Award Winning Tea at the fashionable Lowry in Manchester, Matthew and   Isobel’s hometown

It has been an eventful week for the Queen as she quietly celebrated her official reign of 60 years on the throne. And if you wondered about when to start planning your own Garden party, the Queen has already held her annual event.

As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe. Refer to my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends.

This week’s treat is a lovely light lemon loaf alternative to pound cake made with yoghurt.  It is Lord D’s current favorite and with Father’s Day and his birthday coming up, I aim to please.

You may be happy to know that I have my rhubarb patch under control and with expanded cold storage (Lord D and I bought a larger freezer) I can chop and freeze as I harvest if I choose.  The trick with freezing most fruits is to lay smaller pieces in a single layer on a cookie sheet, freeze, then seal in freezer bags, being careful to remove as much air as possible.

Downton Dish

One of the great moments of Season 3.

Summer is close at hand so you may already have other distractions to keep your Downton cravings at bay.  Here is some news to help carry you through Downton Downtime until we meet again for Season 4:

• VIDEO-Downton meets Madonna: the latest spoof.
• You have have Downton or Gilded Age: there is only one Julian Fellowes so you can’t have both.
• Fact Check: 10 things you may not have known about Downton
• Keep groveling:  Dan Stevens apologizes again for leaving the show…one day we will forgive.
• Will they kill off more characters in Season 4? Joanne Froggatt is sworn to secrecy but promises an exciting season (Video).
• Highclere in the shape of Ireland:  Allan Leech wears his Irish pride and talks Downton.

Abbey Cooks Entertain: Entertain this Summer Downton Style

With 220 Downton era recipes, you will want to get this book for recipes for the famous Downton dishes from Season 1-3. I also presented a whole chapter on Garden Parties. Experimenting with ices (ice creams and frozen yoghurts) was my favorite part.

This 432 page ebook sells for only $7.95. Book sales help offset my costs in food, equipment and time to keep bringing you new dishes each week. You can only get a signed copy here on my site. If you don’t have an eReader I would suggest the PDF version which allows you to print recipes as you go, if you wish.

Light Lemon Yoghurt Loaf

Bring out the lemon flavour of your loaf    by toasting.

Cake and tea are a natural combination. Pound cakes in particular always seem to make it to the tea tray, and date back to the 1700s.  They were so named because of the quantity of ingredients:  one pound of each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.  It made quite a few loafs, but eventually the quantities were adjusted to make smaller cakes, but still butter is a big part off the ingredients.  No wonder there have been many variations on the pound cake to make a lighter loaf.   Try this light version which still has great taste, and delightful fresh texture, but has none of the fat.

To really bring out the flavour of the lemon, slice, toast and top with your favorite preserves, like strawberry, or top with a nice low fat ice cream and drizzle with honey…yum.  It is a sturdy cake that won’t crumble so you can also cut into bite sized pieces and top with lemon curd or other sweet toppings to make your own lemon creations for your tea or garden party,

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup plain non-fat yoghurt
• 1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1 egg
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tbsp. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Grease a loaf pan of your choice but adjust your time in the oven if you are using a smaller pan to allow the centre to bake.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl and whisk until combined. In a large bowl, mix together the yoghurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and applesauce.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and mix in the wet ingredients until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 60 minutes or until a cake tester placed in the center comes out clean.  Really make sure the loaf has finished baking or it may collapse when as it cools.
4. Let cool on a wire rack, then remove from the pan and serve.  You could make a sugary sweet lemon glaze as the higher fat versions do, but that would defeat the purpose of taking the guilt out of the pleasure.

Award winning tea at the Great Fosters in Surrey. I would go just for the name!

It is getting closer to the lazy days of summer, but for now we are still contending with May showers spilling into June.  As I was setting up for the large charity tennis tournament our firm co-hosted on Sunday,  I imagined lords and ladies gathering on grand grass courts on lovely country estates like Downton as part of their own charity garden party (S1).  Tennis is such a timeless sport.

As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe. Refer to my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends.

Since my garden is still oveflowing with fresh rhubarb, today’s treat is Rhubarb Blueberry gems (muffins).  As you may recall from earlier posts, gems were the little pans that little cakes were baked in.

Downton Dish

Summer is close at hand so you may already have other distractions to keep your Downton cravings at bay.  Here is some news to help carry you through Downton Downtime until we meet again for Season 4:

• Carson isn’t the only who “can’t get no satisfaction”:  the Stones to guest on Downton?
• Downton Teaser: Dan Stevens happy to come back in movie.
• Mrs. Patmore and the Bears: Lesley Nicol visits Rescue Centre
•  What to do for fun in London in the 1900s. Hockey, anyone?

