A Tale of Tea Sittings

YB and I recently spent a few days in York. It's a lovely place but so very cold in February and we will probably return again but at a warmer time of the year. However the cold did give us the excuse to visit a couple of tea rooms.

Now, Afternoon Tea is an indulgence, no doubt about it, and when one has set one's foot on the road to indulgence, that is exactly what one wants.

The first visit was to the Earl Grey Tearooms set in the picturesque Shambles. You enter through a shop which filled is filled with interesting preserves and teas and are taken into an attractive tearoom with historic beams and a general medieval feel. We ordered the Cream Tea and when it arrived, oh the disappointment!! We were each given 2 large very stodgy scones, a 50g jar of Frank Cooper red jam and a small portion of clotted cream, still in its manufacturer's tub, and also, strangely, some butter. Well, the scones were far too big to be light and soft and to compensate they had far too much raising agent in them which leaves that unpleasant after-taste/feel at the back of the teeth. Due to their large size and the stinginess of the cream and jam, you either could only have one adequately dressed scone or a mere scrape on both. What a waste! A whole shop of delicious jams and then this travesty. A score of 3 out of 10 here.

The following day we headed for the famous Betty's in St Helen's Square. Oh, the anticipation.

Betty's was originally founded in Harrogate in 1919 and the decor is reminiscent of that time and has the feel and grace of an ocean-going liner. We had to queue before we were taken to our seats and we ordered "Betty's Afternoon Tea". We were asked to choose two sandwich fillings from smoked salmon. ham, egg, and roast chicken. We opted for the ham and the smoked salmon. We also chose to Betty's own blend of tea to drink. When our order arrived we were each given a three tier cake stand. On the top were the sandwiches, the second level the scones and on the bottom 3 dainty fancies. The sandwiches were cut into slim fingers are were freshly made and delicious, although the salmon was a little too thick. The scones were as they should be, soft, light and fresh and were accompanied by generous helpings of jam and cream. The 3 fancies were a delightful lemon French Madeleine, a fruit tartlet with 4 different fruits and a small profiterole filled with chocolate. All were lovely except the profiterole which was rather overfilled with a rather heavy butter cream. However this are very minor faults and Betty's deserves a 91/2 out of 10. Well worth the £14.99 per head and we will be going again I am sure. As a souvenir we took home two of the famous Fat Rascals which are similar to a rock cake but much smoother in outline and are absolutely delicious when eaten warm.

Crumbs from the Tea Table

When one is baking it is often difficult to find time to sit and blog and in any case the keyboard gets sticky! But here are a few jottings from the tea shop to bring you up to date;

1. Mincemeat was made (12lb) and Christmas Pud, and either used or given away as gifts so that now there is very little left.

2. Fayre was baked for Christmas Fairs and sold (over £200 raised). Also Nets thinks that we Catholics are a noisy bunch.

3. In the lull between Christmas and the New Year, myself and Young Bunts (YB) threw a tea party for friends and a good time was had and I am happy to report that YB can now make a Victoria Sponge as good as anyone, (see new snazzy banner above).

4. The recipe find of the season was Nigella's Cranberry, White Chocolate and Pecan Cookies. I'm not sure how many batches were made and consumed but it has been declared "The best cookie recipe ever" by more than one group of people.

5. The inevitable Lemon Drizzle was made to celebrate my birthday. I really think it would be nice to make something else but this fail-safe recipe is universally liked and so easy to do.

6. To the tea table collection has been added a fairly-traded flat, but slightly domed plate which is ideal for large cakes which need to be cut and I think it would be perfect for cheesecakes (Tia Maria?) and flans. A mug adorned with a picture of a fairy cake, topped with a glace cherry. This is scary to drink from as one gets the illusion that one's eye is about to be poked out by the cherry. A spatula with hearts on (valentine not offal). An apron with buns/fairy cakes on, ditto a pair of socks. And recently YB came hope with a wonderful 2 tier cake stand decorated with cakes in the most lovely box. Also I have so many cards with cakes on that I think I shall gather them together and get them laminated and use them as place mats for the forthcoming garden party season...

