There are few things more quintessentially English than enjoying a post-lunch treat with a hot drink so it's no wonder the nation is currently counting down the days until National Afternoon Tea Week 2022.
Taking place every second full week in August - from the 8th to the 14th this year - National Afternoon Tea Week celebrates and promotes afternoon tea by encouraging cafes, restaurants and hotels to offer discounts and special offers to entice as many punters as possible to join in the fun.
But that doesn't mean a good afternoon tea can't be enjoyed at home. In fact, if you can't make it to your favourite eatery to get involved with National Afternoon Tea Week 2022, it would be downright rude - bordering on treasonous - not to make something to mark the occasion from the comfort of your kitchen. While you're at it, why not invite some friends over for an afternoon tea party? Here's how to throw one fit for a king without breaking the bank.
The basics
Afternoon tea is a twee affair so you're going to need a tiered cake stand to use as a centrepiece, alongside a teapot, teacups, cutlery and at least one cake slicer for serving, plus a patterned tablecloth, napkins and lace doilies.
If you don't have any of the above, fear not because charity shops are a goldmine for inexpensive chinaware and homeware, so head into town and get bargain hunting!
Arrival drinks
Preparation is key so make sure milk and sugar are already set on the table so your guests can have a brew asap. Obviously you'll want to serve traditional English breakfast tea but offer a few more exotic options to add variety to your soirée - Earl Grey, fruit, chai and camomile are all worth considering.
With another heatwave predicted for the coming days, serving iced tea or coffee to help keep your guests refreshed is another good idea. So long as nobody's driving, you could add a dash of your favourite booze to the recipes too. Pimm's goes great with iced tea while any coffee liqueur will give an iced coffee a cheeky kick.
Food
Classic afternoon teas comprise a tier of sandwiches, a tier of cakes, a tier of scones.
Sandwiches
If you're making your own, prepare the fillings in advance, then assemble just before your guests arrive to prevent your sandwiches becoming soggy.
Pick whatever fillings take your fancy but remember to factor in any vegetarian or vegan guests before you buy your ingredients. As a general rule of thumb, egg and cress, ham and mustard and smoked salmon and avocado are guaranteed crowd-pleasers. Just remember to cut them into triangles before serving!
Cakes
Small portions are key when it comes to afternoon tea, so bake a generous amount of little cakes and add some pretty decorations before serving.
There are plenty of ideas and recipes available online but for something special that's not too tricky to make, why not give these lemon and lavender fondant fancies a go?
Lemon and lavender fondant fancies
To make 16 fondant fancies, you will need:
175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
250g caster sugar
3 large eggs
100g full-fat natural yoghurt
275g plain flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
For the butter icing, you will need:
1 tsp dried lavender, plus a little to decorate
100g butter
100g icing sugar
the zest of 1 lemon, plus a little to decorate
For the fondant icing, you will need:
8 tbsp apricot jam, sieved and heated in the microwave until runny
1kg pack fondant icing sugar
yellow and purple food colouring
First, heat your oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3, then grease and line a 20cm square tin with parchment paper. Put the butter, sugar, eggs, yoghurt, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and beat until smooth, then pour into the cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for 45 mins until risen and golden, then leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Next, grind the lavender to a powder with a pestle and mortar. To make the butter icing, beat the butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy, then divide the mixture into 2 bowls. Add the lemon zest to one batch and the lavender to the other, then mix each to combine. Transfer the icings to 2 piping bags.
When the sponge has completely cooled, remove the top to give yourself a flat surface. Flip the cake over so the flattest side becomes the top. Carefully trim off the edges, then cut the sponge into 16 squares. Brush the top and sides of each sponge square with a little jam. Pipe a small dome of butter icing onto each sponge, 8 with lavender icing and 8 with lemon. Chill the cakes in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Sieve the fondant icing sugar into a large bowl, then add enough water to make a thick but pourable icing. Spoon a little into a piping bag to use later. Divide the remaining icing into 2 bowls and dye one batch yellow and the other purple.
Remove the sponges from the fridge and transfer to a wire rack. Spoon a little icing over each sponge (purple for lavender, yellow for lemon). Use a small palette knife to spread the icing down the sides of the sponge to completely cover each one. Leave to set for 30 mins, then cover the cakes with a second layer of icing to give a smooth surface. Drizzle the white icing over the cakes and decorate with a little lemon zest and lavender buds. Leave to set for 1 hr at room temperature before serving.
Scones
Let's face it, scones are what most people think of us when they hear 'afternoon tea', so here's how to make 8 delicious fruit scones.
First of all, you will need:
350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
85g butter, cut into cubes
3 tbsp caster sugar
175ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
squeeze of lemon juice
100g sultanas
beaten egg to glaze
jam and clotted cream, to serve
Begin by heating your oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.
Next, pour the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds until warm. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and sultanas and combine quickly with a cutlery knife. Dust a little flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s smoother, then pat into a round about 4cm deep.
Take a 5cm cutter and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray and bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat warm, with as much jam and clotted cream as you can handle!
Afternoon teas taste better with Cafe2U!
We may be better known for our premium coffee but we also do a great line in teas. Whatever you're serving for National Afternoon Tea Week 2022, your nearest Cafe2U van is never far away and always happy to deliver anything you need direct to your door. Contact your local van here.