Knitting through Downton downtime

I have fond memories of a period long, long ago.  It was January, 2013 and Downton fans throughout the U.S. were eagerly awaiting Season 3.  I was in Burlington, Vermont to help launch Season 3 with PBS Vermont. I met many lovely people there, all with their own Downton stories of inspiration.  While, I am inspired by food, and can cook, others love fashion and can knit.  Emily has created some wonderful pieces which she has up for sale on Etsy.  Check them out and get your own inspiration:

• Daisy Hat
• Twenties Hat
• Gauntlets

Abbey Cooks Entertain: Entertain this Summer Downton Style

healthy Rhubarb Blueberry Gems (muffins)

Healthy rhubarb/blueberry muffins

Back in the period when baking was done in hearth ovens, it would take a long time to bake a cake, and the final product would often be burned. In the UK, muffin tins, also called gem pans, were named after The Gem Company which made them popular around the turn of the 20th century.

Move over strawberries, blueberries make a great match for rhubarb.  I make a fresh batch of gems for my commute into the City every day (pretending I am on the train to London), and I add a scoop of protein powder, adding a little more liquid if I need to.  Great start to my day.

Corinthia Hotel London offers award winning afternoon tea.

In the land of Downton (and across the British Commonwealth), homage is paid to those who gave their lives for their country on Remembrance Day, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In the US this is called Veterans Day, celebrating the service of all those who have served their country.  In the US yesterday was Memorial Day, specifically remembering fallen soldiers.   Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one day we all lived in a world of peace and harmony?

As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe. Refer to my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends.

This week’s treat is a lovely Rhubarb Orange Betty.  We have all heard of the apple brown betty, but this version has a delightful flavour of tangy rhubarb, and not paired with traditional strawberry, but with the refreshing taste of orange.  Mrs. Patmore might say that anyone with the use of their limbs can make a brown betty.

Downton Dish

Canadians have now joined Brits and Americans in Downton Downtime.  I almost wish I lived in South Africa who haven’t seen Season 3 yet (see below).  For the rest of us, here is some Downton news to help carry you through Downton Downtime until we meet again for Season 4:

• Season 3 in South Africa: coming this August
• The Downton Effect:  Tourists flock to Shrimpy’s Castle.
• Fancy a Date with Bates?  A new contest.
• Season 4 Speculations:  Mary will likely soldier on.
• Meet a Season 4 bachelor: Tom Cullen talks Downton
• Corrie’s Rosie still campaigning to appear on the show:  Sorry, I think the guest spots are full (thank goodness)
• Downton Quiz:  Find the 20 words which describe Lady Cora

Abbey Cooks Entertain: Entertain this Summer Downton Style

Low Fat Rhubarb Orange Brown Betty

a light and easy Downstairs dessert

Brown Betty in the Victorian era were made with apples, breadcrumbs and suet and was a popular pudding with the downstairs crowd.

Brown Betty can be made with other fruits, adjusting the amount of sugar.  I have a flourishing rhubarb plant which needed a haircut (plus rhubarb was an Edwardian favorite) so try this rhubarb version or consider other fruits you have around like plums, blackcurrants, pears, blackberries and cherries.

This version adapted from the National Trust, using only a fraction of the butter and sugar substitute to cut fat and extra sugar.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 cups fresh breadcrumbs (whole wheat preferred)
• 5 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1 cup of white/brown sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1 orange, juiced and zested

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy frying pan, add the breadcrumbs and cook over moderate heat, stirring continuously to prevent burning, until the crumbs are light golden in colour.
3. Mix the rhubarb with 2/3rd cup of sugar, orange zest, and juice.
4. Prepare a 9″ square  ovenproof dish (lightly butter or spray with nonfat cooking spray).
5. Place half of the rhubarb in the bottom, then half the breadcrumbs and repeat.
6. Sprinkle with reserved sugar and cover with foil.
7. Bake for 20 minutes,  then remove the foil and continue cooking for a further 25–30 minutes, or until the top is brown and crisp and the rhubarb underneath is soft.
8. Serve hot with a nice cool vanilla nonfat greek or frozen yoghurt.

Afternoon Tea at Harrods

Canadians celebrated Queen Victoria’s birthday yesterday, one of our most loved long weekends.  May 24th marks Victoria’s official birthday, but the holiday falls on the last Monday before May 25. While still proud of our English heritage, this holiday takes on a special meaning marking the unofficial start to summer.

The fear of frost has passed in most parts of the country so many worked on their gardens, others fought horrific traffic to enjoy Canada’s beautiful lakes, mountains and forests. Also known as the May Two-Four referring to the Queen’s birthday and the Canadian slang for a case of twenty-four beers (a “two-four”), a drink popular with Cannucks during the long weekend.

As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe. Refer to my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends.

This week’s treat are rhubarb puffs, a great little bite which is the cross between a muffin and a biscuit. Great at tea, brunch or breakfast.

