Recipe List
Right Honourable Cucumber Sandwiches
Mrs Beeton’s Cheese Butterflies
Created for the banquet after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, this chicken dish has become the staple filling of many a sandwich since. The version here is less heavy and sweet than most, and makes good canapés to serve with drinks too.
Makes 12 tea sandwiches or 24 small canapés
10g butter
½ onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 tbsp curry powder
50g whole toasted almonds, finely chopped
100g home-made or good-quality purchased mayonnaise
leaves from ¼ bunch of coriander, chopped
2 heaped tbsp whipped cream
1 tbsp dark mango chutney
½ tsp salt
meat from ½ roast chicken, shredded into chunks
To serve
6 slices white or brown bread soft butter (optional)
Melt the butter in a frying pan. When foaming, add the onion and curry powder and cook until lightly browned. Add the almonds and mix well. Cool, then add to the mayonnaise in a bowl. Add the coriander, cream, chutney and salt, mixing well. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Mix in the chicken.
Spread slices of fresh bread lightly with soft butter, if you like. Divide the filling mix among half of the slices, then cover each with another slice of buttered bread. Trim off the crusts, if you wish, then cut into triangles or fingers. Serve immediately.
CANAPÉS
Fill warmed mini pastry cases with the chicken mix. Or make small croûton cases by cutting crustless bread slices into triangles, pressing into greased mini muffin moulds and baking in a preheated 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 oven for 6–8 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Garnish the canapés with coriander cress, if you wish.
Fit for the finest tea table, these are a bit quirky as the cucumber is on the outside of the sandwich, not the inside. It is important when making cucumber sandwiches that you lightly salt the cucumber for a short period of time, then rinse and dry the slices. This not only seasons the cucumber, it also makes it crunchier. Fresh white bread and a salted English butter are also key to making these sandwiches great.
Makes 12
1 large cucumber, peeled
salt
60g soft, lightly salted butter
12 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed
Using a peeler, shave long strips from the cucumber, a third of the length at a time, until you reach the seeds; discard the seeded centre. Lay the strips out on a tray and sprinkle lightly with salt on both sides. Leave for 30 minutes, then rinse well under cold water and pat dry.
Butter both sides of the bread slices. Cover the butter on both sides with the cucumber strips and trim to fit neatly. Set each slice of cucumber-covered bread on a sheet of clingfilm and roll up tightly into a spiral, rolling in the same direction as the way the cucumber slices are lying. Twist the clingfilm at each end of the roll to secure. Chill for 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, trim off the ends, with the clingfilm, then unwrap your inside-out cucumber sandwiches.
A number of important factors contribute to the perfect egg sandwich. Firstly, the eggs should be cooked so they still retain some wobble in the yolk. Then they need to be combined with good-quality mayonnaise and plenty of seasoning. Ultra-fresh bread, with a good layer of salted butter, is also essential.
Makes 16 tea sandwiches
4 free-range eggs
15g soft unsalted butter
2 tbsp home-made or good-quality purchased mayonnaise
½ tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
pinch of curry powder
1 punnet of cress, leaves snipped
To serve
8 slices fresh white bread soft, lightly salted butter
Put the eggs in a small pan of water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 4 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Peel the eggs and place in a bowl. Mash with a fork, leaving them relatively chunky. Add the butter and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients, except the cress, and stir in. Gently mix in the cress.
Butter the bread. Spread the egg mix on half of the slices and top each with another slice. Cut off the crusts, then cut each sandwich into triangles or fingers and serve as soon as possible.
This gingerbread-type cake is great with tea in the afternoon, or served with blue cheese as a snack – the salty creaminess of the cheese pairs perfectly with the sticky, spicy cake. Parkin will keep for a good 5 days in the fridge.
Cuts into 12 slices
150g unsalted butter
150g dark muscovado sugar
150g treacle
75g golden syrup
150g self-raising flour
150g medium oatmeal
½ tsp salt
15g ground ginger
50ml milk, warmed
2 free-range eggs, beaten
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2.
Combine the butter, sugar, treacle and syrup in a pan and heat gently until melted and syrupy. Allow to cool slightly.
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the syrupy mixture. Add the milk and mix well, then stir in the beaten eggs. Pour the mix into a greased and lined 24 × 10cm loaf tin.
Bake for about 1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Scone recipes often spark debate. I will say no more than that I think this is one of the best. The trick for success is to avoid overmixing the dough – if you do, the gluten in the flour will develop and the scones will be rubbery and too firm.
