History
While St. Anselm served as abbot of Bec, he had the opportunity to travel around England and develop a rapport with King William I. The king took a liking to St. Anselm and subsequently favored Anselm as his choice for archbishop of Canterbury. William I’s successor, William II, had other plans, however, and kept the see vacant for as long as possible. This period ended when William II’s life was threatened by illness, but his conscience also plagued him over his actions. In his remorse, William II called upon Anselm, who in turn heard his confession and ministered to the sick king. William II recovered and gave Anselm his recommendation to be the next archbishop.
After many protestations and negotiations, Anselm agreed to taking up the role as archbishop of Canterbury, thus stepping into to a life of political turmoil. For many years Anselm met conflict after conflict, which even led him twice into exile. But in his last years Anselm found himself back in England and fulfilling his work as archbishop until he died in 1109.
During Anselm’s time as archbishop, not only was there turmoil within England, but the conflict between the Eastern and Western churches was also coming to a head. In the midst of it all, Anselm sought to maintain unity so as to not cause any Christians to fall away, even as he continued refusing to relinquish church authority to the crown. In light of all of this and for his years serving in Canterbury, many have chosen to remember Anselm by means of proper English food.
The English Scone
Celebrating the Saints is one liturgical cookbook we have referenced on All the Household before. It suggests the scone as a classic treat fitting for St. Anselm’s Day as it has been a beloved English delicacy for centuries. We will leave you to check out the book itself for its cheddar scone recipe, but in the same spirit we are offering you a simple yet classic English scone recipe that can be dressed up as you please. Or it can be left simple—yet still so delicious! It will be the perfect pairing for whatever flavor of jam you might have on hand.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, chilled, plus additional for brushing
1 egg
¾ cup milk, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the butter until the pea-sized, then whisk together the egg and ½ cup of the milk and add into the dry ingredients. Continue slowly adding milk until the dough just holds together.
- Roll out the dough on floured surface, then fold the dough over in half and roll out again. Repeat this process 2-3 more times, leaving the dough about ½ inch thick.
- Use a circular biscuit cutter to cut out the scones and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with butter.
- Slice in half and enjoy with jam and whipped cream or topping of choice.
St. Anselm English Scone
Ingredients
- 2 C all-purpose flour
- ¼ C sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 tbsp butter, chilled, plus additional for brushing
- 1 egg
- ¾ C milk divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the butter until the pea-sized, then whisk together the egg and ½ cup of the milk and add into the dry ingredients. Continue slowly adding milk until the dough just holds together.
- Roll out the dough on floured surface, then fold the dough over in half and roll out again. Repeat this process 2-3 more times, leaving the dough about ½ inch thick.
- Use a circular biscuit cutter to cut out the scones and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with butter.
- Slice in half and enjoy with jam and whipped cream or topping of choice.
