TWD: Toasted Almond Scones

I liked to read when I was little. Actually, I still like to read, but when I was young I spent quite a bit of time with my nose buried in a book. I was lucky to have grandmothers and parents who encouraged this habit, and I had quite a few books at my disposal. These days I rarely reread books quite simply because there are so many books I'd like to read. I've convinced myself that if I go back and reread old favorites I'll never be able to read all of the books in my imaginary queue. When I was young, though, I reread books all of the time. In fact, most of my favorite books were in constant rotation. And two of my very favorites were Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. Truth told, I still love these stories and I would happily pick up either and sit down to read immediately. The scenes of London in A Little Princess couldn't have been more different than my suburban Texas childhood, and ever the girly girl, I loved reading about Sara's frocks and elaborate teatime rituals. Of course, the point of the novel is not Sara's material wealth, but her grace of character in her time of poverty. In one particularly memorable scene, a wretched, cold, and hungry Sara happens upon a fourpence outside of a bakery, "which was warm and inviting with the tempting aroma of bread, tarts, cakes, and scones filling the air." Now, Sara goes on to buy buns for a penny a piece, but I think it must be in novels like A Little Princess that I learned of such things as scones and crumpets. When I was growing up, crepes or bagels were about the extent of my exotic breakfast fare. I didn't taste a scone until I was in high school, and I was surprised to find out they were rather plain and unassuming breakfast fare. Scones don't look like much, but with a dollop of jam (and clotted cream makes it even better) they're certainly fit for aspiring royalty. 

I've had dozens of different scones since my first scone in Uncle Bob and Aunt Stacey's kitchen in Bedford, but I'll always have a soft spot for this breakfast treat. There's just something unassuming and elegant about a scone and I am a huge fan of that particular combination. I also happen to be a huge fan of anything almond, and I was delighted when Mike chose this recipe. I love Mike's blog; in fact, I wish my blog were Mike's blog. And we all have to give due respect to the guys in the midst of this girl-dominated TWD group. I baked a full recipe of scones, and I followed the recipe to the letter. Half have been baked and enjoyed, and the other half are in the freezer waiting to be the perfect breakfast sometime soon. These might be the best scones ever, too. The texture is fantastic. Sometimes scones can be a little too dry and crumbly, but these are just perfect. I enjoyed mine with black raspberry jam and coffee -- delish! If you'd like to peak at the recipe and check out a fantastic blog at the same time, head over to Mike's blog Living Out West.