Downton Dish

What to do during Downton Downtime

Some Downton news to help carry you through Downton Downtime until we meet again for Season 4:

• Mark your Calendars: Season 4 Debuts on PBS Jan. 5
• Downtown Diddy:  The video clip by Diddy about the Abbey
• Catching up on my Weekly Downton Recap from S3 for Vision TV in Canada:
  • S3E6 The End is Near
• Hints about Season 4?  Recent Interviews with cast members
• Downton Abbey Day in Toronto: video news coverage
• A Perfect Breakfast in 1900: not your low fat yoghurt and coffee
• Simpton Abbey:  The Simpsons do Downton (video)
• Downton Quiz:  Find the 20 words which describe Lady Mary
  • 

Abbey Cooks Entertain: Entertain this Summer Downton Style

Take a peak inside.

With 220 Downton era recipes, you will want to get this book for recipes for the famous Downton dishes from Season 1-3. I also presented a whole chapter on Garden Parties. Experimenting with ices (ice creams and frozen yoghurts) was my favorite part.

This 432 page ebook sells for only $7.95. Book sales help offset my costs in food, equipment and time to keep bringing you new dishes each week. You can only get a signed copy here on my site. If you don’t have an eReader I would suggest the PDF version which allows you to print recipes as you go, if you wish.

Low Fat Rhubarb Puffs

add a bit of punch to your tea

I can always count on my rhubarb plants to produce my first crop of fresh produce of the season.  Edwardians loved rhubarb so it is no surprise that I have already shared a few rhubarb recipes here including rhubarb cake, strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry rhubarb jam, strawberry rhubarb muffins. Stay tuned for more rhubarb delights.

Rhubarb puffs are great for tea, brunch or breakfast.  Originally made with shortening I have lightened them up using applesauce which makes them really moist.  Easy to make, low fat and not too tart.  Enjoy on their own or with a light spread of your favorite preserves.

Makes 6 – 8 muffin sized puffs

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped rhubarb

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Place sugar, water, and applesauce in a bowl.
3. Add egg, flour, baking powder, salt, and rhubarb.
4. Combine well, and and then fill into well-greased muffin tins.
5. Bake for thirty minutes.

For those who love the show, enjoy Mr. Selfridge’s  Afternoon Tea

It was a busy weekend as Toronto celebrated Mother’s Day, Downton style.  On Saturday I spoke to a room full of enthusiastic Downton fans at William Ashley, my favorite china store in the heart of the city.  On Sunday I shared Afternoon tea with Downton fans at the historic Ireland House in Burlington.  Mothers flocked to both events, happy to have time to relax.  All likely can identify with Anna whose first words on the series  were “Just once in my life, I’d like to sleep until I woke up natural.”

As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe. Refer to my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends.

This week’s treat are bonbons, one of the lovely desserts served at the historic Ireland House in Burlington, ON. 

Downton Dish

Spot the difference

Some Downton news to help carry you through Downton Downtime until we meet again for Season 4:

• Speaking of Mothers… of Downton Abbey:  Will Mary be a good mother?
• Surprise Downton Abbey Cameo in ‘Iron Man 3:  Happy loves Downton
• Downton Abbey Jewellery:  costume jewellery collection by 1928 is coming this fall
• Lovely Props:  Cumbria glass firm manufactures props for Downton 
  
• Catching up on my Weekly Downton Recap from S3 for Vision TV in Canada:
  • S3E5 Life is for the Living
• The answer to last week’s Downton Quiz:  bouillon spoon

• Headed for a 10 year run?  Gareth Neame seems to think so

Downton Fans Entertain

This how they do tea in Tennessee

How wonderful it is to be inspired by such a great show to host your own Downton party, and that I have been instrumental in providing recipes:

• Ben & Leah’s Downton Abbey Party
• Tea in Tennessee:  Karl McHenry was kind enough to some photos and a great menu for “A Woodland Cove Tasting Tea” last month.

Downton Day At William Ashley in Toronto

Downton Day in Toronto

Months in the planning, I was thrilled to have been invited to join Downton era experts to provide a demonstration to a room full of Downton Abbey fans.  As you may know I have been writing a weekly column for Vision TV’s Downton Abbey page, one of the sponsors of the event.

When I first moved to Toronto 20 years ago I lived just a few blocks away from William Ashley, an amazing china store.  They put together an extraordinary display of  china for afternoon tea, as well as formal dining.

formal setting with Herend pattern used   on the show

Demonstrations included how to set a Downton table, period fashions, secrets of servant life, tips from an actual butler, and etiquette.  I was impressed with how quick and eager fans were to respond to trivia questions posed by Leanne Wright from Zoomer Media.  Check out my sound bite on the radio coverage of the event.

My contribution to the day was a discussion about my passion for the history of the food from the era, and the gift of afternoon tea.  I spoke about how simple it is to prepare, and what a great way to bring Downton fans together.   I prepared cucumber,  as well as watercress sandwiches.  Add scones, a few sweets, a pot of tea, and you are done.  How easy is that?

