my inaugural Christmas Market & Culinary tour. 🎄🇫🇷🎄

It was a deeply meaningful week spent with our Farmhouse guests — gathered around cozy, beautiful tables, experiencing the foods, traditions, and quiet beauty of this storybook region. Grateful to share moments like these, and already looking forward to next year. ♥️

Loved our latest Culinary, Culture and Antique trip to the Cotswolds! Amazing group of Farmhouse guests joined us for a special week of dining, exploring and visiting our favorite places!! Blessed to combine my love of travel and all things culinary in these trips! Can’t wait for our trip to the Balkans in September!! 🤎

Happy Coronation Day! Congratulations to the new King! 💛💜 Sharing my British Scone Recipe for the occasion!!!

British-Style Scones:

Ingredients
3 Cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour *
⅓ Cup (2½ ounces) sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
½ Teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Cup whole milk * *
2 Large eggs
 
This dough will be quite soft and wet; keep extra flour on hand to use to dust your work surface and your hands when handling the dough.
1. Cut 8 tablespoons unsalted butter into ½-inch pieces and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees.
3. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Pulse 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) sugar, 2 tablespoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses.
5. Add softened butter and pulse until fully incorporated and mixture looks like very fine crumbs with no visible butter, about 20 pulses.
6. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in currants
7. Whisk 1 cup whole milk and 2 large eggs together in second bowl.
8. Set aside 2 tablespoons milk mixture.
9. Add remaining milk mixture to flour mixture and, using rubber spatula, fold together until almost no dry bits of flour remain.
10. Transfer dough to well-floured counter and gather into ball.
11. With floured hands, knead until surface is smooth and free of cracks, 25 to 30 times.
12. Press gently to form disk. Using floured rolling pin, roll disk into 9-inch round, about 1 inch thick
13. Using floured 2½-inch round cutter, stamp out 8 rounds, recoating cutter with flour if it begins to stick. Arrange scones on prepared sheet.
14. Gather dough scraps, form into ball, and knead gently until surface is smooth. Roll dough to 1-inch thickness and stamp out 4 scones. Discard remaining dough.
15. Brush tops of scones with reserved milk mixture.
16. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake scones until risen and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
17. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve scones warm or at room temperature.