Food / 8 August, 2018 / My Baba
Scrumptious Scones and Cakes To Celebrate National Afternoon Tea Week!
It’s National Afternoon Tea Week, how brilliantly British! Naturally, we’ve round-up the most delicious and divine recipes so you can host the perfect tea party to celebrate.
Chai Spiced Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
- 250 ml vegetable oil , plus extra for greasing
- 4 large carrots
- 1 large lemon
- 100 g currants or sultanas
- 100 g pecans
- 280 g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground anise
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons candied ginger in syrup
- 1 black tea bag
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 200 g caster sugar
- 200 g light brown sugar
- 30 g flaked coconut
Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 200 g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 200 g cream cheese
- 15 g icing sugar
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Grease a 30 x 20cm traybake tin with veg oil and line with baking paper.
- Peel and grate the carrots and lemon zest into a large bowl, mix in the currants or sultanas, then roughly chop and add the pecans, then set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, ½ a teaspoon of sea salt, and the spices, Dice and add the ginger, then add the leaves from the tea bag and mix well.
- Add the eggs, both sugars and the veg oil to a mixing jug, then pour the mixture over the carrots, mixing to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix briefly or until just combined.
- Pour the batter into your pan and bake in the oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the buttercream, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and beat until just combined. Next, add the icing sugar and beat again until smooth (don’t over-mix it as your icing will be runny.) Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, then spoon the buttercream over the cake and spread out evenly.
- Place the coconut into a dry frying pan over a medium heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted, tossing occasionally. Scatter it over the iced cake, then serve.
Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients:
- unsalted butter , for greasing
- 270 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 55 ml double cream , plus extra for brushing
- 450 g ripe strawberries , sliced
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of sea salt into a bowl. Add 300ml of the cream and mix into a dough.
- Gently knead on a lightly floured surface, then pat into a 25cm round, about 7mm thick.
- Cut out 4 rounds with a lightly floured 7.5cm to 8cm cutter and place on the baking sheet. Gather scraps of dough and pat out again. Cut out another 2 rounds.
- Brush the tops of the shortcakes with cream and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool.
- Slice the strawberries and place in a bowl with the caster and icing sugars and vanilla extract, stirring to combine or gently mashing.
- Beat the remaining cream in a bowl until it’s just holding soft peaks.
- Split the shortcakes in half and dollop with the whipped cream, then add some of the strawberry mixture and sandwich together. Serve with any remaining cream and strawberries.
Blueberry and Lemon Macaroons
Ingredients:
- 12 blueberries
- 1 lemon, zested
- 100g of blueberry purée
- 30g of caster sugar
- 50g of caster sugar
- 1 gelatine leaf
- 110g of icing sugar
- 55g of ground almonds
- 250ml of whipping cream
- 2 eggs
- lemon peel
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Sift the icing sugar and ground almonds together.
- In a separate bowl, separate the eggs and whisk the egg whites to a soft peak. Gradually add the sifted sugar and beat to stiff peaks to make a meringue.
- Gently fold the whipped meringue into the almonds and icing sugar.
- Place the mixture in a piping bag and pipe 24 x 10cm circles onto baking parchment. Leave for 15 minutes at room temperature until the circles form a crust.
- Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Once the macarons are done, remove and allow to cool.
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Soak the gelatine leaf in cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Heat the blueberry purée in a saucepan and add the caster sugar, lemon zest and rehydrated gelatine.
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Allow to cool, then semi-whip the cream and fold together with the blueberry mixture.
- Turn 12 macarons upside down and pipe the blueberry filling onto the bottom, then cover with other halves.
- To serve, garnish each macaron with a slice of lemon peel top with a blueberry.
Coconut Fudge
Ingredients:
- 500 g white chocolate , chopped
- 1 x 397 g tin sweetened condensed milk
- 40 g icing sugar
- 100 g desiccated coconut , or to taste
- 1-2 teaspoon quality coconut flavouring
Method:
- Roughly chop the white chocolate, then melt with the condensed milk in a heavy-based pan over a very low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Once it’s melted and well mixed, beat in the icing sugar with a whisk or electric beaters, then beat in the desiccated coconut and the coconut flavouring. Carefully taste the mixture, then add a more coconut or flavouring if needed.
- Pour the mixture into a lined 20cm x 20cm tin and spread out evenly with a spatula.
- Put it into the fridge to set for 3 to 4 hours before removing from the tin and cutting into 2 to 3cm squares.
Chocolate Eclairs
Ingredients:
For the choux pastry:
- 60g (2oz) butter75g (2½oz) plain flour2 medium eggs
For the filling:
- 200g bar dark chocolate
- 284ml carton whipping cream
- Few drops of vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 100g bar dark chocolate
- 30g (1oz) butter
- Large piping bag, fitted with a 1.5cm (¾in) plain piping tube
- Large star piping tube
- Baking sheets, lined with baking parchment or non-stick liners
Method:
- Set the oven to Gas Mark 7 or 220°C.
