Foodies, what would you choose?

DEFINITELY tea. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

I love the idea of High Tea

Definitely tea - fab idea.

Tea. It's not too hard to do and for some reason Americans love the concept.

High tea sounds like the best best.
I actually saw a jar of clotted cream in the supermarket yesterday but I really don't want to know what that would taste like as it wasn't in the refrigerated section!

Well all the ladies (about 15/20 of them) were all jumping up and down about that idea too! Seems like those who have experienced an English Afternoon tea loved it ??

Ok, so to the menu ... have googled but not found much help apart from this

How does this sound?

Salmon & cucumber sandwiches (white bread with crusts cut off - just need to find some nice bread! - and cut into dainty triangles)
Ham and mustard sandwiches (same format)
Any others?

Scones with clotted cream & strawberry jam
Any other pastries? Ideas needed! And recipes!!

Pots of tea

Have I missed anything glaringly obvious?

My arm is still sore after being wedged up my back when they twisted my arm to do this! I think they all want a nosey at what a British woman's furniture/house looks like! ?

quote:Originally posted by CJJ
High tea sounds like the best best.
I actually saw a jar of clotted cream in the supermarket yesterday but I really don't want to know what that would taste like as it wasn't in the refrigerated section!

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Oh God. I physically felt [xx(] reading that!!

I didn't look at it too closely, so I'm not sure what was in it to preserve it...
It was in the small (and crap) British section in Whole Foods.

I would do three kinds of sandwiches: smoked salmon, cusumber and egg and cress.

Scones with jam and CC

Cakes - I'd do three different sorts, maybe cherry, lemon and coffee and walnut or something richer, or a light fruit cake instead of cherry

Cut some of the samdwiches into triangles and some into strips/rectangles. Don't use white bread for all of them.

Oh - I bet crumpets with butter would go down well too ?

What about prettily decorated fairy cakes or butterfly buns?

I would suggest crumpets but I don't suppose you can get those although I have seen recipes for making them yourself.

Cheese straws? Cream slices made with puff pastry, jam and whipped cream?

Victoria sponge with jam and buttercream?

Do you have Trader Joe's in TX, Peaches? I've found decent enough brown sliced loaf there that is good for sandwiches - and most importantly, doesn't have lots of sugar in it.

Crumpets. Thank you guys. I'm now craving a crumpet! ?

I've no idea if they do them here - not looked to be honest. They score very low on my shopping radar as once they're bought, they're eaten! With lashings of butter! And do you know how many starch servings in a crumpet? No? Neither do I, but I know a packet is far too many!!!

Like the idea of little fancy cakes. Will have to find recipes and get my helpers to make some (mwahh ha ha!) Anyone got any nice recipes for tried and tested cakes?

Good idea about finger sandwiches as well as triangles. Liking that ?

Victoria sponge. Mmmmm ? I made a great Vsponge for my leaving do at one company which features on a ex-colleagues Facebook photo! ?

Please keep the ideas coming. Thank you! Much appreciate it!

(have to go now though .. be back later)


? everyone ?

No Trader Joes CJJ ☹️ Sadly.

Got your Mini back yet?

quote:Originally posted by Peaches
No Trader Joes CJJ ☹️ Sadly.

Got your Mini back yet?

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Yes, thankfully the Mini has been returned - although the engine overheated on the drive home from the body shop and they had to come and tow it away again. It was an air pocket and they were able to fix it pretty quickly, but they were most apologetic about it, especially given how long they took to fix it in the first place!

Glad you've got it back! I think of you every time I see one!

Have to go now (am late again!)

Any more suggestions/advice/links to recipes most gratefully received ????

Probably glaringly obvious and the first thing you thought of but just looked at The Ritz Afternoon Tea menu (will this link work?)

http://www.theritzlondon.com/pdfmenus/PALM%20COURT%20menu.pdf

Like the idea of serving different types of tea maybe?

Sounds a fabulous idea. May have a little go myself, although it hardly exudes the same glamour and sophistication to hold 'High Tea' in sunny Wigan ?

If you're looking for different sorts of (leaf) tea, then these people are good.

Ohh i just read that menu and might treat myself next time i am in london....

I have a recipe for crumpets if you want it they are quite easy to make.

Here are a few ideas:

Victoria sponge cake
Shortbread
Malt loaf
Sausage rolls
Fairy cakes

quote:Originally posted by Platty
I have a recipe for crumpets if you want it they are quite easy to make.