Mother’s Afternoon Tea at the Ireland House

Mother’s Day Tea

Lord D and I live in a beautiful community in the Greater Toronto Area.  Burlington is home to Ireland House, a preserved historical home, now a museum. It was the perfect backdrop for a Downton-themed Mother’s Day tea, particularly since it was terribly cold and stormy outside.  While harp and cello musicians played gently in the background, I shared the history of the afternoon tea party, how to eat from the tea tray (sandwiches, then scones, then sweets), as well as identification of sweet items which would have been enjoyed by the Crawley women in the Downton era.  The lovely tea service included hand made  treacle tarts, madeira cake, mince tarts and delicate bonbons, which is our recipe today.

BonBons

lovely little bonbons

Amongst the lovely sweets  served for the Mother’s Day Downton Abbey afternoon tea at the Ireland House were these delightful bonbons, which are essentially little balls of fondant rolled in cocoa.  Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.  Lovely little soft puffs that melt in your mouth.  If you are new to working with fondant–around since the Renaissance– this is much less intimidating than trying to cover a cake.  Baby steps.

Makes 30 – 40 bonbons, depending on the size.

Ingredients

• Basic Fondant
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 cup water
• cocoa powder (for rolling)

Method

1. Wipe large heavy cookie sheet clean with damp cloth.  Have a heavy metal spatula ready.
2. Put the sugar, cream of tartar and water into a heavy pot, stirring to blend thoroughly.  Place over medium heat and let come to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Cover the pot and boil for 2-3 minutes.  Uncover, dip pastry brush in cold water and wash down sides of the pot.  Boil without stirring until the syrup reaches a   soft-ball stage (238F).
4. Remove from the heat and without scraping the pot, pour out the syrup onto the cookie sheet.
5. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, until it is just lukewarm.  Start to work it with the spatula, spreading it out and turning it over and over on itself.  As it starts to thicken and whiten, it is easier to knead with your hands.
6. Continue to knead until it is white, creamy and too stiff to knead anymore.  If it crumbles too much, sprinkle a little water and continue to knead; fondant cannot be overkneaded.
7. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand for 30 minutes.  Knead again for a minute, then wrap in damp cheesecloth and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
8. Let it mellow for 3-4 days before using.
9. Let the fondant come to room temperature, kneading in flavour if desired.
10. Roll into 1/2 to 1-inch balls and set them on a cake rack to dry, then roll  in cocoa.
11. Let dry again before serving or storing.  These store beautifully in your freezer.

The Cadogan in Knightsbridge has been serving Afternoon tea since 1887, famously visited by

Lord D and I are back from a wonderful visit to Bermuda.  Stay tuned for an accounting of our visit to this beautiful island and a delightful award winning afternoon tea at the Fairmont Princess Hotel in Hamilton.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday for North Americans. For my recap of the history and Mother’s Day traditions around the world, click here.  And if you have not found a unique gift  treat your mum, consider hosting a tea. Check out some of my Mother’s Day tea ideas. 

As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started last year, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe. Refer to my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends. I don’t always make a dish to have at tea, but it will always be a dish that could have been enjoyed in the Downton era.

This week we serve up a heart healthy vegetable terrine.  A great light dish to serve mom this weekend (outside, if the weather holds).

Downton Dish

Some Downton news to help carry you through Downton Downtime until we meet again for Season 4:

• Season 4 Casting News: Downton’s  First Black Character
• Bring a bit of Downton into your home:  The Merchandizing of Downton Abbey
• Downton meets Star Trek:  JJ Abrams visits Downton’s kitchens
• Downton does Cinderella:  Lily James cast in new production
• Will Season 4 be Lady Edith’s finest? Some speculation
• Catching up on my Weekly Downton Recap from S3 for Vision TV in Canada:
  • S3E3 The Sinking of Lady Edith
  • S3E4 Burnt Offerings
  • S3E5 Kitchen and Other Nightmares
• Downton Quiz
• 

Abbey Cooks Entertain: A Great Mothers Day Gift

With 220 Downton era recipes, you will want to get this book for recipes for the famous Downton dishes from Season 1-3. I also presented a whole chapter on Garden Parties. Experimenting with ices (ice creams and frozen yoghurts) was my favorite part.

This 432 page ebook sells for only $7.95. Book sales help offset my costs in food, equipment and time to keep bringing you new dishes each week. You can only get a signed copy here on my site. If mom doesn’t have an eReader I would suggest the PDF version which can be printed, if you wish.

Downton Day in Toronto

If you live in the Toronto area, you are welcome to join come down to William Ashley for a great day of Downton festivities.  I will be there, will you?

