Three cheers for English afternoon tea
Whether it conjures up images of sitting al-freso in a fine country garden, or something altogether curiouser (with the March hare and Mad Hatter in attendance), English afternoon tea is a fond pastime for many of us. Pretty vintage china; savoury nibbles; dainty cakes; and wine, cordial and hot cups of tea are very much the order of the day for this indulgent affair.
Our Wimbledon caterers love to put on an English afternoon tea, but if you’d like to have a go recreating one at home, read on for some ideas and inspiration…
1. Finger sandwiches
Sandwiches sit on the bottom tier of your afternoon cake stand – the main part of the meal, even if they’re not quite the star of the show (what with all those fancy puddings around!). Here are few classic Parties To Go fillings:
- Egg and cress: Boil a panful of water, prick an egg straight from the fridge, then leave it to toss and tumble in the rolling water for around 6 minutes (add a minute extra if it’s especially large). Pick a few cress leaves, peel the cooked egg and mash together. You can use mayonnaise or cream cheese to create that spreadable consistency – and don’t forget a crack or two of black pepper to finish. Finally, if you want a bit of a kick with your English afternoon tea, you could add a little dijon mustard or horseradish to the mix.
- Ham and cucumber: Get the best-quality ham you can, and if your supermarket sells mini cucumbers, all the better. Use a mandolin to slice them finely, or cut lengthways into slices (taking care to remove the skin for this option). For something a little different, incorporate a small amount of pineapple (for a nod to that divisive ham and pineapple pairing) or swap the cucumbers for green pickles.
- Coronation chicken: Shred pre-cooked chicken and mix with a dollop of mayo, an equal dollop of plain yogurt, and your seasonings – a pinch of chilli and some mango chutney are one of our favourite combinations, adding a slight Indian twist.
2. Pastries
What would afternoon tea be, without a few savoury pastries? While you can buy sausage rolls ready-made from the supermarket, they’re incredibly easy to prepare yourself.
- For a sausage roll recipe that’s too good to give away:
– De-skin a packet of Cumberland sausages.
– Separately, in a pan, cook a couple of slices of bacon with a chopped onion.
– When cooled, combine the bacon mix with the Cumberland sausage mix.
– Next, unravel a sheet of Jus-Rol pastry and cut into squares.
– Taking a dessert spoon, place 1-2 spoonfuls of the mix onto each square and roll.
– Brush with milk, top with a handful of grated cheese and cook for around 20-30 minutes in the oven at 180C. They’re cooked when they’re golden and the sausage mix is no longer pink. - Cheat your way with a simpler take on this recipe:
– De-skin a packet of Cumberland chipolatas.
– Unravel a sheet of Jus-Rol pastry and cut into squares.
– Taking a dessert spoon, place 1-2 spoonfuls of the mix onto each square and roll.
– Cook for around 20-30 minutes in the oven at 180C.
- For leftover pastry, cut lengthways into 2cm-wide strips, twist, then top with grated cheese.
3. Scones
Plain or fruited, scones are a cornerstone of any respectable English afternoon tea. Fillings could include fresh berries; chocolate chips; grated cheese and chopped chive; or even grated pumpkin. To whip up a batch:
- Mix 350g self-raising flour with 1tsp baking powder, 3 tbsp caster sugar and 85g butter.
- Once at a crumb-like consistency, warm 175ml milk and pour into the dry mix (you’ll need to make a ‘well’ first).
- Combine into a dough and roll out, then cut into rounds.
- Cook at 160C for 10-15 minutes until risen.
4. Cupcakes
Butterfly cakes are especially pretty on an English afternoon tea – and while there are lots of different recipes you could try, the easiest way to make them is to use equal amounts of butter, sugar and self-raising flour, as well as 2-3 eggs (depending on how much you’e making!). You can also substitute part of the flour for cocoa, if you’re making chocolate versions. 15 minutes at 180C should cook them to perfection.
For the butterfly effect, simply carve a disc out of the top of each cake, mix equal quantities of butter and icing sugar (loosen with milk, if needed – and again, add cocoa if you like!), then place atop the cakes. Cut the disc in half and arrange to look like butterfly wings – adding a glacé cherry in the centre to finish.
Get in touch with our team of cooks
Whatever the occasion – from an English afternoon tea to a Greek feast – our team of Wimbledon caterers are on-hand to help. Enquire today by contacting Carole and see how we can help with your next event!
