The late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother is thought to have been rather fond of this classic combination and enjoyed date and walnut cake for her afternoon tea. Our version is in fact a tea bread – we’ve soaked the dates in tea as is traditional for a tea bread, which keeps the loaf wonderfully moist. It’s finished with a moreish icing made with whisky, cream and butter.
Serves 10
200g dried dates, chopped
150ml freshly brewed Earl Grey tea
50g unsalted butter, softened
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
75g light muscovado sugar
225g self-raising flour, sifted
2 large eggs, beaten
75g walnuts, roughly chopped
For the icing
25g light muscovado sugar
20g icing sugar
2 tbsp whisky
30g unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp double cream
20g walnuts, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas 3. Line a 900g loaf tin with a cake liner or baking parchment.
Put the dates in a large bowl, pour over the tea then stir in the butter. Leave to soak for at least an hour.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly to ensure everything is well combined. Spoon into the tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, put the sugars and whisky in a small pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1–2 minutes to cook off the alcohol then take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool. Once cool, beat the butter and cream into the syrup to make an icing. Spread over the cake then scatter the chopped walnuts over the top. The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.
This recipe dates back to the eighteenth century and was created in a London establishment called the Chelsea Bun House, thought to have been patronised by King George II and III. Sticky, fruity and very sweet, the dough is rolled up like a blanket then sliced into buns.
Makes 12
1 × 7g sachet dried yeast
50g golden caster sugar
300ml warm milk
500g strong plain bread flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
¼ tsp salt
75g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
1 medium egg, beaten
a little vegetable oil, for greasing
15g demerara sugar, plus extra to finish
grated zest of ½ lemon
75g currants
75g sultanas
apricot jam, to finish
Line a large roasting tin with baking parchment. Put the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the caster sugar into a bowl and pour in 100ml of the warm milk. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Sift the flour, mixed spice and salt into a large bowl. Rub in 25g of the butter using your fingertips. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the yeast mix, remaining milk and egg. Stir the ingredients with a knife until it comes together into a rough dough, then knead on a board until smooth.
Place in a clean, oiled bowl and cover. Leave to prove for around 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Place the dough on a board and knead two to three times to knock back. Roll out on a large board until the mixture measures around 36 × 30cm.
Beat the remaining butter, demerara sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl until smooth. Spread all over the dough then sprinkle with the dried fruit, pressing it down lightly so it sticks to the butter.
With the longest side facing you, roll the dough up, then cut into 12 rolls and place in the roasting tin. Cover and leave to prove for 30 minutes in a draught-free place. Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5.
Uncover the tin, transfer to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes until the buns are golden. Brush with the jam and return to the oven for 5 minutes to set.
Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Break into individual rolls and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to two days.
Sugary buns have been enjoyed in Britain since around the fifteenth century and many are named after the place they originated.
This two-in-one recipe creates not just a batch of zesty bite-sized biscuits, it also makes a small jar of lemon curd, which is lovely served on a homemade scone (see here).
Makes around 22
100g unsalted butter, softened
40g granulated sugar
40g soft light brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
a good pinch of salt
grated zest of 1 lemon
175g plain flour
For the lemon curd
1 large egg
30g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
juice of ½ lemon
Start by making the lemon curd. Put the egg, butter, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water). Allow the butter to melt and stir all the ingredients together. Cook for a further 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Strain into a separate bowl and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
For the biscuits, beat the butter, sugars, vanilla extract, salt and lemon zest together in a large bowl until soft and creamy. Stir in 40g of the lemon curd (spoon any left over into a sterilised sealable pot and chill; use within a week).
Work in the flour to make a thick dough. Use a teaspoon to take a small scoop of the mixture then scrape it on to the baking sheet and flatten each slightly.
Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes until golden. Store in an airtight tin for up to five days.
The refinement of this crumbly Scottish biscuit is often credited to Mary Queen of Scots, who is said to have been partial to petticoat tails – the traditional triangular-shape in which shortbread is often served. Why they are called petticoat tails is something of a mystery – most likely is the theory that they resembled ‘petticoat tallies’, the word for the pattern used to make the bell hoop petticoats worn by Elizabeth I.
Makes 8
125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
50g golden caster sugar, plus extra to dust
100g plain flour
50g cornflour
25g ground almonds
Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas 2. Lightly grease a round 17cm tin.
Using a wooden spoon, beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until soft and creamy.
Sift in the flour and cornflour, then add the ground almonds to the bowl. Work the dry ingredients into the butter mixture using the back of the spoon to make a dough. Spoon the mixture into the tin then press it down using the back of the spoon to smooth the top.
Press the tip of a table knife all around the edge of the shortbread to emboss the round end onto the pastry and create a pattern, then score into eight triangles. Prick the triangles all over with a fork.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and score the triangles again then continue to bake for a further 30–40 minutes until set and golden around the edges. Dust with extra sugar and leave in the tin to cool completely.
Cut down the edges of each triangle with a sharp knife to remove each piece. Store in an airtight tin for up to five days.
Dark chocolate is paired with its tried and trusted partner, orange, to make a lovely rounded little biscuit that’s perfect at any time of the day. It’s important to plump for a dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage, though, to make sure the biscuits aren’t too sweet.
Makes around 25–30
125g unsalted butter, softened
50g golden granulated sugar
50g soft light brown sugar
1 medium egg, beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract
a good pinch of salt
175g plain flour
grated zest of 1 orange
75g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), roughly chopped or use chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
Put the butter and the sugars into a large bowl and cream together using an electric hand whisk. Quickly whisk in the egg, vanilla extract and salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour, orange zest and chocolate and fold together using a wooden spoon to make a soft dough.
Take teaspoonfuls of the mixture and roll them into rounds. Place on the baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until just golden round the edges. Store in an airtight tin for up to five days.
In Britain, it’s thought that no problem can’t be solved if you sit down and have a cup of tea and a biscuit. These gently spiced butter biscuits, with their crunchy sugar topping and juicy sultanas, are a deliciously moreish accompaniment to your afternoon brew – perfect for putting the world to rights. They’re particularly good with a cup of Earl Grey tea.
Makes 26
150g unsalted butter, softened
75g golden caster sugar
1 tsp ground mixed spice
grated zest of 1 small orange
175g plain flour, plus extra to dust
50g sultanas
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
Cream the butter, sugar, mixed spice and orange zest together in a bowl with a wooden spoon until the mixture looks creamy and the sugar has started to dissolve.
Sift over the flour and add the sultanas to the bowl, too. Work the mixture thoroughly, using the back of the wooden spoon to mix everything together. Knead briefly with your hands to make the dough smooth. Wrap in greaseproof paper and chill for 20 minutes.
Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out the dough until it is 3–4mm thick.
Stamp out rounds using a 6cm round or fluted cutter. Transfer to the lined baking sheets and chill again for 15 minutes. Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes, until just starting to turn golden round the edges. Sprinkle with a little extra sugar, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight tin for up to five days.