Colorful Vegetable Terrine

colorful and heathy vegetable dish

Terrines are perfect for serving at a garden party and are not difficult to make. This
terrine is quite colorful and perfect for the vegetarians in the crowd. Select whichever colorful vegetables you have on hand.

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups (when chopped) of assorted vegetables with contrasting bright colors (carrots, peas, asparagus, red and green peppers, green onions)
• 4 eggs
• 1¼ cups of milk
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh
• herbs (thyme, tarragon, sage)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9 ½ inch loaf pan by cutting a piece of parchment paper to lay across the width of the loaf pan allowing the ends to hang over the sides. Lightly butter the exposed short ends of the pan. This will help you remove the terrine once it has finished baking.
2. Steam vegetables until very tender. Drain, cool and finely dice to create roughly 2 ½ cups.
3. Beat together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, fresh herbs and fresh nutmeg.
4. Pour a small amount of the milk mixture into the bottom of the lined container to make a thin base layer. Sprinkle the vegetables on top then add the remaining milk. Fold the parchment paper ends over to cover the top of the pan.
5. Set the loaf pan into a larger roasting pan, and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it is halfway up the sides of your container.
6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the tip of a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Cool and when ready to serve, use the parchment paper “handles” to carefully lift the terrine from the pan. Slice and serve.

Lovely Afternoon Tea at Kingsway Hall Hotel near Covent Garden in London

It is Tuesday which means it is time for tea and Downton gossip.  The days are getting longer, and the warmer weather is slowly starting to make itself at home.  Encouraged,  Lord D. bought me a new pink bicycle which I will name Daisy, although she looks like a Penelope to me.

Sadly all is not right in the world. Last Monday I lost a friend to pancreatic cancer.  Yesterday the we are stunned by the senseless bombing at the Boston Marathon.  I always looked forward to race day, when I could put months of training to the test.  From joy of accomplishment to utter shock and disbelief in a blink of an eye. My prayers to all those affected, and a way forward so that we can live in a kinder gentler world.

But we must put on a happy face and move forward.  As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started last year, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe. Check out my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends.

Last week we made DIY Jello, this week today’s dish is Strawberry Water Ice, one of many ices (aka frozen desserts) I fancied enough to put in my cookbook.
It will have to hold you for a few weeks as I will be offline planning and then taking a trip to Bermuda.  See you in May with new recipes.

Downton Dish

Some Downton news to help carry you through Downton Downtime until we meet again for Season 4:

•  Season 4 Casting News: if you can’t resist peaking…
• Joan Collins the latest to dream of Downton role
• Downton BAFTA nom this year limited to Craft Award for Donal Woods
• My Weekly Downton Recap from S3 for Vision TV in Canada: S3E1, a long and winding road

Abbey Cooks Entertain: Downton Garden Party Planning

With 220 Downton era recipes, you will want to get this book for recipes for the famous Downton dishes from Season 1-3. I also presented a whole chapter on Garden Parties. Experimenting with ices (ice creams and frozen yoghurts) was my favorite part.

This 432 page ebook sells for only $7.95. Book sales help offset my costs in food, equipment and time to keep bringing you new dishes each week. You can only get a signed copy here on my site. If you don’ have an eReader I would suggest the PDF version which can be printed, if you like.

All About Ices

Mrs. Beeton showed how ices, like cakes and puddings, were moulded.

If you remember way back to the Garden Party episode before the war, Daisy was charged with ensuring that the ices didn’t melt.  Ices (frozen desserts) were a staple at garden parties. Simple ices made of summer fruits were fancied by Edwardians, often frozen into elaborate metal moulds representing the shape of the fruits themselves. I find it an amazing feat since they did not have the convenience of our conventional freezers.

The estate dairy provided plenty of whole milk and cream so that the country house cook could also create a variety of rich ice creams to offer guests. You can recreate the same effect of moulded ices using simple silicon moulds in interesting shapes. Freezing your mixture into popsicles also counts, but feel free to simply serve your ices in small dessert bowls.

You can make ices without an ice cream maker by simply placing your mixture into the freezer to let set, and mixing it every hour or so, but it is time consuming and the consistency just isn’t the same. Ice cream makers aerate the mixture to give it a full rich taste, and do the work in as little as 20 minutes.  Modern electric ice cream makers are compact and take all the time and labour out of the old hand cranked versions.

Strawberry Water Ice

Make your own ice without an ice cream maker.