Makes 6 large scones
250g self-raising flour
good pinch of salt
25g caster sugar
75g chilled unsalted butter
1 free-range egg, beaten
100ml milk, plus extra for brushing
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Lightly beat together the egg and milk and slowly add to the bowl, stirring just to bring together into a dough, being very careful not to overmix.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 5cm thick. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into 7cm round or square shapes. Transfer to a baking tray and brush with milk, then bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden. Serve warm.
Make this jam at the height of the strawberry season, when the fruit is at its sweetest. Rose water adds a lovely aromatic quality.
Makes 2 medium-size jars
1kg fresh strawberries, halved
50ml lemon juice
250ml rose water
1kg granulated sugar
20g pectin powder
Put the strawberries, lemon juice and rose water in a large saucepan and set over a moderate heat. Mix the sugar and pectin together, then add to the strawberries. Bring the mix to a gentle boil, then cook until the temperature of the jam reaches 104°C. Remove from the heat and ladle into hot sterilized jars, sealing well. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
These are also known as bakestones because in Wales they are traditionally cooked on a bakestone or cast-iron griddle. We serve them at the restaurant with hard cheese and pickle. Their soft texture and sweetness work very well with the saltiness of the cheese. Delicious with butter and jam or honey too.
Makes 12
100g soft unsalted butter, plus extra for frying
75g caster sugar
50g currants
1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
225g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the currants and egg and mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl, then fold into the creamed mix. Shape into a log about 5cm in diameter. Wrap in clingfilm and keep in the fridge until required.
When ready to serve, heat a frying pan with a little butter. Cut the log across into 1cm-thick slices. Fry in the hot butter for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool before serving.
Named after the town of Eccles in Greater Manchester, it is not known who created the recipe for these moist, chewy treats, but the first Eccles cakes were sold in a shop in the town centre in 1793. We serve large Eccles cakes in the restaurant as a pudding, with our famous Cheddar cheese ice cream.
Makes 20
Rough puff pastry
250g plain flour
7g salt
250g unsalted butter (remove from the fridge 10 minutes before using)
125ml iced water
milk, for brushing
granulated or caster sugar, for sprinkling
Filling
150g unsalted butter
150g demerara sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp grated nutmeg
grated zest of 2 oranges
150g golden raisins
150g currants
100g mixed candied peel, chopped
Begin with the pastry. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter, leaving it in small lumps, then bind with the water to make a dough. Shape into a neat rectangle, wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 45 minutes.
Unwrap the pastry rectangle and place it on a floured surface so it is lying vertically in front of you. Fold in a quarter of each short end so they meet in the middle, then fold over in half – this is known as a ‘book fold’. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Repeat the rolling out, folding and chilling process two more times. Then roll out the pastry to 5mm thick. Cover and leave to rest on the floured surface for 30 minutes before cutting out 20 discs 8cm in diameter. Arrange on a tray lined with baking parchment and lay another sheet of parchment on top. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes.
To make the filling, combine the butter, sugar, spices and zest in a small pan and gently melt. Remove from the heat and add the fruit. Cool, then divide equally into 20 balls.
Take four pastry discs out of the fridge and lay them on a floured surface. Place a ball of filling in the centre of each disc, then fold the pastry around the filling into the centre, to seal in the filling. Flip the cakes over and flatten lightly with your palm. Shape the remaining cakes in the same way.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Arrange the cakes on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush them with milk and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Make three small, parallel incisions in the top of each cake. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden. Serve warm, or cool on the tray.
Another great recipe idea from Mrs Beeton, these ‘butterflies’ consist of a short, savoury biscuit with a cheese mousse piped on top and two small semi-circles of biscuit pushed in to look like wings. We use a goat’s cheese mousse but you can substitute another soft or blue cheese if you prefer.
Makes 12
Biscuits
100g plain flour
pinch of English mustard powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
75g butter
75g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 free-range egg yolk
25–50ml cold water
Cheese mousse
25g cream cheese
50g soft goat’s cheese
pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Sift the flour, mustard, cayenne and salt together. Cream the butter until pale and fluffy, then add the flour mix with the Parmesan, mixing well. Add the egg yolk and enough cold water to bring together to make a stiff dough. Roll out on a floured surface to 5mm thick. Lift on to a tray and chill for 25 minutes.
Remove the sheet of dough from the fridge and cut out 24 discs using a 3cm round cutter. Cut half of the discs in half to form the butterfly wings. Place the discs and ‘wings’ on a greased baking tray and bake for 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool on the tray.
For the mousse, put the cream cheese in a bowl and beat until smooth. Put the goat’s cheese in another bowl and break down with a spatula, mixing until smooth. Combine the two cheeses and season with salt to taste. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a plain 5mm nozzle. Set aside.
