Category: Desserts
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Menu: Classic English Afternoon Tea Party
Here’s my menu (and some recipes) for my version of a classic English afternoon tea at home. Hotels like to offer champagne or a champagne cocktail as a starter, but this is not required. It is nice if you’re celebrating something though, to start with a toast, so on those occasions, I do like to start…
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Whipped Vanilla Cream
Afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills is a beautiful thing. Beautiful china, beautiful crystal and flatware, beautiful service, and beautiful food that actually tastes as good as it looks. Whether you choose the Traditional Tea or the Royal Tea, the culinary event begins with fresh, oh-so-sweet strawberries topped with a quenelle of…
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Mock Devonshire Cream
(from Teatime Celebrations, by Patricia Gentry)½ c. whipping cream2 T. confectioners’ sugar½ c. sour cream In a chilled bowl, beat cream until medium-stiff peaks form, adding sugar during last few minutes of beating. Fold in sour cream and blend. Keep refrigerated until serving. Makes 1½ c. of “cream.”
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Chocolate Madeleines
(from Simply French, by Patricia Wells) Unsalted butter, softened, and all-purpose flour for the tins13 T. unsalted butter3 oz. bittersweet chocolate (preferably Lindt Excellence, finely grated or chopped)1 2/3 c. confectioners’ sugar½ c. plus 1 T. all-purpose flour½ c. finely ground unblanched almonds6 large egg whites1 T. mild honey, such as lavender With a brush, evenly…
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Mrs. Pettigrew’s Lemon Cake
(from Having Tea: Recipes and Table Settings, by Tricia Foley) 2 lemons¼ c. sugar8 T. (1 stick) salted butter or margarine, softened2 large eggs, beaten¾ c. all-purpose flour6 T. milk3 T. sugar, for topping Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and line a 7-inch round cake pan or 8-inch loaf pan with parchment or wax paper.Grate…
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Meringue Bones
(Adapted from “Meringue Shells,” The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, by Zoe Coulson) 3 egg whites, at room temperature 1/8 t. cream of tartar ¾ c. sugar ½ t. vanilla extract Preheat oven to 250° F. In small bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle…
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Recipe for My Yiayia’s Savaren
It occurred to me that posting the actual recipe for this dessert might be just a little bit helpful! So, here it is. First, make the syrup. This is done first so that the syrup can be chilled while the cake is baking. The goal is to pour cold syrup over a very hot cake (i.e. a…
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Create Cooking Challenge on American Public Television: My Family’s Recipe
Way back in early March, I got a phone call from my older brother; Jim often calls me in the morning on his way into his clinic. Apparently, the traffic must get really boring. Anyway, this morning, he said I should finally put my proverbial pen down, put on my apron, and enter a cooking…
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The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pudding: American Do’s and Don’ts
The entire United Kingdom is celebrating today. At this very moment, Queen Elizabeth II might be offering her iconic wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, along with some of her family. And here am I, an American citizen by birthright (and stateside), celebrating along with all those “cousins” across the pond. Why? I can’t…