Afternoon tea (because it was usually taken in the late afternoon) is also called "low tea" because it was

usually taken in a sitting room or withdrawing room where low tables (like a coffee table) were placed near sofas or chairs generally in a large withdrawing room. There are three basic types of Afternoon, or Low Tea: Cream Tea - Tea, scones, jam and cream Light Tea - Tea, scones and sweets Full Tea - Tea, savories, scones, sweets and dessert In England, the traditional time for tea was four or five o'clock and no one stayed after seven o'clock. Most tea rooms today serve tea from three to five o'clock. The menu has also changed from tea, bread, butter and cakes, to include three particular courses served specifically in this order: Savories - Tiny sandwiches or appetizers Scones - Served with jam and Devonshire or clotted cream Pastries - Cakes, cookies, shortbread and sweets

Guidelines for Brewing the Perfect Pot of Tea

1. Your tea will only be as good as your water. It is best to use filtered or spring water only. If you must use tap water, take water during the day time from a tap and leave it out

overnight. Once the water as come to the boil, take off the lid of the pot, turn fire down to low and continue to heat for 5 minutes; This gets rid of any unpleasant smells the water may have. 2. Wait until the water is near boiling, then pour a little into the teapot and swirl it around. This warms the pot so that it is at an optimum temperature for holding the tea. Empty the pot. 3. To the warmed teapot add one slightly rounded teaspoon of a tea per cup plus one teaspoon for the pot. Or use one tea bag in the pot for each cup. 4. When the water in the kettle has reached a rolling boil, pour it in the pot and allow the tea to steep for three to five minutes. Tea Etiquette
In order for one not to spill the hot liquid onto oneself, the proper way to hold the vessel of a cup with no handle is to place ones thumb at the six o'clock position and ones index and middle fingers at the twelve o'clock position, while gently raising ones pinkie up for balance. Tea cups with a handle are held by placing ones fingers to the front and back of the handle with ones pinkie up again allows balance. Pinkie up does mean straight up in the air, but slightly tilted. It is not an affectation, but a graceful way to avoid spills. Never loop your fingers through the handle, nor grasp the vessel bowl with the palm of your hand. Do not stir your tea, with your tea spoon, in sweeping circular motions. Place your tea spoon at the six o'clock position and softly fold the liquid towards the twelve o'clock position two or three times. Never leave your tea spoon in your tea cup. When not in use, place your tea spoon on the right side of the tea saucer. Never wave or hold your tea cup in the air. When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer. If you are at a buffet tea hold the tea saucer in your lap with your left hand and hold the tea cup in your right hand. When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer and hold in your lap. The only time a saucer is raised together with the teacup is when one is at a standing reception.

Milk is served with tea, not cream. Cream is too heavy and masks the taste of the tea. Although some pour their milk in the cup first, it is probably better to pour the milk in the tea after it is in the cup in order to get the correct amount. When serving lemon with tea, lemon slices are preferable, not wedges. Either provide a small fork or lemon fork for your guests, or have the tea server can neatly place a slice in the tea cup after the tea has been poured. Be sure never to add lemon with milk since the lemon's citric acid will cause the proteins in the milk to curdle.

Traditional English Tea Sandwiches

They're delicious enough to eat on their own, but when served alongside a pot of tea, some scones and a few cakes, they simply scale new heights.

Regular-size sandwiches are cut in half on the diagonal or into thirds or fourths

before serving. Figure that your guests will consume about 4 tea sandwiches apiece (1 whole sandwich) served with a variety of menu items like scones and tea cakes. For fun, choose a variety of tea sandwich recipes.

