AFTERNOON TEA

                                     

 

Afternoon tea or 5 o’clock tea was first introduced in Britain in the 1800s, and was a custom, then followed by the aristocracy and wealthy families.  Here are a few recipes for afternoon tea for everyone.

 

                                             CUCUMBER SANDWICHES

Always a treat.

 

1 loaf of wholemeal bread

Butter mixed with a little prepared mustard

1 ½ cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

Salt to taste

A splash of vinegar

Chopped chives

Dill

 

Spread the slices of bread with mustard butter and cover half the slices with cucumber slices that have been salted to taste and splashed with a little tarragon vinegar.  Then evenly sprinkle with chopped chives.  Cover with the remaining slices, unbuttered sides on top. Put in a container with a lettuce leaf and cover (to prevent them from drying out) and place them in the refrigerator until needed. Serve with dill sprigs.

 

                                                          SCONES

Delightful puffed pastries.

 

410 g (3 ½ cups) plain flour

110 g (3.8 oz) soft butter

68.9 g ( ½ cup + 1 tbsp) sugar

4 tbsp baking powder

1 egg, whipped

¾ to 1 ¼ cups milk

136 g (1 cup) stemmed raisins

1 egg yolk for glazing

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).   In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder and sugar, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

 

Make a well in the centre and add the whipped egg and about ¾ cup of milk.  With a metal spoon, bring the mixture together being sure you don’t over mix it to prevent the dough from toughening. If the batter is a little dry add more of the remaining milk, gradually, as you don’t want the dough too dry or too liquid so that it sticks to the roller.

 

Lightly dust a working space with flour and roll out the dough to about 2.5 cm (1 inch)  thick.  Then cut the scones, using a 5 cm (2 inch) round biscuit cutter, and brush the top with whipped egg yolk.  Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

                                                  VICTORIA SPONGE

A favourite cake of Queen Victoria and ours!

225 g (7.9 oz) butter, softened

225g (7.9 oz) sugar

4 eggs

Zest  of 1/2 a lemon

1 vanilla

225 g (7,9 oz) self-rising flour

Splash of milk

 

Vanilla Butter Cream

150 g ( 2/3 cups) butter, softened

220 g (1 ¾ cups) icing sugar

1 vanilla

 

Homemade strawberry jam

 

Two 20 cm (8 inches) cake tins lined with rounds of buttered baking parchment, the sides brushed with butter.

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line the tins with round pieces of buttered baking parchment and brush the sides with butter.

 Whip the butter and sugar until fluffy, add the eggs, one at a time.  Stir in the lemon zest snd vanilla and fold in the flour and milk.  

 

Scrape the batter into the two prepared tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes until the cakes are golden brown, and allow to cool slightly in their tins before placing them on a rack to cool completely.

 

For the Vanilla buttercream, whip the butter with the sieved icing sugar and vanilla together until  pale and fluffy.

 

Once the cakes are completely cold, carefully spread buttercream on the first cake.  Next spread a thick layer of strawberry jam before placing the second cake on top of the jam and gently press down.  Finally, dust with icing sugar and serve with a cup of Earl Grey tea.                                        

 

  

                                                       CARROT CAKE

This is a dark spicy cake, deliciously moist.

 

3 eggs

1 cup dark brown sugar

105 ml (3/8 cup) sunflower oil

 

2 cups self-rising flour mixed with

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp grated nutmeg

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ginger powder

 

Enough milk

 

180 g (3 cups) grated carrots

45 g ( ½ cup) desiccated coconut

 

For the Cream Cheese Topping

100 g ( ½ cup) full fat cream cheese

50 g ( ¼ cup) butter, softened

50 g ( 1/3 cup) icing sugar

Juice of ½ a lemon

 

An 18 cm (7 inch) round cake tin

 

Preheat oven to 170 C (325 F) and prepare the cake tin by lining it with a round piece of buttered baking parchment and brushing the sides with butter and set aside.

 

Whip the eggs with the dark brown sugar and the sunflower oil for 6 minutes until well combined.  Add the flour mixture by the spoonful alternately with the milk until a soft batter is formed.  Stir in the grated carrots and the desiccated coconut.  The consistency  should be fine, otherwise add more flour or milk to reach it/

 

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface  and bake for  35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and cool completely before reversing onto a pretty cake dish.

 

For the topping whip all the ingredients together until very well combined and spread evenly over the carrot cake. Garnish with flowers.  

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