It's 3 o'clock Somewhere

A teapot has always reminded me of a house. There's the lid for a roof, and the spout is the chimney. The handle, the trunk of the tree that shades the house in summer. And inside, life-affirming tea. This is my first teapot in awhile, and its slab built with a scalloped crown and seam up the side. The Tea loving lady on the front holds a red polka dotted cup in one hand and a forget me not in the other. A bee buzzes at the top of the handle. And dears, this teapot holds a generous amount of your choice of rose hip, mint or Earl Grey.

Tea that helps the head and heart

Tea medicates most every part

Tea rejuvinates the very old

and warms the hands of those who're cold

Jonker of Amsterdam. 1676

Reclusive, ellusive,

wandering nightly,

unprickle the charms

you've rolled up so tightly.

This domed piece could hold a nice stack of shortbread. That's what always brings oohs and aahs here at the treehouse. The base of the dome is made to look like a tree trunk, adorned with woodland plants and bugs. The top has Mr. Pricklepin for a pull.

Here's my shortbread recipie:

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut in 1/2" pieces

1/2 t. vanilla

2 C. flour**

Mix sugar and salt, and cut in butter with pastry cutter or food processor til smooth.

Add flour and blend til crumbly. Roll in ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1/2 hour

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

Divide dough in half and press each half in a 9 inch diameter pie plate., score the top into wedges and add fork tine marks if you like.

Bake 30 minutes. Rotate, and bake another 20-30 minutes longer, until pale golden.

Cool in pie plate at least ten minutes. Remove and cut into wedges.

Now for chocolate adoring personages, melt 1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips in a pan resting in a pan of simmering water, (so the chocolate doesnt' get nasty and burnt) add 2T. cream and blend. Dip the tip of the shortbread wedge in the melted chocolate.

**I've read that if you substitue 1/2 c. cornstarch for the Flour , in other words,

1 1/2 c. flour and 1/2 c. cornstarch, it makes a very flakey cookie. I'm going to try it next time

and I'll report back on the results.

Don't forget, Jacques and Julia are on PBS today at 4:30 PST

xx

julie

juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com