- To make the choux pastry: Place butter in a saucepan and pour in 150ml (¼ pint) water. Place pan over a medium heat until the butter melts. Increase heat and bring mixture to the boil. Remove pan from heat, quickly tip in the flour and beat mixture until it binds together and comes away from the sides of the pan to form a ball. Leave the mixture to cool for at least 10 minutes, then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Fill piping bag fitted with the plain piping tube, with the choux mixture. Pipe out lines of the mixture, about 7-8cm (2¾ – 3½in) long, on the lined baking sheets. Sprinkle some cold water over them, then bake in the centre of oven for 15-20 minutes, swapping the position of the trays if the ones on the top start to brown quicker than the lower ones.
- Remove the trays with the éclairs from the oven. Pierce each éclair with a skewer to allow the steam to escape, then return to the oven for a further 5-7 minutes or until they are crisp. Remove the trays from oven and transfer the éclairs to a wire rack. Leave them to cool completely.
- Cut one side of each éclair and scoop out any soft mixture in the centres using a teaspoon.
- To make the filling: Break the chocolate into pieces and place it in a bowl. Pour cream into a pan and bring to the boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate dissolves, and add vanilla extract to taste. Allow the mixture to cool, then chill until it?s thick.
- Whisk the chocolate filling until light and fluffy and holding its shape, then use to fill the piping bag, fitted with the star piping tube. Pipe some of the chocolate mixture into each éclair, then press the éclairs lightly to close them.
- To make the topping: Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl and melt, either in a microwave, or over a pan of hot water. Dip the top of each éclairs into the mixture, taking care not to get any of the topping in the filling. This may be easier to do if you brush it on with a pastry brush. Leave the topping to set before serving.
Easy & Tasty Lemon Drizzle Cake
Cake:
- 175 g (6oz) self-raising flour
- 1 level tsp baking powder
- 175 g (6oz) Flora Cuisine or Buttery
- 175 g (6oz) caster sugar
- 3 Medium eggs
- 2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
- finely grated rind of 2 lemons
Lemon Syrup:
- Juice of 2 lemons, strained
- 115 g (4oz) caster sugar
Method:
- Sift the flour and baking powder (use ½ tsp only baking powder if using Buttery) into a large mixing bowl, add the remaining cake ingredients and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
- Spoon the mixture into a greased and base lined 1kg (2lb) loaf tin.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4 for 1 hour or until cooked.
- Turn out onto a wire tray.
- Put the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
- Whilst cake is warm, drizzle the syrup over so that it soaks into the cake.
Cardamom Shortbreads
Ingredients:
- 225g (8oz) plain flour
- 115g (4oz) cornflour
- 225g (8oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 55g (2oz) caster sugar
- 55g (2oz) icing sugar, sieved
- 12 green cardamoms
Method:
- Sieve the flour and cornflour together.
- Beat the butter and sugars together in a bowl until soft and fluffy.
- Split open the cardamom pods and place the seeds into a pestle and mortar and grind to a powder. Add the cardamom powder to the butter and sugar mixture along with the flour and cornflour and then knead well to make a dough. Shape into a ball then flatten and wrap in cling film. Chill for about 15 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease 2 baking sheets.
- Roll out the dough to about 5mm (¼”) thick then use a 7cm (2¾”) diameter cutter to cut out the biscuits.
- Place on the baking sheets then bake for about 12-15 mins, or until pale golden brown. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheets before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Ale Marshmallows
Ingredients:
- vegetable oil , for greasing
- icing sugar
- 240 ml cold pale ale
- 25 g powdered gelatine
- 450 g granulated sugar
- 175 g runny honey
- 2 large free-range egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 400 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 8 hard caramel sweets
Method:
- Lightly oil a 20cm x 30cm baking tin. Dust with icing sugar to coat, then set aside.
- Pour the ale into a large bowl and whisk vigorously to get rid of most of the bubbles.
- Tip half into a small non-stick pan and put the rest into the bowl of a free-standing mixer with the gelatine. Gently whisk to combine, then set aside.
- Add the sugar, honey and ½ teaspoon of sea salt to the pan of ale. Place over a low heat, swirling the pan gently, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.
- Turn up the heat to medium and bring the mixture to the boil. Pop your sugar thermometer in the pan and leave the syrup to gently boil for 10 minutes, or until it reaches 115ºC and is a light brown colour (don’t worry if the gelatine has set in the bowl, the hot sugar will re-melt it).
- Take it off the heat and gently pour the mixture over the gelatine, with the mixer on a low speed.
- Once all the syrup has been added, turn up the mixer to high and beat for 7 to 8 minutes, until fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk to stiff peaks, then fold them into the ale mixture, along with the vanilla, until combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Lightly grease a palette knife with oil and use it to smooth out the marshmallow mixture.
- Dust with a thin layer of icing sugar and leave it to set at room temperature for 5 hours, or overnight.
- When you are ready to finish off your marshmallows, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and melt it over a medium-low heat. Remove and set aside.
- Pop the marshmallow block onto a chopping board and cut it into even-sized pieces. Using a toothpick, dip them in the chocolate and leave to set on a tray.
- Crush and mix in the caramels with a pinch of sea salt. Just before the marshmallows have set, sprinkle some on top, leave to set fully at room temperature, then enjoy!
