C is for Clotted Cream

 

No afternoon tea is complete without clotted cream.  Whatever your table setting, there will be a dish or jar of clotted cream, usually on the tier holding the scones.

In the photo above, the clotted cream is on the center tier, in a small dish in the middle.  I just realized that I didn't cover the traditional set-up in A is for Afternoon Tea, so I'll go over it here.  A three-tier server is the usual way to serve afternoon tea.  You eat starting at the bottom tier, working your up to the top.  So, finger sandwiches to start, then scones with clotted cream and jam, and then small desserts.  I've seen many forms of serving afternoon tea, but this is the traditional and the one that I will refer to.

I make afternoon tea for my husband and me and a large jar of clotted cream is not practical for just the two of us.  I was happy to see that our local World Market carries 1-ounce jars as well as tiny jars of Bonne Maman jams.  It's the perfect size, one for each of us.

You can see the tiny jars of cream and jam (trademark red and white check lid) at each place setting during this holiday tea.

Now, let me get back to clotted cream.  Clotted cream is a thick cream made by heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this time, the cream content rises to the surface and forms "clots" or "clouts", hence the name.  I have to admit, it doesn't sound very appetizing.  The formation of clots makes me think of something curdled but trust me, it is delicious!  You can Google "How to make clotted cream" for a variety of recipes or you can buy it from upscale markets or World Market if you have one near you.

No discussion of clotted cream would be complete without the age-old argument, Cream First or Jam First?  The argument stems from the difference between a Devonshire Cream Tea and a Cornish Cream Tea, clotted cream being applied first in Devon and jam being applied first in Cornwall.  Both tend to use a split, a slightly sweet bread roll, rather than a scone.  I have to say that I prefer jam first as then all you have to do is put a dollop of cream on top and you're ready to eat.  Attempting to put jam on top of cream is always a messy prospect. 

The clotted cream I buy is from Coombe Castle, the Devon Cream Company.  They have been in business for 40 years and have filled over 25 million jars of cream.  I was surprised to see the varieties of cream available.  I think that's part of the fun of the A to Z; you may know quite a bit about your theme, but there are always new things to learn.

Slow cooker and oven recipes can be found here if you'd like to make your own clotted cream.

Interesting note:  Cornish clotted cream holds an EU Protection of Designated Origin, and products can only be labeled as "Cornish clotted cream" if they are made with milk from Cornwall cows and are 55 percent butterfat. The rich grass eaten by Cornish cows gives the clotted cream its trademark yellow color.

C is also for all things Cake, some of which will pop up in later posts.