This is a great beginner ice to make.  This is a simple classic Victorian recipe which illustrates how you would freeze your ices without the benefit of an ice cream maker.  Use the pulp from last week’s jiggly jelly.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• Pulp from 4.5 lbs. of strawberries from Jiggly Strawberry Jelly recipe
• ¾ cup of sifted icing sugar (or  sugar substitute) to taste
• 1 lemon, juiced

Method

1. Purée the pulp and pass through a fine sieve, discarding the seeds. Place one third of the pulp in a separate bowl, whisking in the icing sugar until dissolved.
2. Whisk this mixture back into the remaining pulp with half of the lemon. Taste and adjust lemon and icing sugar to suit your taste. It will be less sweet when frozen so take that into consideration.
3. Pour the liquid into a shallow plastic container and place in the freezer. Stir every half hour with a fork or until the mixture starts to freeze. Then beat every 15 minutes until it holds a soft shape. You can serve at this point or leave in the freezer for later use.
4. Placing in moulds provides a decorative touch to your garden party table but should be allowed to soften before serving. The warm weather outdoors should help accomplish that nicely. Alternatively, let the ice soften in the container, and mix before serving.

Cherry Blossom tea tablescape  from Stone Gable

I am still patiently waiting for Spring to take a firm hold.  We did have a thunder storm last night, but apparently are expecting snow on the weekend. In some parts of the world it is the bloom of the cherry blossom which signals the arrival of Spring.  I have fond memories of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Vancouver, organized by Linda Poole, a dear friend of mine.  If you are blessed by cherry blossoms do take time to enjoy them; why not enjoy tea under a cherry tree, or set some blossoms on your table. Every moment is precious, particularly when you lose someone who has touched your life.  Our prayers are with April’s  family and close friends. She was feisty spirit who lost her fight with pancreatic cancer this past week.

As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started last year, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe. Check out my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends.

As we look forward to warmer days today’s dish is Jiggly Strawberry Jelly, great for Garden Parties, also known as “tea outside.”

Downton Dish

Spring is in the air

Some Downton news to help carry you through Downton Downtime until we meet again for Season 4:

• Newt Gingrich is the latest public figure to gush over Downton Abbey.
• In Praise of Donal Woods, Downton’s Production Designer
• Downton Insight:  some thoughts about her uncle’s creation by Jessica Fellowes.
• Season 4 Gossip: for those of you who crave news about the upcoming season.
• An inspiring Downton Tea Party: check out Charlotte Wood’s very Downton tea 
• My Weekly Downton Recap from S2 for Vision TV in Canada: The Christmas Episode and treacle tarts to welcome Season 3  

Abbey Cooks Entertain: Downton Garden Party Planning

Click here to buy

With 220 Downton era recipes, you will want to get this book for recipes for the famous Downton dishes from Season 1-3. I also presented a whole chapter on Garden Parties. Experimenting with ices (ice creams and frozen yoghurts) was my favorite part.

This 432 page ebook sells for only $7.95. Book sales help offset my costs in food, equipment and time to keep bringing you new dishes each week. You can only get a signed copy here on my site. If you don’ have an eReader I would suggest the PDF version which can be printed, if you like.

Jiggly Strawberry Jelly

Be inspired by the lovely moulded desserts spotted in the Downton kitchen in the show’s very first episode.  The Edwardians went gaga over gelatin and your grandmother likely had a favorite jelly salad to bring to family events. Flavored gelatins are so convenient, but try making jelly yourself to taste the difference using real fruit. It also helps use up all those berries you plan to bring home from the berry farm in the coming months.  If you need other inspirations for your strawberry bounty, you can also make great jams, like strawberry champagne, or strawberry rhubarb.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 ½ lbs. strawberries, hulled
• ½ cup caster sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• apple juice (as needed and if required)
• 1 tbsp. unflavored gelatin powder

Method

1. Mash the strawberries with the caster sugar with a potato masher and let the mixture rest for an hour.
2. Transfer to a jelly bag (or multiple layers of cheesecloth set over a sieve) set over a large bowl. Resist the urge to press on the fruit. Cover with a clean cloth, and leave in a cool place overnight.
3. This should yield 2 cups of liquid*. If you don’t have enough, add enough apple juice to make up the difference. If you have more than 2 cups you can add a little more gelatin or add the liquid to your Pimm’s Punch or other drinks.
4. Heat ¼ cup of the strawberry juice to boiling. Sprinkle the gelatin over ¼ cup of cold water in a bowl, let bloom, and then add the hot juice, mixing thoroughly until the gelatin has dissolved. Add the rest of the juice and lemon juice. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large decorate mould, or individual moulds and chill overnight to set.
5. The trick to turning out the jelly mould is to quickly dip in a bowl of boiling water to loosen the edges.

Reserve the pulp from the strawberries to make strawberry ice, a recipe to share next week.

The Award Winning Royal Tea at the Intercontinental London

Spring is here, the snow around us has melted, and you can see tulips breaking through the soil. Even the golfers have come out of hibernation on the golf course where we live. Of course we all anxious to shed our winter clothes, but not quite yet. Our patience will be rewarded in the coming weeks. I have to keep reminding myself of that.

As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started last year, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe. Check out my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends.

Today’s dish is Garden Cake, as we look forward to getting back into our yards, to grow, or just throw fabulous garden parties. Garden Parties, after all is just tea outside.