Waste Not Want Not

This year has seen extremes of weather throughout the world and this has resulted in a reduction of the wheat harvest; this fact, coupled with the demand for wheat from China, has resulted in a huge hike in the price of wheat and consequently the price of bread. No doubt there will be a price war amongst the supermarkets as to who can have the lowest priced white sliced cotton wool bale, but if you have paid around £1 for a tasty white loaf you might be loathed to throw the stale bits away or feed the pigeons. In my childhood when people looked after the pennies a regular on the menu was Bread Pudding. So I thought I would pass on the recipe, its a very robust tasty item and ideal for packed lunches.


8oz stale bread
3oz suet (vegetarian is fine)
3oz sugar
6oz dried fruit (any combination you have sultanas, raisins, currents, cranberries etc)
1oz chopped peel or grated orange rind
2 eggs
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
a little pepper
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
a little milk


Soak the bread in cold water, overnight if possible or for at least 4 hours. Drain in a colander and squeeze the excess water out. Crumble with a fork. Add the dry ingredients except the bicarb.

Mix the bicarb with the milk. Add the beaten eggs and mix all together either using a wooden spoon or your hands until a fairly soft consistency is reached. Put in a baking tin, 8ins round or a small roasting tin, rough up the surface with a fork and bake at 220°C for 4o minutes. Cool in the tin and cut into portions. Also nice when eaten warm with custard. Ooooooo lovely

Walnut, Date and Honey Cake.

While I'm at it, this is a popular request too:

Walnut, Date and Honey Cake:

8oz (225g) self raising flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6oz (175g) butter (softened)
4oz (100g) light muscovardo sugar
3 tbsp clear honey
2 eggs, beaten
2 medium, ripe bananas, about 9oz (250g) total weight in their skins
4oz (100g) stoned dates
2oz (50g) walnut pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3/fan oven 140°C.

2. Line the base of a 2lb/1kg loaf tin.

3. Tip the flour, cinnemon, butter, sugar, 2 tbsp of the honey and the eggs into a large mixing bowl.

4. Mash the bananas and chop the dates (use scissors) and add to the bowl.

5. Beat the mixture for 2-3 mins using a wooden spoon or hand-held mixer until well blended

6. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth.

7. Scatter the walnut pieces over the top and bake for an hour, then lightly press the top - it should feel firm. If not bake for a further 10 minutes.

8. Cool foir 15 mins, then lift out of the tin. When cold, drizzle the remaining honey over. Cut into thick slices

Chocolate and Beetroot Cake Recipe

For some reason or other, I have had several requests for this recipe, because I don't think people really believe that it exists. So here it is:

Chocolate Beetroot Cake:
200ml corn or sunflower oil
75g cocoa powder
180g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
250g caster sugar
250g cooked beetroot
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Lightly grease a deep 20cm round cake tin. Sift the cocoa powder, flour, and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and set aside.

2.Puree the beetroot in another bowl (I use a hand-held stick blender, but the recipes says do it in a food processor but I have not got one). Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla and oil and whizz until smooth. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the beetroot mixture and lightly mix. Pour into the tin and bake for about 50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake begins to darken to much cover loosely with foil.

3.Remove cake from oven and cool in tin for 15 mins. Remove cake from tin and cool completely. Dust with icing sugar.

4. Enjoy, but don't use your best white linen napkins for this, it stains horribly

Stranger than Fiction

Recently saw the film "Stranger than Fiction". In summary, the plot concerns a revenue inspector, Harold Crick (played by Will Ferrell), the course of whose life is being dictated by author Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson). The scene which took my fancy concerns Crick having to visit a baker, Ana (Maggie Gyllenhaal) over her failure to deal with her tax return. The scene goes as follows:

Ana takes a plate and goes to get Harold some cookies

Harold: When did you decide to become a baker?

Ana: Oh. In College

Harold: Oh. Like, "cooking college"

Ana: No I went to Havard Law

Harold: Oh. Oh Geez, I........ sorry, I just a............... Sorry

Ana: No. It's alright. I didn't finish. I uh....... uh.......