Fruit Scone
Ingredients:
- 500g of plain flour, sifted
- 28g of baking powder
- 85g of butter
- 60g of sugar
- 1 handful of currants
- 1 handful of sultanas
- 140ml of single cream
- 140ml of milk
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 165°C/gas mark 3. Sieve the flour and baking powder together, add the sugar then rub in the butter.
- Add the sultanas and currants if you would like fruit scones or leave them out for plain.
- Gently mix in the milk and cream to form into a dough being careful not to overwork it.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out until its 2.5cm thick. Cut to desired size and shape using scone cutters or a knife.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.
- Serve warm with plenty of clotted cream and home made strawberry jam.
Mini Rose and Raspberry Cheesecakes
Ingredients:
- 200g of mascarpone
- 200g of cream cheese
- 6 tbsp of icing sugar, more if you prefer it sweeter
- 2 tbsp of rose syrup
- 12 raspberries
- 12 mini pastry cases
- 12 rose petals, edible
Method:
- Beat together the mascarpone, cream cheese, icing sugar and rose syrup until they are all well combined. The rose syrup will colour the mixture pink but if you want a darker colour you can add some magenta food colouring.
- Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle and then pipe a dollop into each pastry case.
- Top with a raspberry and drizzle over some rose syrup before serving.
Carrot Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 125 g soft brown sugar
- 125 ml sunflower oil
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 225 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 clementine
- 200 g carrots
- 75 g walnuts , plus extra to sprinkle
- 200 g cream cheese
- 110 g icing sugar
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas 6. Line your cupcake trays with paper cases.
- Beat the sugar, oil and eggs together. Fold in the flour, spices, baking soda and powder. Grate in the clementine zest, then add a pinch of sea salt.
- Coarsely grate the carrots and chop the walnuts, then fold into the batter.
- Divide the mixture between 12 to 16 cupcake cases, then bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
- Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar together. Spread over the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with extra chopped walnuts.
Mini Chocolate Mousse Tarts
Ingredients:
- 100g of dark chocolate, at least 80% cocoa solids
- tinned chickpeas, 1 500g tin
- 3 tbsp of icing sugar
- 1 tbsp of cocoa powder
- 100ml of double cream, or whipping cream
- 12 mini pastry cases, ready-made
Method:
- Take off about 2 chunks of the chocolate and grate it onto a plate so you have some nice shavings. Pop this in the fridge for later
- Melt the rest of the chocolate over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave and set aside to cool
- Drain the water from the chickpeas into a large mixing bowl. You don’t need the chickpeas so you can pop them back in the fridge for something else
- Whisk the liquid until it forms stiff peaks – this takes about 5 minutes using an electric hand held whisk
- Sift over the icing sugar and cocoa powder and whisk again. Now fold in the cooled, melted chocolate carefully until it is all well combined
- Spoon the mixture into the pastry cases and leave to set in the fridge for about 30 minutes
- Once set, whisk the cream and gently dollop a little over the set chocolate mousse and then sprinkle with the chocolate shavings you made earlier
Jaffa Cakes
Ingredients:
- 1 free-range egg, sat in warm water for 10 minutes
- 40g of caster sugar
- 1 tbsp of unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 60g of plain flour
- 20g of ground almonds
- 12 tsp Seville orange marmalade
- 75g of 65 % dark chocolate, broken into chunks
Method:
- Start this Jaffa cake recipe by preheating your oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4 and greasing a 12-hole muffin tin.
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Break the warmed egg into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, then whisk on high speed for 10 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a moderate heat, add to the egg, then gently fold in the flour and ground almonds.
- Spoon into the moulds and bake for 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Allow the Jaffa cakes to cool on a wire rack, then cut each one in half through the middle, forming a base and a lid.
- Scoop out a small piece of each base and fill with a teaspoon of marmalade, then put the lids back on top.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water until smooth. Place a tray lined with baking paper on your work surface then, using a fork, dip the Jaffa cakes in the chocolate, then set them on the paper.
- When you have dipped all the Jaffa cakes, put them in the fridge to set for 10-15 minutes. As a garnish, decorate with small pieces of peel from the marmalade.
Fruits of the Forest Muffin
Ingredients:
- 300g of plain flour
- 1 tbsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 120g of granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp of sunflower oil
- 275ml of milk
- 100g of white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 100g of frozen mixed berries
- 50g of black cherries in syrup, tinned, pips removed
- 90g of crunchy oat cereal, nut free
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
- Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and then add the sugar.
- Crack the egg into a separate bowl and add the oil, beat until light and fluffy. Then, add the milk and whisk the mixture for 1 minute.
- Fold the egg mix into the flour – be careful not to over-mix but ensure the flour is mixed in. There may still be a few lumps but this is fine.
- Roughly chop the cherries and fold in to the mix along with the chocolate and mixed berries.
- Place the muffin papers in a muffin tray and spoon in the mixture. Remove any raisins from the crunchy oat cereal and sprinkle onto the top of each muffin – you could also use seeds instead.
- Bake the muffins for 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the tray before placing on a wire rack. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
