With Afternoon Tea Week in full swing, running from the 9th to the 15th of August, we take a look at some of the finest bakes you can turn your hand to in order to commemorate this English pastime. From scrumptious fruit scones to luscious lemon and lime cake, and decadent chocolate brownies to elegant Earl Grey and strawberry macarons, these recipes from Miele Der Kern are sure to inspire you to whip up your own treats and celebrate this week.
Home baked fruit scones
Enjoy afternoon tea at home with these homemade fruit scones made with yoghurt. If sultanas aren’t available, swap for any type of dried fruit. Serve with jam and butter, or cream.
Ingredients (makes 12)
300g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
75g butter
75g caster sugar
75g sultanas (or any dried fruit of choice)
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
Milk to mix (around 300ml)
Method
1. Preheat an oven on the fan function at 180°C. Place the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and stir together. Rub in the butter.
2. Add the sugar, sultanas and yoghurt and then enough milk to bind the mixture into a light, sticky dough. Handle the mixture as little as possible but bring the dough together and transfer onto a lightly floured work surface.
3. Gently pat out the dough to approximately 2.5cm thick. Cut out the scones using a 5cm diameter cutter and place on a lightly floured baking tray.
4. Place the scones in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until well risen and lightly golden. Once baked, transfer to a wire rack.
5. Serve the scones while still slightly warm with jam and butter, or cream.
Lemon and lime drizzle cake
Full of flavour, this lemon and lime loaf cake is easy to prepare and is the perfect afternoon treat with a cup of tea.
Ingredients (serves 12)
For the cake
200g butter
200g caster sugar
3 eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
200g plain flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons soured cream or plain yoghurt
For the syrup
50g caster sugar
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
Zest and juice of ½ lime
Method
1. Lightly grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Beat together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined. Stir through the lemon and lime zest.
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder then fold it into the cake mixture until everything is well incorporated. Stir through the soured cream.
3. Transfer the cake mix to the prepared loaf tin and level the surface. Place on a baking tray and put in oven. Select a fan setting at 170ºC and bake the cake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes until the sponge is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. While the sponge is baking, prepare the drizzle topping. Place all the ingredients in bowl and add 20ml of water and mix well.
5. Pour the syrup over the cooked cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave it to cool in the tin for 5 to 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate brownies
An extremely easy recipe which is always a crowd pleaser, the best thing about this chocolate brownie recipe is that you can lessen the cooking time for a gooier and fudge-like brownie or cook for longer for a cakier texture.
Ingredients (makes 8 brownies)
200g dark chocolate
150g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
100g soft light brown sugar
3 eggs
100g plain flour
2tbsp cocoa powder
1tsp sea salt
Method
1. Combine the butter and chocolate in a large bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt very gently. Alternatively, cover the bowl with cling film and steam in a steam oven at 100˚C for 2 minutes and when ready, whisk to combine.
2. Add the caster sugar and whisk to combine, then add the soft light brown sugar and whisk once again, followed by the eggs. Make sure everything is well combined.
3. Sieve together the flour, cocoa and salt and add to the chocolate mixture, making sure there are no visible lumps. At this point you could add any extra ingredients like walnuts.
4. Grease and line a 20cm baking tray with baking parchment and pour the mixture on top and even out with a spatula.
5. Preheat an oven at 180˚C and bake on the wire rack for 25 minutes if you want a fudgy brownie or 30-35 minutes if you prefer one which is more set and cakier in texture. Allow to cool down completely before cutting and serving.
Earl Grey and strawberry macarons
These sweet treats are filled to the brim with a silky white chocolate ganache and delicately infused with the traditional flavour of Earl Grey. Try making the macarons with matcha tea leaves or use freeze dried fruit powder for different flavours.
Ingredients (makes approx. 20 macarons)
For the macarons
170g icing sugar
120g ground almonds
2 Earl Grey tea bags, (tea leaves only)
100g egg whites
70g caster sugar
Purple food colouring paste
For the white chocolate ganache
150ml double cream
200g white chocolate
Lemon zest
100g strawberry jam, transfer to a piping bag
Method
1. Preheat a fan-assisted oven to 130°C. Line two baking trays with non-stick paper and place a template with 5cm circles under the paper as a guide, if needed.
2. Blitz the icing sugar, ground almonds and Earl Grey tea leaves in a food processor.
3. Using an electric hand beater, whisk the egg whites in a large bowl to firm peak stage.
4. Gradually add the sugar. Once all the sugar has been added, whisk in the colouring to make a light, pastel colour.
5. Tip half the icing sugar and almond mix into the meringue and gently fold in. Add the rest of the almond mix and fold in until you have a smooth macaron mixture.
6. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle. Pipe 5cm discs (either freehand or using the template) onto the non-stick paper. Transfer to a food warming drawer and leave to dry for 10-15 minutes on cup setting, first temperature square (40°C), or until the macarons are dry to touch.
7. When the macarons are dry, transfer to the preheated oven. Bake at 130°C for 20-25 minutes or until the macarons have lost their ‘wobble’ from the foot.
8. For the white chocolate ganache, place the double cream in a small pan and bring to the boil. Put the white chocolate and lemon zest in a large bowl.
9. Pour the cream over the white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Leave to chill in the fridge, stirring every now and again.
10. Once cold and thickened, transfer the ganache to a piping bag.
11. Pipe a circle of ganache around the inside of one macaron shell. Fill the centre with jam then top with another macaron shell. Repeat until all macarons are filled.