She brings a plate with more cookies to Harold.

Harold: Did something happen?

Ana: Not really. I was.... I was barely accepted. I mean, barely. The only reason they let me in was because of my essay. How I was going to make the world a better place with my degree. And I went there thinking.... well, I went there thinking that I might make a difference and uh ...... well ......... Harvard Law has the smartest people in the world, people who will one day shape the earth, and it's competitive and vicious and exhausting....... And I'd have to participate in these study sessions, classmates and I, all night long. Sometimes for a couple of days straight.

And so I would bake.... cookies usually....... so no one would go hungry while we worked. I'd bake all afternoon in the kitchen in the dorm before a big study session and write down what I was doing in one of those black Mead Journals they sell by the gross in the Campus Bookstore. And I'd bring my little treats to the study groups........ and people loved them. Oatmeal Cookies. Peanut Butter Bars. Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Nut Wedges. And everyone would eat and stay happy and study harder and do better on the tests and more people would come to the study groups and the study groups got better and I would make more snacks and try to find better recipes and the results would get better and better and soon it was Cheese and Apricot Croissants and Mocha Bars with Almond Glaze and Lemon Chiffon Cakes with Zesty Peach Icing and our study groups were famous: not because we had the most copious notes or the smartest people, but because we had the best snacks........

And at the end of the spring term........ I had 27 study partners, eight black Mead journals filled with recipes and a D average. So I dropped out. I just figured, if I was gonna make the world a better place...........I'd do it with cookies.

I think this is a good philosophy for life and it's an engaging and enjoyable film.

Afternoon Tea, Hints and Tips (not necessarily PG)

1. Send out invitations, stating date, time and place. Obvious really. BUT, 2 people came up to me the week before and apologised for missing the event. I explained that it was the next week and they then came. 2 people arrived at 1.45pm apologising for being late because the invitation said 1 o'clock (it didn't, it said 3.30pm).

2. Initially I decided to hold the event outside in the garden but remember this is an English summer so don't ask more people than you can accommodate indoors. Hopefully they will all RSVP and by the day before the "Tea" you should have the number of people you are catering for.

3. Drinks. Have a selection of teas: one standard everyday blend, something a bit more unusual and a herbal/fruit type. I had an everyday Fairtrade mix, Lady Grey and peppermint. If the weather had been hot I had planned to do home-made lemonade and have done iced tea in the past. If possibly have more than one kettle for boiling water as invariably you get a rush for tea all at the same time. Even more importantly have a lovely daughter or friend who you are able to trust to be in charge of the tea making,

4. Food. Sandwiches and Rolls, a selection of about 5 types in various breads and rolls. See menu below. It's good to have a vegetarian selection and serve them off a separate plate. Estimate about 4/5 portions per person unless they are growing young people and maybe more like 6 per person. I think smoked salmon is essential as it's a touch of luxury and cucumber as it's traditional. Anything else as suits you and your guest. Cakes, the best bit! I served scones with clotted cream and a choice of two different jams. A selection of about 5 sorts. I suggest one fruit, cake, one Victoria sponge and then a selection of whatever takes your fancy. If possible include some cakes that can either be frozen or last well to save you having to make everything the day before

5. Lay the food out on a table covered with a nice cloth or clean sheet and arrange the food on a variety of plates and stands of various heights, sizes and shapes.

6. If you have some bunting handy, as I'm sure most of you do, use it to decorate your house or garden. Put some kind of sign up on your front door just to help people find your house.

7. Often people like to bring a small gift with them and it is quite commonly flowers, so it can be useful to have a bucket close to hand to put them in.

8. Enjoy!

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Menu

A choice of teas:

Peppermint
Lady Grey
The House Blend
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A selection of sandwiches in various breads and rolls:

Tomato
Cucumber
Cream Cheese
Egg and Watercress
Ham & Mustard
Smoked Salmon
Chicken
~
Devon scones with clotted cream and jam
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Cakes:

Lemon Drizzle
Coffee Victoria Sandwich
Chocolate & Beetroot
Saffron Fruit Loaf
Banana & Chocolate
Bunty’s Biscuits