Afternoon tea is my kind of thing. Sure I went through a tomboy phase when I was little but ever since then it has been girly girl stuff. Even Mr NQN had to laugh when we first saw Little Britain’s unconvincing transvestite Emily Howard on TV and pointed out some similarities. Firstly, I should preface it with the most important dissimilarity is that I am not a bloke dressed up as a lady but I do like to do ladies things. I even got dressed up as Emily Howard for a Little Britain party that we were holding with friends Teena, Phillippe, Gina and Hot Dog although my retinas are burnt from the sight of Phillippe in tiny Union Jack crop top and micro shorts (I’ll spare you the image).
I think Emily would have certainly approved of the concept of Afternoon tea. And like Emily would, I squealed in delight when I received my own copy of The High Tea at the Victoria Room cookbook. It was an afternoon tea I had been to last year and the Victoria Room is a place where I felt that my “special needs” would be accommodated and I was in the company of kindred folk. Hats, heels and dark nail polish abounded and it was like I had stumbled upon my own secret society. The food was lovely too so I was curious to see how this book would be. I flicked through it and the first item that caught my eye was the Lavender Shortbread and not only were they pretty but they were a cinch to make and before I knew it, they were made.
These shortbreads are gorgeously crumbly and buttery. I made them for my mother’s birthday (SWLB=She-Who-Loves-Butter) and her first comment after biting into them and nodding was “Mmm you can taste the butter”. I omitted the lavender oil as I didn’t want it too strong in lavender, after all a butter lover should mostly taste the butter, but of course if you do love the aroma, by all means lavender away! You could also use rose, lemon, orange or vanilla or any other flavour that takes your fancy.
Back to the book. It’s a square hardback with an image of cupcakes with some embossing on the front and there’s an introduction to the history of high tea including scone etiquette (eek I’ve been doing it all wrong, apparently you are never to slice it in half horizontally or from top to bottom, rather break a piece of much like bread), tea etiquette (Ladies and Gents, you lift the cup and saucer together – phew!) and goes onto the correct finger placement, napery, cutlery and dress. There’s also a very stern warning about tea bags “It is widely known that no such device (teabag) must enter any respectable High Tea Party. Tea should be brewed using loose tea and served in a teapot” which of course we all knew. There’s also a fascinating explanation as to why milk used to be added in first but I shan’t spoil the surprise.
Rose butter-purty!
So with that lesson dispensed I look through the rest of the book. The sections are broken up logically-there’s one for sandwiches (chicken with wild herbs and lobster tail with lime aioli and fresh coriander look divine), scones in 8 flavours including a gluten free recipe and a savoury recipe, 6 recipes for cupcakes of course , home made preserves including butters and creams, cakes, muffins and slices, tarts, biscuits as well as a “not so sweet” section with pasties, sausage rolls and corn cakes (and a rather fascinating olive, halloumi and rosemary loaf that I want to make) and ends on what else but cocktails! The pictures are lovely and prettily styled on Limoges and other fine bone china although there aren’t quite enough pictures for my extreme foodlust. You know me, it’s all about the food porn 
.
Biscotti
I also appreciated that the measurements were given in metric, imperial and cup. I did notice that an item in the ingredients list for this lavender shortbread recipe was out of order of using it (oh dear, have I become a pedant?).
Summary:
Achievability: 4 out of 5 all relatively easy basics for bakers.
Usability: 4 out of 5 (if you like “Ladies things!”)
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Food porn score: 3.5 out of 5. Not quite as many photos as I’d like but the ones that are there are beautifully styled.
Post it note tabbed recipes: 13
Gift book: Yes, absolutely. But not for burly blokes you do understand
And I did mention a giveaway didn’t I? Thanks to the lovely people at the Victoria Room I have four copies of the book to give away along with a gorgeous Victoria Room teaspoon in a roped pouch just like in the image above with each pack worth $39.95!
All you need to do is tell me what is your favourite High Tea treat! Simply add your answer as a comment to the story. The competition ends at Midnight AEST 30th April, 2010. You can enter this once daily. This competition is open to Australian residents only.
The lucky winners are:
Lina S.
Caroline G.
Hannah T-W.
Donna T.
Enjoy your prize!
Best of luck!
Love,
Lorraine
xxx
Lavender Shortbreads
Adapted from High Tea at the Victoria Room
- 260g or 8oz or 1 1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 125g or 4oz or 1/2 cup castor sugar
- 250g or 8oz or 2 cups plain flour, sifted with
- 125g or 4 oz or 1 cup rice flour sifted with the flour above
- 2-3 drops lavender oil
Topping
- 40g or 1.5 oz or 1/4 cup castor sugar
- 2 dried lavender flowers
You will also need a cookie cutter.
Buyer’s tip: Use lavender that has not been sprayed with chemicals. You can buy dried edible lavender and lavender oil at The Essential Ingredient or from suppliers of culinary lavender.
Makes 24 shortbread depending on shape
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/310F. Grease and line 2 baking trays. Cream together the butter, sugar and lavender oil until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer. On the lowest setting or with a spatula, work in the flours. Do not overmix. Add a teaspoon or two more milk if you need the mix to come together.
