The British love their afternoon tea in town. Cream teas are another passion and no tourist to Devon or Cornwall should leave without having had one. They're named for the fresh baked scones smothered in jam and a cream so yellow and thick you could hang tiles with it. The great debate between the two English counties is whether the cream or the jam goes down first.

Clotted cream, the ultra heat-treated, stiff white paste sold in glass jars here is no relation to the real McKoy which you can make yourself.

Order a culture from G.E.M. Cultures, 30301 Sherwood Rd, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, 707 964 2922. Like making yogurt, you don't need any special equipment. You just mix the starter according to instructions into the room temperature dairy product, making the next batch from a scoop of the one before. Send a self-addressed envelope for a catalog.

The scones from Mancini, 1508 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, 703 838 3660, are widely considered among enthusiasts to be the best available in the Washington area. The cafe part of the bakery is a good 'destination' eatery  for anyone wanting a fine and imaginative Sunday brunch menu - or a detour for lunch on their way with visitors to Mount Vernon.

But a proper English scone should be light and fluffy, eaten warm from the oven. They're easy to make.

Related Information...