Here are a few ideas:

Victoria sponge cake
Shortbread
Malt loaf
Sausage rolls
Fairy cakes

id="quote">

Could I be cheeky and get the recipe please? my OH loves them and we cant get them where we live

TY ?

Oooh high tea sounds scrummy

have u got those 3 tiered cake plates they look so english or i think so anyway [:I]?

And don't forget [rache] LEMON CURDid="size6">id="yellow"> [/rache]

quote:Originally posted by Bushbb


Could I be cheeky and get the recipe please? my OH loves them and we cant get them where we live

TY ?

id="quote">

Sure, its from a Gary Rhodes book:

Makes approx 20 crumpets

450g (1lb) plain flour
15g (1/2oz) salt
15g (1/2oz) fresh yeast
600ml (1 pint) warm water

Sieve together the flour and salt. Mix the yeast with a few tablespoons of the warm water. Whisk three quarters of the remaining warm water into the flour and then add the yeasty liquid. Cover and leave in a warm place until the mixture has risen. Once risen, check the consistency. If the batter is very thick, losen with the remaining water. The batter should now be left to stand for 8-10 mins.

Warm a non-stick frying pan on a low heat. Grease some crumpet rings or small tartlet rings and rub the pan with butter.

Place the rings into the frying pan and pour in some of the batter until half full. Cook on a low heat until small holes appear and the top has started to dry. The base of the crumpet will now be golden and it can be turned over and cooked for a further min.

You can use 2 teaspoons of dried yeast if you can't get hold of the fresh, just mix with the flour and salt in the beginning.

Enjoy ?

I like the High Tea theme.

I would do a really good fruit cake (although it might be a bit late to let it rest, tbh. And then a Victoria Sponge is my absolute favourite.

Could you make some jam or marmalade? Trifle? Eton Mess? Those will all go down wonderfully. ?

If you want a shortbread recipe, Nigella's is so easy and tastes fab, basically 100g plain flour, 50g cornflour, 50g icing sugar and 100g butter. Mix them up, roll into a log and chill in the fridge. After at least 1/2 an hour take the log out and cut into biscuits, bake for 20 ish minutes at 180 ish (gas 4? but check this!) - until golden brown. You can sprinkle them with caster sugar before cooking too, extra yum.

Tiny meringues with the bases dipped in chocolate and sandwiched together with cream. Cream horns? Or brandy baskets (or tubes piped with cream) filled with cream and strawberries. Scones are a must!

How about Bakewell tart? Also for sandwiches you could do cold roast beef and you simply have to serve vol-au-vents!

Some brilliant ideas here ladies. Thanks a million! ?

Sophie - funnily enough I have 2 jars of lemon curd! What do you think I should do with them? Not on sandwiches, surely?!

All the pastries, cream horns and such like sound divine. It'll be a case of having to make everything though as nothing like that is available here. Same goes for the crumpets (thanks for the recipe!) Do crumpets feature in an Afternoon Tea?

Love the idea of different kinds of tea too. Good job I've got a few tea-pots!

Eton Mess - I actually made one for the same group of ladies at my very first meet here. Went down a storm. But I had to make the meringues as you can't buy them in the shops!

Don't have a 3 tiered plate. But I do have a cake stand!

Was going to tell/ask you something else, but it's gone right out of my mind! Doh! ?

I think the high tea sounds fab...

If you need any help, rec help etc, I really like baking [:I]

That's a lovely offer Ethel, thank you! Might well take you up on that! ?

quote:Originally posted by Funky Munky
Probably glaringly obvious and the first thing you thought of but just looked at The Ritz Afternoon Tea menu (will this link work?)

http://www.theritzlondon.com/pdfmenus/PALM%20COURT%20menu.pdf

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Ah, beat me to it.
I was also going to suggest looking at the menus for The Dorchester (which I went to on Saturday - it was gorgeous!) and Claridges

My American SIL absolutely adores crumpets with Anchor butter, Is there any way you can get butter that isn't the sweet US kind?

Wow, those menus are just what I needed! I can reproduce one and make one to fit our menu for that date! Brilliant!

Hitched has yet again surpassed itself ?

Thank you SO much! I couldn't find half the stuff when I goggled. (I think my computer has somehow defaulted to US searches - seriously!)

You guys rock ?

Mariets - I've got a load of unsalted butter from the last time I cooked something that needed it. Not quite Anchor, but not bad. Still debating whether to make crumpets or not. I thought it was more a breakfast thing? (And I'm still craving them! Even more now!)