You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why:
I mean, look, even Santa put them on his Nice List.
Cranberry Orange Breakfast Scones
Basic doesn’t always mean plain or boring or bland or simple or unsophisticated or straightforward or adequate or unadorned or spartan or…okaaaayy I need to stop using the thesaurus because half of those synonyms aren’t even making sense anymore. I guess I just want to instill in you that an easy recipe of 6 ingredients with only a few minutes of real work can be amazing.  Because it can be. I only speak the truth 😉
White Chocolate Chip Scones
Baking is my go-to stress reliever (shocking, right?). And sometimes simply baking isn’t enough. Sometimes, you just need to bake something unique and time-consuming and multi-stepped and completely of your own recipe ideas. And you need it to work perfectly the first time.
Oreo Layer Cake with Cookies n’ Cream Frosting
That’s not a tall order, is it?
This has been a disappointing year in the strawberry department for me. I’ve had the raved about Harry’s Berries….once. Â See, this is my second strawberry season out of my parents’ house and I weirdly haven’t seen my parents all that much this past month. Typically during strawberry season, visits to parents=raiding the refrigerator for Harry’s Berries. No visits–no strawberries.
Strawberry Sconecakes
Hopefully you are not having a similarly barren strawberry season because some of the best desserts have my favorite fruit! Nothing can’t be improved with a side of strawberries, or with incorporated strawberries, or built around strawberries, or ohmygod I need strawberries. Sorry. Back on topic.
Feeling a little inundated with cookies right about now? Between Christmas parties, office afternoon teas (is it just my dad’s office that does that?), your holiday traditions, and yes I’ll admit to some blame myself, you have been surrounded by cookies for weeks now! Cookies are delicious and traditional for this time of year, but I totally understand needing a moment to step away from the cookie sheets. I won’t judge. In fact, I’ll join you! I’ll join anything to have another batch of these pomegranate dark chocolate scones.
Pomegranate Dark Chocolate Scones
I mentioned EONS ago that I wanted to try these Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Scones with fresh pomegranate arils instead of the pomegranate flavored fruit jelly covered in dark chocolate.Â
I’m baaaaack! Can I claim that I go so long between posts in order to give you ample time to make one recipe before I spring another one on you? No? Fine *pouting*. But I understand the tragedy at hand. We are in NOVEMBER (oh my lanta) and I have yet to give you a nice fall season or beginning of holiday season recipe. While the rest of the blogosphere is overdosing on pumpkin—which I am also consuming in too high of quantities—I thought I’d bring you a pumpkin free recipe. Let’s bring out some cinnamon instead.
Cinnamon Chip Scones
Remember my promise to post more regularly now that the roommate thing was over? Uh…oops. Just when you think your life is about to slow down, it speeds up even more. Murphy’s Law and all that, right? (Curse that darn Murphy! Who is Murphy anyway? If I give him scones will he cut me some slack?)
I definitely don’t want to bring acting up in this blog regularly, but I promise this isn’t really about acting. Acting just gave me the setting for The Great Mango Catastrophe of September 2014. The other weekend, I did this 5 manager showcase–short story even shorter you do a scene/monologue for 5 talent managers, they answer your questions, hopefully they like you and you like them, and we all celebrate with cake–after an audition in a completely different part of town. To kill the hours in between, I took a trip to Whole Foods for a little treat: MANGO.
Mango Coconut Macadamia Nut Scones
In case you didn’t know, mango is my absolute favorite fruit, and when Whole Foods has good mango, they have good mango! I was sooooooo excited to eat it after my showcase. But while I was there, disaster struck! THE CONTAINER OPENED UP IN MY BAG AND ALL THE MANGO SPILLED INTO MY PURSE!!!!
Once upon a time (okay, a little over a year ago) I worked in a tea cafe. I had been a semi-regular customer there for years when I finally got the chance to be a server there, and I have to say it was one of my favorite restaurant jobs I ever had. And not just because at the end of our shifts, we got to take home one free scone. Yeah, I was spoiled.
black and white chocolate chip scones
What was interesting about the free scone situation was that when I was a customer before I worked there, all I ever ordered was the chocolate chip scone. I loved it! Then when I started my job, I suddenly switched and my favorite became the white chocolate chip scone. No idea what made me switch my allegiance. Now that I don’t waitress anymore and I make my own scones regularly, it felt like the right time to progress into a new favorite chocolate scone.
So stage three: The Black and White Chocolate Chip Scone.
Wow it’s been a long time since I posted, but I promise you I have multiple valid excuses. As you may know, baking and blogging is just a side passion of mine. My actual career/job is acting. And this past month, my career has been taking off in so many directions that I’ve barely had time to do my laundry much less keep the blog current. We’re talking 20 auditions and 4 short film lead roles and multiple business meetings and acting classes! There have also been some living situation changes that have required a lot of additional attention, but with all that settled I can come back to Once Upon An Afternoon Tea and continue pursuing acting. So more scones for you 
But scones aren’t the only thing on our teablog menus coming up! There’s a fun scone-based dessert, some cake, and our first real tea sandwich recipe in the queue. And a lot of delicious bars/tray bakes if I ever get around to photographing them…
Peach Blackberry Scones
I’m OBSESSED with peanut butter in any form, but I get especially happy when that peanut butter is paired with chocolate. I can’t think of a single time from my childhood when someone asked me what my favorite candy was that was not some form of chocolate-peanut butter perfection. Reese’s peanut butter cups, Reese’s peanut butter cup miniatures (I swear the smaller ones are more deadly), Reese’s Bites (those were the best movie theater candy, why did they disappear?!), Peanut Butter M&Ms, Fastbreak bars, Take 5 Bars…the list was consistently chocolate and peanut butter.
Reese’s Scones
So putting little tiny Reese’s cups in a batch of scones is the perfect, most natural progression, right? Thought so!