When the biscuits have cooled, pipe the cheese mousse on to the round biscuits. Add a pair of ‘wings’ to each, pushing pointed ends into the mousse with the flat sides almost touching, so the ‘wings’ stand out. Serve as soon as possible.
The earliest incarnation of this tart, Bakewell pudding, is said to have originated in the 1860s in the market town of Bakewell in Derbyshire. Our version of the tart is a slightly different take on the classic, with a cherry jelly instead of jam.
Makes 12 slices
Sweet pastry
85g soft unsalted butter
115g caster sugar
225g strong flour
7g baking powder
3g salt
100ml double cream
Almond layer
250g unsalted butter
250g ground almonds
375g caster sugar
45g plain flour
340g (about 11) free-range egg whites
Cherry jelly
1 × 340g jar cherry jam
250ml cherry juice
juice of 1 lemon
6 leaves gelatine
Almond icing
200g icing sugar
2 tbsp hot water
a few drops of almond essence glacé cherries, to finish
For the sweet pastry, mix the soft butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on slow speed, or in a food processor, until just combined. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add half to the butter and mix to form a smooth paste, then add the remaining flour and mix just until fine crumbs are formed. Slowly add the cream, mixing only to bind to a dough. Gather into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for 1 hour.
Grease a baking tray approximately 20 × 28cm and line with baking parchment. Roll out the pastry dough between two sheets of baking parchment until 5mm thick. Allow to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes, then cut into a rectangle to fit the prepared baking tray. Line the tray with the pastry, then place in the fridge to chill while you make the almond mix.
Heat the butter in a saucepan until it melts and foams, then whisk until it turns dark brown. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Stir together the ground almonds, sugar and flour in a bowl, then mix in the egg whites followed by the browned butter (beurre noisette) until homogenous. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake the pastry for 12 minutes, until set and golden brown. Spread the almond mix evenly over the pastry. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the almond layer is golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
For the jelly, put the jam and the juices into a saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in a little cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Squeeze out the water, then add the gelatine to the cherry mix and stir until melted. Line a baking tray the same size as that used for the almond base (approximately 20 × 28cm) with a double layer of clingfilm. Pour the cherry mixture into the lined tray and refrigerate until set.
Turn out the set jelly on to a board and slice 5mm off the two shorter ends. Put the slices into a saucepan to melt. Brush the top of the almond layer with the melted jelly, then place the sheet of set jelly on top.
To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the hot water and essence, and stir until smooth. Spread the icing evenly over the sheet of jelly. Chill to set before cutting into slices and garnishing with glacé cherries.
Carrots have been used in sweet cakes since medieval times. Then, sweeteners such as sugar were scarce and expensive whereas carrots, which contain more sugar than any other vegetable, were much easier to come by. Today we use carrots less in sweet baking, with the exception of this always popular moist and flavoursome cake.
Makes 1 large cake or 12 muffin-size cakes
3 free-range eggs
150g caster sugar
180g peeled grated carrots
100g tinned crushed pineapple
50g walnuts, chopped
1 tsp grated orange zest
100ml groundnut oil
150g self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Icing
100g soft unsalted butter
200g icing sugar, sifted
200g cream cheese
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Combine the eggs, sugar, carrots, pineapple, walnuts, orange zest and oil in a mixing bowl. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon into another bowl. Gently fold into the egg mixture. Divide equally among 12 greased muffin tins or a 25cm cake tin. Bake for about 20 minutes (or about 25 minutes for a large cake), until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10–15 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
To make the icing, cream the butter with the sugar until white and fluffy. Beat the cream cheese until soft, then add to the butter mix with the lemon zest and juice, mixing well. For small cakes, put the icing into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle and pipe a large dollop on top of each one. For a large cake, swirl the icing over the top using a palette knife.
Cheddar cheese originated in the village of Cheddar in Somerset where caves in the Gorge, on the edge of the village, provide the ideal humidity and temperature for the maturing of the cheese. Records show that Cheddar cheese has been produced since the 12th century.
Makes 12
250g plain flour
175g strong Cheddar cheese (Cornish Cruncher is a favourite)
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ tsp smoked paprika
125g cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 free-range egg yolks
25–50ml cold water
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Mix together the flour, cheese, salt, four turns of the peppermill and the paprika in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the mix until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and enough cold water to bring the crumbs together into a dough.
Turn out the dough on to a well-floured surface and carefully roll out to a rectangle 5mm thick. Trim the edges straight, then cut the pastry into strips 2cm wide and place on a greased baking tray. Gently twist each strip to create a curled effect, then bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container.
I love chocolate tea cakes. Smothered in milk chocolate (or dark if you prefer), they are a great afternoon treat with a large mug of builder’s tea.
