how to properly spill the tea...

Trishy and I started picking up shifts at the teashop when I was in my senior year of high school. When I left for college she started helping out more on the weekends and fell in love with the charm of Teapots and Treasures, and the hustle of the food service industry. Meanwhile, I was spending my time at culinary school not knowing COVID-19 would soon ruin my college experience. Before I moved home to quarantine Trish and Fran (my mom's business partner and old family friend) had a plan to buy the teashop in June of 2020, when the original owners were planning on retiring. So, whilst stuck in the house going insane we somehow ended up saying "screw it" and buying a restaurant while the world around us was a dumpster fire. It occupied our time quite well though, we would spend nights on the couch writing down recipe ideas, coming up with a high tea hierarchy, and going back and forth on our big dreams for this little teashop. During the day we would test recipes for our scones, cakes, cookies, chicken salad, finger sandwiches, etc. By the end of this process, we were on a sugar high and nauseated by the sight of chicken.

Now, Teapots and Treasures is a staple for bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, anniversaries, and the perfect place to catch up. For me, there is nothing better than sitting on the big blue couch after all the guests have cleared out. We have laughed, cried, gossiped, danced, and napped in that perfect little corner. Depending on the day we would have take-out or dessert in front of us, but there was always a glass of wine. So, picture this: your best friends, a pot of bright pink Almond Fruit tea, a glass of Prosecco, and a warm Dark Chocolate-Black Cherry Scone all in front of you... that is my peace.

Dark Chocolate and Black Cherry Scones:

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour

• 1 tablespoon of baking powder

• 2 tablespoons of sugar

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 bar of dark chocolate chopped up

• 1 cup of dried dark cherries

Wet Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons of frozen butter chopped

• 1 cup of heavy cream

• 1 egg

• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Putting it all together:

1. Begin by combining all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Next, cut the frozen butter into small cubes (a bench scraper is best for this).

3. Using your hands, mix the frozen butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is at a sandy texture (you could also use a pie dough handle to mix the two).

4. Add in the dark chocolate and dried dark cherries.

5. Mix the egg into the heavy cream along with the vanilla extract.

6. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and use your hand to mix it into one solid dough.

7. On a wooden board or counter surface throw down flour and begin to roll the dough out until it is 1/2 inch thick.

8. Cut out your scones with a circle cookie cutter and refold the dough until you run out.

9. Place the scones in the freezer for 3 hours or overnight.

10. Brush the scones with egg wash and bake at 350ºF for approximately 15 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown.

11. Serve the scones with whipped butter and enjoy!