Bread slices should be lightly buttered. Unsalted butter should always be used. Butter should be at room temperature before spreading. Sandwiches will not become limp and soggy as readily if you spread the butter to the edge of the bread. Remove the crusts before cutting the sandwiches to size. Cut the crusts off the bread with a long, sharp knife after the sandwiches are filled. This keeps everything neater. Several types of bread (white, wheat, sourdough, pumpernickel, rye, etc) come thin-sliced (e.g. Pepperidge Farms thin sandwich bread). Another option is to purchase square-topped unsliced loaves of bread and have the bakery slice them thinly for you. Or you can do it yourself with a sharp knife or electric carving knife and a little practice. A 2-pound loaf of bread yields at least 20 slices, 10 uncut sandwiches, 40 tea sandwiches. Never serve end slices. Freezing the bread before cutting and then spreading will make for easier handling. Each tea sandwich is spread with soft butter or cream cheese, or something similar, to prevent soggy sandwiches. Peanut butter (with banana slices or jelly) is just right for a child's tea party.

Watercress Butter

125 g unsalted butter, softened 25 g watercress leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 pinch cayenne pepper 16 slices thinly cut white bread 32 sprigs watercress, plus extra for garnish

1 The Watercress Butter: In a food processor, blend the butter, watercress leaves, lemon juice, black pepper and cayenne pepper until the mixture is very smooth. Let the mixture stand for about 30 minutes at room temperature or chill it, but bring it back to room temperature before using. 2 Watercress Sandwiches: Spread each slice of bread with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the watercress butter, and cut 4 rounds from each slice with a 4-cm (11/2 inch) round or fluted cutter. 3 Arrange a watercress sprig on half the rounds, leaving a little extending over the edge of each and invert the remaining rounds on top to complete the sandwiches. 4 Serve the sandwiches on a tray decorated with the extra watercress sprigs.

Cucumber Sandwich Recipe

1 large seedless cucumber, peeled and sliced very thinly Salt 3/4 cup soft butter 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic 20 pieces thin-sliced bread 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil Pepper to taste 1. Lightly salt the cucumber slices and place them in a colander to drain for 1 to 2 hours. 2. Combine the butter and garlic and apply to one side of each slice of bread. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper. Add the cucumber slices, coating them well. Arrange the cucumber on 10 of the bread slices, top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and quarter. Serve immediately. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

Tomato Tea Sandwich Recipe

2 pounds tomatoes Salt 3/4 cup soft butter (or cream cheese)

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic 20 thin-sliced pieces of bread 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil Pepper to taste Pinch of basil, optional 1. Slice the tomatoes thinly, remove the seeds, and salt lightly. 2. Combine the butter or cream cheese with the garlic. Apply the spread evenly over one side of each slice of bread, clear to the edges. 3. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and basil. Brush the tomatoes with the olive oil mixture. 4. Arrange the tomatoes atop the spread on 10 pieces of bread. (To keep the tomatoes from slipping, arrange them so that each slice touches a portion of the spread.) Top with the other 10 slices, cut off the crusts, and quarter. Serve immediately. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

Pepper Cheese Sandwiches

Spread: Cream together 1 cup soft butter, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Filling: 1 1/4 cups Stilton cheese (blue cheese), finely grated 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons brandy 1/4 cup, more or less, heavy cream 20 slices bread, your choice 1. Combine all filling ingredients except the cream in a small bowl. Gradually add the cream to bring the mixture to spreading consistency. 2. Spread a thin layer of the butter-spread mixture to the edge of one side of each piece of bread. Top half the slices with the filling. Place the remaining bread slices on top, remove the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 quarters or 3 fingers, as desired. Makes 30 to 40 tea sandwiches.

Deviled Egg Sandwiches

3/4 cup soft butter (or cream cheese) 20 thin slices bread of your choice 5 hardboiled eggs 8 ounces canned sardines in oil 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste 1. Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with butter or cream cheese. 2. Drain and reserve the oil from the sardines. Place the eggs, sardines, mayo, mustard, lemon juice and cayenne in a food processor. Whirl until a spread is formed, adding reserved oil and/or more mayonnaise to bring it to spreading consistency. Spread the mixture evenly over 10 of the prepared slices of bread, top with the other 10. Remove the crusts and cut into tea sandwiches. Makes 40 quarters or 30 finger sandwiches.

