The following are recipes for menu items usually seen for a proper Victorian tea party. If you looking for a different and whimsical way to join people for the holiday season, this old-fashioned faire might be the perfect solution. See our previous ARTICLE for etiquette and history of tea parties. Then, try your hand at creating these lovely, luscious foods and beverages that combine old fashioned, and newer components!
SWEETS
Scones
Typical English scone recipes produce light, flaky scones that are not sweet. They are perfectly designed to accompany cream and jam. While some people think of scones as bone dry, tasteless things to be abhored, fresh baked scones, done properly, are flavorful and flaky. Some of our variations on the scone recipe DO have a greater sweetness to
them, depending on the ingredients, and are not unlike cakes. They are the basic and base pastry often used in classic tea parties.
Basic Scone Recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (approx.)
Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the egg. (If you are using one of the variations below, this is a good point to add nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, cheese, etc.) Gradually add the milk until a thick dough is formed. (It may take more or less than 3/4 cup.) Turn out the mixture onto a floured board and knead lightly. Roll out the dough to 3/4" thickness and cut into rounds with a 2" cookie cutter. Gather the trimmings and lightly knead, roll, and cut them as well. Place the rounds about 1" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little beaten egg or milk. Bake in a preheated 450° oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.
Variations of the Basic Scone Recipe:
- Spiced Scones: Add enough cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice to the dry ingredients to total 1/2 teaspoon.
- Raisin Wheat Scones: Substitute white flour with whole wheat pastry flour or half and half white and wheat. Use brown sugar instead of white and plain yogurt instead of whole milk.
- Buttermilk Scones: Substitute buttermilk for whole milk and add 1 tablespoon sugar to the basic recipe.
- Walnut Scones: Add 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts.
- Cheddar Scones: Add 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese and 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard.
- Dried Fruit Scones: Add 1/2 cup raisins, currants, cranberries, or chopped dried apricots.
- Chocolate Chip Scones: Add 1/2 cup white or dark chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the basic recipe.
- Lemon Scones: Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon sugar to the basic scone recipe.
Clotted Cream
Clotted cream (known by some as Devonshire Cream, or English clotted cream) is a very thick, rich cream almost similar in appearance to hotel butter. It is unsweetened, so it pairs very well on the scone with jam. This is another standard staple of the Victorian tea party. You can purchase it in finer supermarkets or specialty stores, or you can sometimes order it online.
The following are a bit more sweet than English clotted cream, but these homemade substitutions are very good with all scone recipes.
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
OR, another version of this:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup mascarpone or 1/4 cup softened cream cheese
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The directions are the same for both cream recipes: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with a mixer until stiff ( you can also try to hand beat these, as they did in the "old days" but your arms will be worn out!) Refrigerate until ready to use. Best when prepared and served the same day. These usually makes about 1 1/2 cups of cream.
Lavender Cookies
The Victorians loved lavender, and employed it in their bathing routines, perfumes, and even their cooking. The exceptional sweetness in the smell and taste of this flower lends to a truly unique cookie flavor.
- 3 Tbspn dried lavender
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups flour
- teaspoon baking soda
PLEASE NOTE: Do not use more lavender flowers than recommended in the recipe...too many tend to overpower the food!
Dried lavender may be found in health food stores or natural food markets. Be sure to buy the type that is processed as a food product and not for crafts to avoid poisons and preservatives.
Grind lavender and sugar into powder in food processor. Cream butter, add sugar and lavender then beaten eggs. Add vanilla. Into one cup flour sift baking soda and baking powder. Add this sugar mixture. Alternate remaining flour with milk to make soft dough.
Drop onto baking sheets using a teaspoon. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.
BEVERAGES
Tasty Chai
4 --1 1/2" slices fresh ginger
1-- 2" cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 heaping demitasse spoon powdered cardamom
1 vanilla bean (cut up into 1 in. pieces)/ or use one Tbspn vanilla extract
1 dash nutmeg
1 heaping Tbspn sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 Darjeeling Blend tea bags
2 cups water
2 cups milk
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and toss in teabags then all other ingredients in order above. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add milk and bring to boil, then take off heat. Strain through strainer or coffee filters and serve hot or in a tall glass filled with ice. Refrigerate unused portion.
The Quick and Dirty City Guide to Chai SHAKES!
Chai
5 or 6 scoops of icecream (we liked either vanilla, or cappucino icecream)
Take any version of your favorite Chai recipe and place in blender. Add your icecream to the blender and blend! Voila! Garnish with cocoa powder!
Makes about 2-4 servings.
Hot and Spicy Cocoa
Put a twist on you tea AND cocoa---here's cocoa, with a kick. The secret is in the cayenne pepper (yep, that's no misprint). The use of cayenne is not new--Mayan Indians in Mexico were known to add the pepper to their cocoa to make a spiced drink.
