Dulcet Devotion

Ah, morning tea. The most glorious part of the day (well, aside from breakfast, of course) and the pastime I miss most about living in New Zealand.

Not to be confused with “second breakfast”, the winter practice of doubling up on the most important meal of the day to get you through the dark, dreary days of the coldest season, morning tea is a standalone event characterized by protein-rich, often savoury but always flavourful offerings, the ratio of healthy to not-healthy ingredients entirely up to you.

What’s not negotiable is the accompanying caffeinated beverage, which in my opinion needs to be a creamy, strong coffee. This is your chance to sneak out of the office for 10 minutes to stretch your legs, get some fresh air into your lungs and have a wee chat with your favourite barista who already knows your order by heart (swoon).

Once you have your coffee sorted, the next step is to find a snack that is sufficiently satisfying to both your tastebuds and your tummy so as to adequately delight and fuel you for the second half of your morning (which is in my case often the time I am both the busiest and at my most hungry).

During my time in Wellington my co-workers and I often frequented one of the many, many cafes nearby the office, all of which made different, but equally delicious, cheese scones. One of the most important decisions we’d make each day was which cafe we would visit (I know, tough life right?). Of course it goes without saying that we also worked very hard at our jobs (my former bosses may be reading!).

As decadent as it is to buy bakery-fresh scones, they are so easy to make at home and if you prepare a batch on the weekend, you can be morning tea-ing your ass off for about a week and a half, no muss, no fuss. You can still nip out to grab a coffee but you can return to the office knowing your savoury morning treat is already locked and loaded.

Speaking of savoury treats, pancetta is a promising start, now isn’t it? Fry it up over medium heat until golden and crispy. Remove from heat and drain the excess oil using paper towel.

Sift together all the dry ingredients, then add the grated cheese (smoked gouda!) and pancetta and mix together. Form a well in the centre, add the milk, and combine with a fork.

Flour your hands a bit (the batter may be a bit sticky) and roll into about 8 balls (you can make them as big or as small as you like) and place on a greased baking sheet. Use that same fork as above to push them down into pucks.

Bake at 425F (220C) for about 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Serve hot and fresh (with butter!) or reheat in the microwave or sandwich toaster.

So there you have it – the fine art of morning tea in just a few easy steps. I will be making other morning tea options for you in subsequent posts, so stay tuned.

And please tell me  – What do you eat for morning tea?  There are no rules, the sky’s the limit! Leave your comments below.

Mel xo

The art of morning tea: Pancetta and smoked gouda scones

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Melanie

Recipe type: Baking

Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 cups (170g) smoked gouda, grated
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 75 g pancetta, chopped into tiny cubes
• 1 cup full fat/2% milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F/220C
2. Add oil to skillet and set to medium heat
3. Chop up pancetta and add to the pan, stirring occasionally until bacon is golden and crispy
4. Remove from heat and drain using kitchen towel; set aside
5. Sift together dry ingredients
6. Add in grated cheese and pancetta and form a well in the centre
7. Pour in milk and mix lightly with a fork until combined
8. Flour your hands and roll dough into approx. 8 equal balls
9. Transfer to greased baking sheet and press down tops with a fork
10. Bake at 425F/220C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling

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