Today I had the great joy & pleasure of learning how to make traditional afternoon tea!
We first started with 'Brandy Snaps'....
And filled them with whipped cream...
We then made 'Strawberry Shortcakes'...also known as 'Scones' (or 'Scons' without the 'e', apparently another common way to say it that is less 'royal')
...'Shortbread' ...
...'Meringue Nests'...
Decorated with fresh lavender leaves...
...'Cucumber Sandwiches'...
With watercress or chive butter...
Served on a plate decorated with grape leaves (nicer to look at once the food is devoured :) )...
Our lady chef then served Indian and darjeeling tea to enjoy the deliciousness that we savored... et voila!
US: Corn --> UK: Maize
US: Zucchini --> UK: Courgette
US: Oatmeal --> UK: Porridge
US: Broil --> UK: Grill
US: Dark chocolate --> UK: Plain chocolate
Bon appetit :)
Let me begin by sharing this discovery with you: 'high tea' is not the right term for 'afternoon tea'. It actually refers to dinner - it's a tradition in northern Britain to have a light dinner at around 6 in the evening because lunch was the main big meal of the day.
Afternoon tea is now a (delicious) tradition in the United Kingdom but it all started with coffee houses - first in Oxford, later migrating to London. Men from the 'city' came to discuss among themselves. Twinings was the first to import tea to this country and the gentry would always sip tea in the afternoon, which became very traditional over time.
It was Lady Bedford, a friend of Queen Victoria, who actually made afternoon tea fashionable...
Victorians then started to have tea parties for weddings... High demand for pots and plates for afternoon tea led to the importation of ceramics, which led to the development of the ceramics industry in the Midlands and later the the silver industry (for pots and such).
The cooking class this lovely morning took place in a beautiful London home...
We had our very own master chef Lady Margaret...
We first started with 'Brandy Snaps'....
And filled them with whipped cream...
We then made 'Strawberry Shortcakes'...also known as 'Scones' (or 'Scons' without the 'e', apparently another common way to say it that is less 'royal')
...'Shortbread' ...
...'Meringue Nests'...
Decorated with fresh lavender leaves...
...'Cucumber Sandwiches'...
With watercress or chive butter...
Served on a plate decorated with grape leaves (nicer to look at once the food is devoured :) )...
Our lady chef then served Indian and darjeeling tea to enjoy the deliciousness that we savored... et voila!
Here is a trick I learned if you love tea as much as the British do: mix one English tea bag with 2 Earl Grey tea bags in a pot to give it extra flavor ;)
Another thing to keep in mind is to never mix Metric, Imperial and American cup measurements. Simpler to invest in an inexpensive scale. I myself am more familiar with American measurements and terms. Speaking of terms, there is also a plethora of differences between American and British words to watch out for in recipes, such as for instance:
US: Chocolate chips --> UK: Polka dots (funny!)US: Corn --> UK: Maize
US: Zucchini --> UK: Courgette
US: Oatmeal --> UK: Porridge
US: Broil --> UK: Grill
US: Dark chocolate --> UK: Plain chocolate
If you are in London, the BEST cookbook shop is called 'Books for Cooks' located at Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill Gate - they have a coffee shop and also run cookery courses (can't wait to discover it myself soon hopefully!)
For a quality tea shop recommendation, check out the Tea House in Covent Garden on Neal Street.
For a quality tea shop recommendation, check out the Tea House in Covent Garden on Neal Street.
Bon appetit :)
