A very Cornish Christmas

Once more, the tastemakers at Rodda’s bring us the ultimate Christmas treat, with a festive twist on a recipe made famous here in Cornwall.

For many of us, the festive period is the perfect excuse for great food, especially with the incredible culinary culture fostered here in the Duchy. This Christmas, professional baker, author and TV personality, Juliet Sear, shares with us her special take on a recipe that lies at the very heart of Cornwall, complete with a touch of indulgence from Rodda’s. So, dig out your apron and have a go at a Cornish cream tea, just made for Christmas.

Juliet Sear’s festive cream tea with Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream

MAKES 12 – 14

INGREDIENTS

For the scones:
350g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 ½ tsp mixed spice
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
A pinch of ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
40g golden caster sugar
90g Rodda’s salted butter, cut into cubes
125ml whole milk
75g Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream
Orange zest
2 tbsp juice from the
zested orange
50g raisins
50g sultanas
40g stem ginger, finely chopped
1 beaten egg, to glaze

To serve:
Festive jam of choice
Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream or Rodda’s limited-edition brandy clotted cream

METHOD

1. Line two baking trays with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 180^oC fan.
2. Add the milk and clotted cream to a small saucepan on a gentle heat for about 30 seconds until warm, but not hot. Add the orange juice, then set aside.
3. Tip the flour into a large bowl with all the spices and baking powder, then mix to distribute all the powders.
4. Add the cold cubes of butter and rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can blitz the mixture in a food processor. Then stir in the sugar.
5. Make a well in the dry mix, and add the clotted cream from the saucepan, orange zest, chopped ginger and fruit, combining it quickly with a cutlery knife. It will seem wet at first but don’t worry!
6. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then knead the dough briefly until it’s a little smoother. Pat or roll the dough gently into a round roughly 2.5cm deep (about an inch).
7. Use a small round cutter (approximately 5-6 cm) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have used up all the space. Bring the scraps lightly together and cut out some more rounds.
8. Brush the tops of the rounds with beaten egg and bake for around 15 to 18 mins until risen and golden on the top.
9. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking and spread them with festive jam first, then top with Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream or Rodda’s brandy butter. You can toast them the next day if they are a little hard!

TOP  TIP
If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven at about 160^oC for a few minutes to refresh.

RODDA’S CORNISH CLOTTED CREAM
The Creamery, Scorrier, Redruth
TR16 5BU
www.roddas.co.uk