The Pleasures of Afternoon Tea
There’s no institution more quintessentially British than afternoon tea, a concept that travelled to the furthest reaches of the British Empire. And a concept so English that Victorian young ladies, invited to tea, were encouraged to fill up on bread and butter first.
At the heart of the afternoon tea is, of course, the teapot: that’s a teapot full of loose tea, not tea bags. With tea cups (and saucers), full cream milk and (optimally) handchipped loaf sugar, white and brown.
Then one requires a silver salver, ideally a tiered stand, optimally with a Lazy Susan base: the Oriental hotel in Penang, Malaysia, has an excellent take on this, while in London, we recommend The Dorchester, The Ritz and Fortnum & Mason’s.
Stack it up with little sandwiches, made with thinly sliced white or brown bread, crusts removed (don’t be afraid to use cookie cutters to slice your sandwiches into rounds, or even hearts).
The classic flavours are cucumber (thin sliced cucumber, a hint of pepper, lots of butter), smoked salmon (again with a little pepper and a lot of butter, and ham (dry ham, from a real gammon, not the processed stuff, please), with English mustard and butter. I’m a huge fan of Marmite, which, while very British, is not a traditional inclusion of afternoon tea.
The next ingredients? Cakes, glorious cakes! (This video on “how to make cupcakes” gives good guidance on that newfangled innovation, the cupcake.)
The true British high tea will feature plenty of fancies, but probably nothing quite so new school or American as a cupcake: jam tarts, made fresh with real jam, are a far more traditional inclusion.
Macaroons are a must. (If you can, go the full LaDurée for a high colour, if very un-English, feel.)
Scones are super-British, and incredibly easy to make. Go for plain over raisin, and serve with strawberry jam (high fruit only!), real clotted cream and, yes, butter too.
Most would consider doughnuts a bridge too far but brownies, optimally studded with walnuts and cherries, are an excellent innovation; and flapjacks have a degree of heritage behind them too.
To complete your third tier, opt for elaborate biscuits or classic petit fours. We recommend a selection of handmade truffles, with some chocolate-coated fruit. Innovative, yes, but also very tasty.
Enjoy!
