N/D09 - Recipes posted by TeaHouseTimes Admin, ADVERTISER TEA RELATED PRODUCTSWednesday, December 9th 2009 @ 2:15 PM

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Recipes from The Tea House Times NovDec2009 issue. 

*Taken from Tea & Etiquette by Dorothea Johnson and Bruce Richardson  Used by Permission. Benjamin Press   www.benjaminpress.com

Classic Scones*

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons unsalted cold butter
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly grease a large baking sheet.  Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and soda.  With a pastry blender, cut in butter, mixing it until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Mix in currants.

Whisk buttermilk and egg together, then add to flour mixture.  Stir together until a soft ball of dough forms.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently, turning five or six times.

Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin to about 1/2-inch thickness.  Using a cookie cutter, cut scones out and place on the baking sheet.  Brush tops lightly with cream and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown.  Serve warm with lemon curd, clotted cream, or preserves.  Makes one dozen scones.

 

Apricot, Globe Grapes, and Blue Cheese Tea Sandwiches*

Spread:
3/4 cup garlic and herb spreadable cream cheese
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
24 large red globe grapes
24 pieces of cocktail party rye bread
Fresh chives or scallions, chopped

Mix together cream cheese, blue cheese, and apricots.  Cut grapes in half and remove any seed particles.  Spread cheese mixture on each slice of bread.  Cut in half to make a triangle.  Place a grape half, sliced side down, on top of each triangle.  Garnish with chives.  Can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead when covered with a lightly dampened tea towel, and placed in an airtight plastic container.  Makes 48 tea sandwiches.

 

Victorian Tea Cake*

Cake
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
4 teaspoons boiling water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line with wax paper.  In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Fold in flour.  Add boiling water to make a soft batter.  Divide batter evenly and pour into prepared pans.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until cakes are lightly browned.  Cool in pans for 5 minutes.  Remove cakes from pans.  Remove wax paper.  Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Raspberry Curd Filling
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter,
melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup raspberry puree (fresh or frozen raspberries may be used)

In a double boiler, beat eggs until frothy.  Stir in butter, sugar and raspberry puree.  Place over simmering water and stir constantly for 20 minutes until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat.  Spoon into container.  Cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate.

Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice.  Add small amount of water, if needed, to make a good consistency for drizzling over cake.  Place one cake on a cake plate.  Spread top with Raspberry Curd.  Top with second cake.  Drizzle frosting in a crisscross pattern.

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