Seafood and/or Smoked Salmon

3 tablespoons Smoked Salmon (e.g. Nova) Spread: 2 tablespoons soft cream cheese (or butter) Filling: lay down thin sliced smoked salmon. Scatter 1/16 c capers

Hummus and Pita Bread Sandwiches

1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), liquid reserved (Eden is BPA-free) 1/3 cup tahini paste* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 or 2 cloves garlic 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley Salt and pepper to taste

12 mini pitas Chopped olives and tomatoes, optional 1. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, and garlic until smooth, adding a little of the reserved liquid if the mixture seems too thick. (It will be slightly grainy.) Season with salt and pepper. 2. Cut the pita pockets in half and fill each with about 2 tablespoons of Hummus. Top with chopped olives and tomatoes, if desired. Makes 24 tea sandwiches.
*Note: You can make your own tahini paste in a food processor or blender by grinding toasted sesame seeds. First, toast the sesame seeds in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cool and grind.

Making Sandwiches Ahead of Time:

1. If you need to make tea sandwiches in advance and need to keep them from drying out, cover them loosely with a sheet of wax paper and then place a damp kitchen towel over the wax paper (never place a damp towel directly on top of the bread because the sandwiches will become soggy. Refrigerate until serving time. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator. Uncover sandwiches only just before serving. 2. Milk is served with tea, not cream. Cream is too heavy and masks the taste of the tea. Although some pour their milk in the cup first, it is probably better to pour the milk in the tea after it is in the cup in order to get the correct amount. 3. When serving lemon with tea, lemon slices are preferable, not wedges. Either provide a small fork or lemon fork for your guests, or have the tea server can neatly place a slice in the tea cup after the tea has been poured. Be sure never to add lemon with milk since the lemon's citric acid will cause the proteins in the milk to curdle.

SCONES WITH LEMON CURD AND CLOTTED CREAM

Scones are traditionally served with afternoon tea and accompanied by lemon curd and clotted cream. You can add a variety of treats into the batter, such as raisins, fresh apple bits, orange peel, cranberries, and chocolate chips. Lemon Curd is a traditional spread for scones, and is usually served with Devonshire (or clotted) cream. The lemon curd is rich and smooth, and can be kept refrigerated for up to two weeks. You can buy "English Double Devon-cream" at any fine grocery store or use the simple recipe (below) for clotted cream, which is perfect for spreading on scones. English Cream Scones (Yield: 12 scones)

2 cups Five Roses All-purpose flour (double-sifted) 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup of sugar 5 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter 2 large eggs beaten lightly 1/4 cup of half-and-half 1/2 cup of chopped mixed nuts and 1/4 cup of raisins

1. In a bowl, sift the flour, baking poweder, and sugar. Add butter and blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. In another bowl, beat together the half-and-half and eggs. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Add the nuts and raisins and stir until dough is formed. 2. On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into a round 1/3 inch tinkc, then, with a 2 1/2 inch cutter, stamp out rounds. (Optional) Brush scones with egg-whites and sprinkle with granulated sugar. 3. Transfer rounds to a buttered baking sheet, arranging them 2 inches apart, and let stand for 20 minutes. 4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Bake the scones for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

Lemon Curd

1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup butter

1. Wisk 1 cup sugar and 2 large eggs in a bowl until blended. 2. Sift in 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice. 3. Pour into a saucepan and cook over low-medium heat stirring constantly for 20 minutes. Do not let the mixture come to a boil (lest it curdle or burn), but allow it to gradually thicken. 4. When the mixture thickly coats the back of a metal spoon, remove pan from heat and stire in 1/4 cup butter until melted. 5. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours. The lemon curd will thicken as it cools. Clotted Cream

1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons Confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Mix 1 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons Confectioner's sugar using an electric mixer. Whip until stiff peaks form. 2. Gently fold in sour cream and mix until thick. 3. Place in refrigerator and chill until time to serve. If made ahead of time, it will keep in the refrigerator up to 4 hours.