Downton Dish

It has been a relatively quiet week on the Downton Abbey news front:

• Great April Fools stories:
  • The Entire Cast killed off in S4
  • Change of Filming Venue and Delay of S4
  • Walking Dead Spoof
  • Highclere Castle sold to be converted into luxury hotel
• Downton with Shopping! Mr. Selfridge’s Jeremy Piven talks Downton Abbey, Harry’s duality and more
• My Weekly Downton Recap from S2 for Vision TV in Canada: the Spanish Invasion and Shortbread recipe.

Abbey Cooks Entertain: Downton Garden Party Planning

With 220 Downton era recipes, you will want to get this book for recipes for the famous Downton dishes from Season 1-3.  I also presented a whole chapter on Garden Parties.  Experimenting with ices (ice creams and frozen yoghurts) was my favorite part.

This 432 page ebook sells for only $7.95. Book sales help offset my costs in food, equipment and time to keep bringing you new dishes each week. You can only get a signed copy here on my site. If you don’ have an eReader I would suggest the PDF version which can be printed, if you like.

Garden Cake

It’s time to think of Spring, gardens, and garden parties

While every little bit of the garden seems to end up in this cake, they are mostly winter vegetables accessible to everyone this time of year.  This version is inspired by the National Trust’s Kitchen Garden Cake, which was a thrifty way to use vegetables in creative ways in times of food shortage. Actually, not a bad way to get your kids to eat their veggies and a lovely cake to offer at your next garden party. Here’s my link to  other garden party ideas, but my book has a whole chapter on them.

Serves 8–10

Ingredients

• ¾ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1 cup caster sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup coarsely grated parsnip (about 1.5 medium parsnips)
• 1 cup coarsely grated carrot (about 1.5 medium carrots)
• 1 cup coarsely grated potato (about 1 large potato)
• 1 cup coarsely grated apple (about 1 large apple)
• 1 orange, zested, then juiced

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9 inch spring form pan.
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder and spices in a large bowl. Mix together the applesauce, sugar and beat in the eggs. Fold into the cake mixture along with the carrot, parsnip, potato and apple. Stir in the orange zest and juice.
3. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 50–60 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
4. Remove from the pan and set on a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with carrot curls* and a light cream cheese icing if you prefer.

*you will just have to download my book to find out how to make carrot curls, or you can search on the web.

Easter Tea at the trendy Ampersand Hotel, Kensington

Spring has officially arrived, a time of birth, renewal and Easter.  A moveable feast, Easter occurs the First Sunday after the Full Moon following the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.  Just check a calendar, it’s much easier.

As you may know, Tea Tuesday is a weekly tradition I started last year, dishing about Downton Abbey, featuring a new “Downton” era recipe.  Check out my Online Guide to Afternoon Tea, helpful in understanding  traditions and recipes to help you host your own tea party with family and friends.

Today’s dish is Simnel Cake, the traditional cake eaten at Easter, signifying the end of Lent.

Marking the end of Lent, Holy Week leads to Good Friday which commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ who died for our sins on the cross.  This weekend, on Easter Sunday, we celebrate his resurrection.  Easter is also linked to the Jewish Passover by symbolism and where it falls on the calendar.  Easter customs vary across the Christian world, but decorating Easter eggs is a common motif.

In the Western world, Easter takes on secular customs, such as egg hunts and the Easter bunny.  The English tradition of wearing new clothes at Easter would have been gleefully followed by the women of Downton Abbey, although I am not so sure about the Dowager.  The Easter Bonnet, made famous by Judy Garland in Irving Berlin’s Easter Parade is the last of this tradition, which was to keep in harmony with the renewal of the year and the promise of spiritual renewal and redemption.

What’s Cooking?

There are many traditional dishes which were enjoyed as favorites in the Downton era and still continue on today.  A few Easter recipes from my cookbook are featured in Everything Zoomer Magazine, including hot cross buns, leg of ham and simnel cake which we also include below. We have also made easy baked ham and last week’s ham and potato soup to do justice to your left over ham bone.

Downton Dish

There is still some news to share during Downton Downtime.  They are filming S4 after all.

• Estate Run:  Downton Abbey’s High Clere Castle is setting to host run for Parkinson’s UK  
• Downton ladies greet Book of Mormon: Elizabeth McGovern and Laura Carmichael attend Book Of Mormon opening night in London 
• Check out Mr. Selfridge:  You might want to check out the new PBS show starting at the end of the month. Its the  story of how an American brought shopping to a whole new level in 1900s London.  
• Downton Rewind:  My Weekly Downton Dish Column for Vision TV: this week, S2E6 The Canadian Patient.
• Downton key export:  British hit drama Downton Abbey leads way in TV exports

great cushion for the new couch in my office.

