The Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC, where I live, is famous for its afternoon teas. They are pricey, but oh, so elegant. Scones are one of their specialties, served with Devonshire cream and strawberry jam. Here's the recipe:
Empress Hotel Scones
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup butter, hard
1/2 cup milk, or light cream
1 egg, beaten
Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add sugar. Cut in butter until the mixture is like coarse meal. Combine the milk and egg and stir into flour mixture, mixing lightly. On a floured surface, roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut 3 inch rounds and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm with butter or strawberry jam and Devonshire cream.
In this picture, I cut them a little smaller than 3 inches, and I brushed the tops with more milk and sprinkled a little sugar on them. I also used homemade cherry jam instead of strawberry and lightly sweetened whipped cream. These scones and a cup of tea made up most of my supper last night. And tea is tea only if made in a pot, never drag a bag through hot water and call it tea. And somehow, it tastes best when sipped from a bone china teacup.
The Empress Hotel overlooks the Inner Harbour in the downtown area. Tea is taken in an Edwardian style room. The first time I had tea there, my daughters and I were seated at a table by a window. We had a gorgeous view of the harbour and of people wandering along the street. Tea begins with a dish of strawberries and chantilly cream with unending pots of hot tea, an Empress blend. Then a 3-tiered stand is brought, with sandwiches on the bottom, scones in the middle and sweet goodies on the top.
It's the most civilized of experiences and so much fun!
The Empress was named after Queen Victoria. You can see queenly references everywhere, including on this stone gatepost when you enter from the side.
Great post! And thanks for the link to Gracious Hospitality! I love all the queenly references to Victoria. So regal, elegant, and rich! The Empress is a treasure that I hope stands for years and years to come!
ReplyDeleteLaTeaDah
SUERTE.......
ReplyDeleteLorrie, don't forget to sign up with Mr. Linky on my blog (Gracious Hospitality) so that others can find you!
ReplyDelete:) Thanks
LaTeaDah
Thank you for the scone recipe. It sounds wonderful! The hotel is beautiful and looks very grand!...Kathy@ Mimi's Garden
ReplyDeleteI love the Empress, and Victoria in general. How lucky you are to live there. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeletethat sounds amazing..I have heard of thier teas.
ReplyDeleteLucky you to live in Victoria. I chuckled as I also posted a recipe which was supposed to be "Empress Scones". Not the same! Ah well, I guess I'll have to stop calling mine "empress". I'll just change it to cream scones. Whatever they are called, they are very tasty. I will try your recipe too.
ReplyDeleteMillie
How wonderful that you live so near The Empress! And what a special memory you have of your first tea there with your daughters.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Canada but certainly want to visit some day. BC at the top of my list!
~ Arleen
thanks for this lovely post Lorrie,
ReplyDeleteI've been to Victoria a few times but have never had tea at the Empress. I did have tea at Munchies. thanks for the recipe...
Fun to read about a grand old hotel...I'm always scouting for a good scone recipe, too. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteOh, to have tea at The Empress sounds like a delightful, lovely experience! :) Your pictures are great! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete~Rhonda
What a nice post. The Grand Hotel sounds wonderful. Thank you for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteLorrie,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind comments. The Bliss Guild is a great group of ladies with a common love for Victoria magazine. Your photos of the Empress are lovely! Heading over to check out La Tea Dah...
Love,
Christi
Oh, thank you for this trip down memory lane! I had the chance to take tea at the Empress a few years ago. It was such a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteI stayed at the Empress once, but never got to have High Tea there. It's on my to-do list someday :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to visit the Empress - "someday!!" I hope! In the meantime, I'll have to try the scone recipe, and I have a bag of loose tea from Butchart Gardens a friend brought me when she visited there. They will go well together, and yes, a bone china tea cup is a must!
ReplyDeleteKatherine
I am so hoping to get to Victoria next year, I must add this to my list of must sees
ReplyDeleteI would feel like a Queen at the Empress...how beautiful!
ReplyDeleteKindredly,
Lynne Laura
Looks like a really nice eplace to have tea Lorrie. Possibly almost as nice as tea with you looking at your scones.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is learning to knit too. She has embarked on a sweater for Oliver.
Not sure how I could have missed this posting! I love the Empress Hotel and the ambiance of drinking tea from real china!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe -- I'm looking forwarding to trying them out over this coming Victoria Day long weekend (in Canada).