CHERRIES JUBILEE CAKE

5 eggs, separated 1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream cheese filling: 8 oz. cream cheese softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons cherry jelly 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Cherry filling:

1 quart pitted black cherries 1/2 cup claret 1 cup or less sugar (to taste) 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

To make cake: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Beat the egg whites until they stand up in soft peaks. 3. Beat in the 1/4 cup of sugar a tablespoon at a time. 4. Without washing the beater, beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice until thick and lemon-colored. 5. Gradually beat in the 3/4 cup of sugar. 6. Pour the yolk mixture over beaten egg whites and fold together gently with a spoon or spatula until well blended. 7. Sift the flour and salt together and fold into the egg mixture. 8. Spoon the batter into two unbuttered 9-inch layer pans. 9. Cut through the batter gently several times to break any large air bubbles.

10. Bake about 30 minutes. Test by pressing lightly with a finger. If the cake springs back, it is done. 11. Invert on a wire rack and cool.

To make cream cheese filling:

Cream the sugar and cream cheese together. Add remaining ingredients and beat until thick.

To make cherry filling: 1. Dissolve the sugar in the claret and pour over the cherries. Let stand for several hours. 2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of the cherry juice. 3. Heat the cherries in a sauce pan to the boiling point. 4. Lower heat and stir in cornstarch mixture. Simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. 5. Remove from heat, add spices and lemon juice and allow to cool. To assemble cake: 1. Place one layer of sponge cake on a cake platter and spread a layer of cream filling about 3 inches wide around the perimeter of the top of the cake. 2. Cut out the center (in a heart shape if you are using heart-shaped pans) of the other layer, leaving a 3-inch border. 3. Put aside the center piece you cut out. Place the layer with the cut-out center on top of the other and press down to make the layers stick together. 4. Decorate by placing a paper doily on top of the cake and sifting confectioners' sugar over the doily. 5. Carefully remove the doily and fill the center of the cake with the cherry filling.

VICTORIAN KISSES

9 eggs White sugar

Lemon

1. Beat the whites of nine fresh eggs to a stiff froth. 2. Mix egg white mixture with fifteen spoonfuls of fine white sugar and five or six drops of essence of lemon. 3. Drop mixture on paper with a teaspoon, sift sugar over them, and bake them in a slow oven.

How to Replace White Flour With Whole Grain Flour in Recipes

Substitute whole grain flour for 1/4 of the all-purpose flour called for in your recipe. You can usually replace up to 1/2 of the flour with whole grain flour although attempting to replace more than 1/2 of the flour may drastically alter the texture of your baked goods or Replace up to a third of the total amount of white flour with whole wheat flour to maintain the original texture. Alternatively, use 7/8 cup of whole grain flour for each 1 cup of white flour to completely replace the white flour in any recipe to produce a denser result.

Use Whole Grain Flour in Yeast Breads

1 Replace each cup of white flour with 7/8 cup of whole grain flour to make 100 percent whole grain bread with a chewier taste and denser texture. Make a lighter loaf by only substituting one third of the white flour with whole grain. For instance, use 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour and 2/3 cup of white flour for each 1 cup of white flour in the recipe. 2 Add 1 tbsp. of vital wheat gluten (gluten flour) to each cup of whole grain flour replacing the white flour used in bread recipes, Use this addition when substituting whole grain flour for the white flour. 3 Change your bread mixing technique to strengthen the dough by combining the yeast, water and sugar and letting it sit until bubbly. Combine the vital wheat gluten with the whole wheat flour, and stir one half of this flour combination into the yeast. Let it sit for two hours to overnight. Continue with the recipe as directed. Use this method for any recipe requiring yeast and kneading of the dough: pizza doughs, yeast rolls and bread recipes.