Makes 6
Marshmallow
4 leaves gelatine
500g caster sugar
250ml water
Biscuits
75g soft unsalted butter
50g icing sugar, sifted
1 free-range egg yolk
100g plain flour
6 tsp raspberry jam
150g dark or milk chocolate, chopped
Lightly oil six 8cm half-sphere moulds. For the marshmallow, soak the gelatine in cold water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put the sugar and water in a saucepan and set over a moderate heat. When the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine, add to the sugar syrup and stir until melted. Pour into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy and has cooled.
Using a spatula, smooth spoonfuls of the marshmallow into the moulds. Smooth over the tops of the moulds with a palette knife so the marshmallows will have a flat base. Place in the fridge to set for 1 hour. When ready to use, gently pop them out of their moulds by pushing the mould inwards.
For the biscuits, cream the butter with the sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and flour and mix until just combined. Shape the biscuit dough into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 25 minutes.
Unwrap the biscuit dough and roll out between two sheets of baking parchment to 5mm thickness. Put back in the fridge to rest for 25 minutes while preheating your oven to 175°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Then cut into six 8.5cm rounds and place on a greased baking tray. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden. Allow to cool.
Smooth 1 teaspoon of jam over each biscuit, then set a marshmallow dome on top.
Melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using a pastry brush, liberally brush the bottom of each biscuit with chocolate, then set on a tray lined with baking parchment. Liberally cover the marshmallow dome and the sides of the biscuit with more chocolate, using the pastry brush to smooth it over. Place in the fridge to set.
Chocolate is a required element in any afternoon tea selection, and these brownies fit the bill perfectly. Because the chocolate flavour is so important, be sure to use the best dark chocolate, with at least 70 per cent cocoa solids.
Cuts into 12 slices
225g unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), broken up
4 free-range eggs
200g caster sugar
50g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
75g walnuts, chopped
75g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), chopped
Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Put the butter and broken up chocolate in a heavy-based pan and melt gently. When smooth, remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl, then add to the chocolate mix and stir. Sift the flour and cocoa together, then fold into the chocolate mix. Stir in the walnuts and chopped chocolate.
Grease a baking dish or tin about 22 × 14cm and 3cm deep, then line with baking parchment. Pour in the brownie mix. Bake for 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the dish, then cut into slices.
An old-fashioned tea cake, this is simple to make yet delicious. We serve it in small slices as part of our afternoon tea offering, with a rich lemon curd piped on top.
Serves 8–10
200g unsalted butter
300g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
3 free-range eggs, beaten
grated zest and juice of 3 lemons
250g self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
100ml milk
good-quality purchased lemon curd, for serving
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Cream the butter with 250g of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and lemon zest and mix well. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl and gently mix in. Add the milk and bring together until just combined.
Pour the mix into a greased and lined 24 × 10cm loaf tin. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Heat the lemon juice with the remaining 50g sugar to create a syrup.
While the cake is still warm, prick it all over the top with a skewer, then evenly drizzle the lemon syrup over the surface. Finish with a sprinkle of caster sugar. Leave to cool in the tin.
Serve each slice with a good dollop of lemon curd.
Home-made fig rolls are far superior to the packet you reach for in the supermarket. Give this recipe a try and you will see what I mean.
Makes about 12
300g soft dried figs, diced
50ml crème de figue (fig liqueur) or brandy
Pastry
85g soft unsalted butter
115g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
225g plain flour
5g baking powder
pinch of salt
100ml double cream milk, for brushing
Put the diced figs into a saucepan with the alcohol and heat until they become soft. Purée half of them in a blender; mix this with the remaining diced figs. Allow to cool, then divide the mix into four and roll up each portion in clingfilm to create a sausage shape about 2cm in diameter and 20cm long. Place these ‘sausages’ in the freezer to firm up.
Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and mix in, then slowly add the cream, mixing until just combined. Shape into a ball, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 25 minutes.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide in half. Roll out each portion between two sheets of baking parchment to a rectangle 5mm thick and about 20 × 10cm. Trim the edges, then cut each rectangle lengthways in half. Unwrap one of the fig ‘sausages’ and place on one long edge of a pastry strip. Brush the other long edge of the pastry strip with milk, then roll the pastry over the fig to enclose, pressing well to seal. Repeat the process with the other fig ‘sausages’ and pastry strips. Wrap the finished logs in clingfilm and place in the fridge to firm up.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Remove the logs from the fridge and unwrap. Brush with milk, then sprinkle with caster sugar. Trim off the ends of each log, then cut across into four pieces. Place on a greased baking tray, seam side down. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool on the tray for 10–15 minutes, then serve warm. Or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