Lord D is partial to the opinions pillow

• Downton Pillows:  you can bring Downton into your home or work with these great pillow sayings.  Pasttimes carries pillows with great Downton sayings which I have found fit perfectly into the decor of both my home and office.

My Chat with Cooking’s Most Famous Bow Tie

Tuesday was a big day.  I was interviewed by none other than Christopher Kimball, the face of America’s Test Kitchen.

It was bizarre having that familar voice asking me questions, and boy does he ask a alot of questions.  We talked about a range of Downton era topics, and he freely admitted that this was his favorite time in food history.  We talked about the expanse of the Edwardian menu, how we would all love to live in that house, cooking on a coal stove (I compared it to cooking on an AGA). While I asserted that the apple charlotte was far easier to cook that the famous raspberry meringue, he admitted he had a challenge making an apple charlotte.  We talked about the Edwardian’s love for rhubarb and jello; he was pretty sure that the test kitchen had not tested jello shots, the modern version of the Edwardian’s wine jelly, a palette cleanser.

The interview will be broadcast in early Summer, so stay tuned.

Abbey Cooks Entertain: Downton Downttime Dining

Some Downton fans do needle point, others cook in the off season.  With 220 Downton era recipes, you will want to get this book for recipes for the famous Downton dishes from Season 1-3.  This 432 page ebook sells for only $7.95.  Book sales help offset my costs in food, equipment and time to keep bringing you new dishes each week.  You can only get a signed copy here on my site.  If you don’ have an eReader I would suggest the PDF version which can be printed, if you like.

Testimonial: Rachel from Edwardian Promenade makes 2 beef dishes from my book.

Simnel Cake

11 balls representing the apostles top the simnel cake

Simnel cakes originated in the medieval era. It is a light fruitcake, covered in marzipan, then toasted. Eating of the cake signifies the end of Lent so it is rich with the butter, eggs and milk which were restricted during Lent. Marizipan or almond paste is baked into the middle and topped with eleven marzipan balls representing the true disciples of Jesus (omitting Judas). In some variations Christ is also represented by the placement of a ball in the centre.
The cake is also served as Mothering Cake. While Mother’s Day is celebrated in early May in North America, families across the British Isles celebrate on the 4th Sunday of Lent. Mothering Sunday was commemorated in England in the 1600s, a day for all — including servants — to spend a day with their mothers.

Serves 10

Ingredients

• Almond Paste
  • 1 lb. icing sugar, sifted
  • 2 cups ground almonds
  • 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
  • 3 -4 tbsp. orange Juice
  • 5 Drops Almond Extract
• Cake
  • 1 ¾ cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 lb. mixed dried fruit:currants, dark and golden raisins, red glace cherries
  • ¼ cup candied citrus peel, chopped
  • 1 orange, zested
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup caster sugar (or sugar substitute)
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • 2 tbsp. apricot jam

Method

1. Prepare the almond paste: Making your own almond paste is much better than store bought which tends to have too much sugar and which may liquefy under the broiler. To make your own almond paste you will need a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
2. Process the icing sugar and ground almonds, slowly dripping in egg yolk, orange juice and almond essence. The mixture should form a pliable paste. Set aside a small portion for 11 balls to decorate the cake. Roll out the remaining paste into 2 circles which are the approximate size of your baking pan. You can use the bottom of the pan to trace an outline and cut inside the line to ensure a good fit.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare a 9 inch spring form pan, by lightly greasing the bottom and sides.
4. Sift flour, salt and spices together, then stir in fruit and peel. Cream butter and sugar thoroughly until light and creamy, then beat in eggs one at a time, until the mixture is fluffy. Reserve a teaspoon of egg for finishing the cake later. Gently stir flour and fruit into the creamed mixture in two stages, adding a little more milk to give the mixture a dropping consistency.
5. Place half the mixture into the prepared pan. Place one pre-rolled round of almond paste on top. Cover with remaining cake mixture. Before baking the cake, give the pan a few sharp taps on a firm surface. This settles the mixture and prevents holes from forming in the cake.
6. Place the pan on a baking sheet. To prevent the cake from drying out, wrap corrugated cardboard — extending about an inch above the pan — and secure it with twine.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour. Lower the heat to 300°F and bake for an additional 3 hours or until a thin metal skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
8. Level the cake by placing a heavy pot on top of the cooked cake while it is still hot. When the cake has cooled slightly, remove the pot and the cardboard, and place the cake on a wire rack, allowing to cool completely in the pan.
9. Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam which has been warmed, then cover the top of the cake with the second round of almond paste. Roll 11 small balls of retained paste and place evenly around the edges on top of the cake. Brush the top with a little beaten egg and very lightly brown under the grill until the almond paste turns light golden brown. Remove and leave to cool. You can now release the clip on the spring form pan.
10. I like it plain, but many people also decorate with a ribbon tied around the base, particularly for Mothering Day, and a few edible flowers placed on the top.