Tea Cakes

1/4 stick butter (2 TBSP)
3 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp super fine sugar
1 1/4 cups warm milk
1/2 cup golden raisins and currants mixed
1 tsp sugar dissolved in 2 Tbsp of milk for glaze

Preheat oven to 400 degrees/200 Celsius
Makes 6 tea cakes

Directions:
Butter two baking sheets. In a large mixing bowl cut the butter into the sifted flour and salt. Cover and let stand in a warm place. In a separate bowl mix the yeast, sugar and warmed milk together, cover and leave in a warm place for twenty minutes until frothy. Uncover the bowl with the dry ingredients and make a well in the middle. Pour in the frothy yeast mixture. Stir in the flour from the sides. Knead for 10 minutes. Mix in the fruit. Cover and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size, about an hour. Pull the dough into six equal pieces. Shape and knead each piece into a round, slightly flattened cake. Arrange on baking sheets, prick with a fork and cover to let rise for 15 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes. Brush lightly with the glaze and serve hot.

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Drop Scones or Scotch Pancakes

Sift 1 1/2 cups of unbleached flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cream of tartar, and 1/2 tsp salt together. Set aside. Beat one medium egg. Beat together the egg, 1 1/4 cups milk, and 1 Tbsp of sugar. Stir this into the the flour mixture a little at a time until you have a thick batter. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a hot griddle. Cook until bubbles show on top. Flip the flat cakes over and cook this side for the same amount of time. They should only need two to three minutes per side. Slide them off the griddle with a spatula. Serve buttered and while still warm. Makes 30 small drop scones.

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The Traditional Cucumber Sandwich

Afternoon tea must start with sandwiches.  You are not suppose to eat the cakes and muffins until you have blunted your appetite with a sandwich.  The cucumber sandwich is a classic.  And so easy to make.  First peel a cucumber and slice it thinly (almost transparent).  Put in a non-aluminum bowl or dish.  Sprinkle with a little vinegar and salt.  Set aside for half an hour.  Drain off excess cucumber juice by patting with a paper towel. Cover a slice of thin bread lightly buttered with one layer of the cucumber slices. Cover with another buttered slice of bread.  Cut off crusts.  Now cut into 4 squares.  Put on a serving plate and cover with a lightly dampened cloth until ready to serve.  A variation is to also add a thin layer of radishes to the sandwich.





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The History of Afternoon Tea

As legend has it Afternoon Tea was created in the early 1800's by one of Queen Victoria's Ladies-in-waiting, Anna Marie Stanhope, the 7th Duchess of Bedford.  The tradition of the time was to have only 2 main meals during the day: breakfast and dinner.  Dinner was usually served between 8:30 and 9 p.m., maybe even later during the summer.  The Duchess would find herself feeling hunger pangs in the late afternoon so she asked her servants to secretly serve her tea and a small snack.  She decided she liked this afternoon treat so much she started inviting her friends to join her for her afternoon tea.  It soon became popular among the aristocrats in her circle including Queen Victoria.

Was she really the creator of Afternoon Tea?  No one really knows for sure.  She was one of the earliest people noted for the tradition in England.  Though when you look at the history of England at that time you find many coffee houses serving tea to the ladies.  It became a popular social outing for the Ladies of the aristocracy.  Though Ladies would need a male escort to enter these private establishments.  When an escort was not available, the Ladies started inviting their friends to their houses for tea and conversation.  

However it truly started, I can only say that I am extremely grateful that it did!

The English Tradition of Afternoon Tea

Have you ever wondered where the English tradition of afternoon tea came from?  Who started it?  How long has this tradition been going on?  What the heck is high tea?  Ever hear of low tea?  Is one for the aristocrats and one for the common man?  (Is there such a thing as a common man?)  What should be served?  There are so many questions I have about this tradition, so I decided to go out and find the answers.  My next few blogs will deal with different aspects of Afternoon Tea.