English Afternoon Tea Recipes

The name given to the British meal taken mid-afternoon, comprising finger sandwiches, scones cakes and pastries accompanied by tea. The 7th Duchess of Bedford is reputed to have given birth to afternoon tea, early in the 19th century, when she decided to take tea to stave off the pangs of hunger she suffered between lunch and dinner. As the century progressed, afternoon tea became increasingly elaborate. By the 1880s, ladies were changing into long tea gowns for the occasion and appetites were sharpened by the customary afternoon drive in a carriage. Tea service had also kept pace with side plates, bread and butter plates, cake stands and every conceivable accompaniment advancing across the drawing room. By Edwardian times, the smart hour for afternoon tea was five o'clock or later.

Still today, Afternoon Tea is an integral part of life in Britain. It brings people together for a brief hour of pleasure and refreshment everyday.

Try these traditional recipes for this special time of day.

Traditional Recipes
Cream Scones	Lemon Curd
Hot Cross Buns	Cucumber Sandwiches
Watercress & Egg Sandwiches	Sultana Malt Loaf
Caper & Salmon Sandwiches

Cream Scones

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Ingredients

2 cups of sifted flour
3 teaspoons of Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup cream
2 eggs, beaten

Cooking Instructions

• Cut butter, cream, and beaten eggs into sifted dry ingredients
• Pat to 3/4 inch
• Cut into squares or triangles, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 375 degrees
  until slighly brown (about 20 minutes)
• Serve hot with your favourite jams or preserves, or traditional Tea Spreads

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Lemon Curd

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A delicious easy-to-make sweet lemon butter
that is used as spread on crumpets, muffins, and toast

Ingredients

3 large lemons
5 eggs
1 cup of granulated sugar
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Cooking Instructions

• Grate the lemon rinds, and set to one side Squeeze the juice
  and put into a blender, or food processor
  
• Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth
• Pour the mixture into a very heavy saucepan, or the
  top half of a double boiler.
• Stir in the lemon rind and cook over a low heat or
  simmering water for about 10 minutes, until thickened
• Stir the mixture with wire whisk if it appears lumpy
• Chill the lemon curd before serving. It becomes
  as it cools

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Hot Cross Buns

One of the first foods a young child to enter a child’s imagination are “Hot Cross Buns”, from of course, the Nursery Rhyme. A great favourite for Afternoon Tea, you should always have some of these handy for when friends stop by.

Ingredients

• 450 g (1 lb) of strong white flour
• 25 g (1 oz) of fresh yeast
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) tepid milk
• 60 ml (4 tsp) salt
• 2.5 ml (1/2 level tsp each of: Mixed Spice, ground Cinnamon, and ground Nutmeg
• 50 g (2 oz) Caster Sugar
• 50 g (2 oz) Butter, melted and cooled, but not too firm
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 30-45 (2-3 tbsp) chopped Mixed Peel
• 100 g (4 oz) Currants
• Shortcrust Pastry made with 50 g (2 oz) flour For the Glaze:
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) Milk and Water
• 45 ml (3 level tbsp) Caster Sugar
  
  

  Method

  1) Sift 100g (4oz) of the Flour into a large bowl. Blend the Yeast wit the Milk and water, stir it into the flour and leave in a warm place for 15 or 20 minutes until frothy. Sift the remaining flour, salt, spices, and sugar into a large bowl. 2) Add the butter, egg, flour mixture, fruit and peel to the yeast mixtyre, and mix to a soft dough 3) Turn on to a large floured surface, and knead until smooth 4) Put into a large greased bowl, cover with an oiled polythene, and leave to rise until it has doubled in size. 5) Turn on to a floured surface and nead lightly 6) Divide dough into 12 pieces. Using the palm of your hand, roll each piece into a ball, pressing down hard at first, and then easing up as you turn and shape the buns. Arrange well apart on a floured baking tray, cover, and leave to prove for 30 minutes.Roll out the shortcrust pastry thinly: cut into 9 cm (3˝ inch) strips. Dampen them and lay two on each bun to the make a cross. Bake at 109 C (375 F) or gas amrk 5 for for 15-20 minutes. Heat the milk and water with sugar. Brush the glaze over the buns twice; leave to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

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  Cucumber Sandwiches

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  Ingredients

  Hothouse Cumbers
  Thinly Sliced White Bread
  Whipped Cream Cheese OR Unsalted, softened butter
  Salt
  
  
  

  Preparation

  • Peel cucumbers and slice very thin.
  • Sprinkle the slices with a little salt and lay on paper towels to drain.
  • For each sandwich spread a little cream cheese or butter on two slices of bread. Layer the cucumber slices on one slice of bread (no thicker than 1/4 inch
  • Cut crust off sandwiches and then cut into squares, or triangles.

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  Watercress & Egg Sandwiches

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  Ingredients

  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and mashed
  • 2 bunches of watercress, washed, stems removed, and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 1/2 cup (approximately) homemade or fine quality mayonnaise
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Tabasco sauce to taste
  • Fresh pumpernickel, sourdough, or whole-wheat bread, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Additional watercress and chives, plus green olives for garnish, optional
  
  
  

  Preparation

  In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, chopped watercress, and chopped chives with just enough mayonnaise to moisten and bind the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and Tabasco and mix well. Using one or several kinds of bread, cut the slices into interesting shapes, Spread the egg and watercress mixture onto half the bread shapes and top each with a matching shape. Lightly spread the outside edge of the sandwich with mayonnaise. Roll in the parsley and serve on a bed of additional watercress and chives.

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  Sultana Malt Loaf

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  Ingredients

  • 225g/8oz plain flour
  • ˝ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 225g/8oz sultanas
  • 50g/2oz demerara sugar
  • 175g/6oz malt extract
  • 1 tbsp black treacle
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 150ml/5fl oz strained cold black tea
    
    

    Method

    Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Grease and base line 2 x 450g/1lb loaf tins with greased greaseproof paper.
    
    Measure the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the sultanas.
    
    Gently heat the sugar, malt extract and black treacle together. Pour on to the dry ingredients with the beaten eggs and the tea. Beat well until smooth. Pour into the prepared tins.
    
    Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until well risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tins before turning out on to a wire rack to cool. These loaves are best kept for 2 days before eating.
    
    

    Caper & Salmon Sandwiches

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    Perfect for an Afternoon tea, this is a spiced sandwich with smoked salmon, capers and horseradish.
    
    Ingedients:
    
    
    
    • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
    • 1 tbs chives, minced
    • 1 tbs dill, chopped
    • 1 tbs capers
    • 1 1/2 tsp horseradish
    • 8 slices of bread
    • 1 1/2 tsp butter, soft
    • 4 slices smoked salmon
    • 2 slices cucumber, thin
      
      Method: Combine the mayonaisse, chives, dill, capers and horseradish. Spread the bread with butter, then the mayonaisse mixture. Layer with slices of salmon and cucumber, then top with bread. Slice each salmon sandwich into neat little triangles. Perfect!
      
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