2. Roll out to 1cm thick between two sheets of baking paper. Cut into whichever cookie cutter you like and prick all over with a fork. I trimmed the edges of the shape too to get a clean outline. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking for 10-12 minutes until light yellow but not quite golden.
3. While biscuits are baking, process the sugar and dried lavender flowers until ground and fine. Once biscuits are done, remove from the oven and sprinkle with ground sugar and lavender. Cool completely before removing from baking sheet.
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245 Comments | Add your own
Oh how lovely darrrling! My favourite high tea treat is, as boring as it might sound, the scones! I can’t go pass them when they are freshly baked, soft and still warm…sweet or savoury, I don’t mind as long as they’re nice and soft!
What delicate looking shortbreads! So pretty and wonderfully perfumed.
Cheers,
Rosa
Another marvellous competition – almost worth shifting across the ditch for! Your shortbread looks lovely, just had breakfast and now I’m craving sweet things, oh dear…
(Are you sure you mean the 3rd of April? Because that’s, um, past…)
The Afternoon Teas I’ve been to of late have all been at friend’s houses, so I’ll have to say that my friend Ellie’s scones are my favourite Afternoon Tea treat!
(P.S. The lavendar shortbread are gorgeous. I bet even the tomboy Lorraine would have been seduced
)
Those are beautiful. I love lavender but I forget I can cook with it. Now I just need to dry some lavender from the giant bush right under my bedroom window.
my all time favourite would still have to be the cucumber sandwiches.. so refreshing and perfect with a cup of hot tea
Oh I love the scones, although I am pretty fussy, as much, the jam. Oh the jam.
Hi Lorraine. I absolutely love high tea and scones are my favourite, although I’ve been doing wrong too!
I love shortbread . . . so buttery and fantastic!
my favourite high tea treat would have to be scones!
i loooove scones with jam and clotted cream… yuuummm
Can I just say there’s something magic about cucumber sandwhiches?
I remember that tea! It sounds like a great book!
Absolutely scrumptious and oh-so-girly! I love it.
How exciting – I love high tea, especially those that involve tea cocktails.
A couple of friends and myself had a high tea two or three years ago that involved these amazing tasting dark chocolate-hazelnut mille feuille. My friend is a genius for making something vegan taste that heavenly.
This shortbreads looks so dainty and gorgeous! And the book doesn’t sound/look too bad either.
My favourite high tea item would probably be the scones with jam and cream. Classics hit my soft spot =)
Oh and P.S! The deadline for the competition (3rd April?), unless that was the original date when you started writing your blog entry we can’t travel back in time if you only posted the entry today Lorraine =p
Hi Lorraine
I don’t think I could pick a particular high tea treat as my favourite because I just love the whole experience! From proper tea served in pretty tea pots to the dainty little treats on their tiered stands I love every bit. But if I had to choose just one thing, it’s not high tea if there are no scones with cream and jam
Awww, another purty post – love these biscuits, they are just perfect.
I love a cook book with 3 different equivalent measurements for the ingredients.
My favourite high tea food would have to be the scones.
I don’t think champagne counts as food
SSG xxx
Smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches cut into tiny squares or rectangles
nom
These shortbread cookies look beautiful. The book sounds wonderful. Great post
The scones of course.
I love this lavender shortbread recipe. I’m going to make it this weekend! btw NQN could you please revise the closing date of this competition? It says 3 April 2010 :p Cheers
I can not go past the traditional scones with clotted cream and jam – yummo!
Oh, my favourite high tea treat would have to be finger sandwiches. Gorgeously thin slices of roast beef, sweet cucumber on creamy butter and smoked salmon with cream cheese – perfection with a cold glass of champers. The Victoria Room is SUCH a treat.
Oh lordy, where do I start with my high tea favourite? It’s so hard to pick just one little treat. I really do love to have scones with my tea, especially if they’re warm and fresh and have lots of lovely cream.
I think the reason I like the experience so much is that I’m convinced that small food hasn’t any calories. I mean, how could anything so small and delicate possibly be BAD for me? I also love to
I love a good high tea. My favourite things are the china that everything is served on! Followed very closely by any kind of tart and a glass of bubbles. It is in fact one of my favourite things to do. I would love a book – pretty please with sugar crusted cherries on top! x
One of my fondest memories is of taking my grandmother out for a fancy afternoon tea for her 80th birthday! I love how time seems to stand still, everything else has to go on hold whilst you indulge in perfectly cut sandwiches and pretty cakes – the experience makes even me feel somewhat elegant! Oh, and I recently planted some lavender for the specific purpose of being able to make lavender shortbread
xxx
How can you ask us to pick a favourite? Every little high tea treat is as delectable and dainty as each other. I love it all!!!
Cucumber sandwiches HAVE to be a part of any self respecting High Tea. I couldnt think of anything worse to eat on it’s own and NEVER think to make them at home (read BORING) but as part of a High Tea they just reek of elegance and class. They MUST be made with salted(pref cultured) butter and wafer thin slices of cucumber on just as thin slices of bread (crustless of course)I must say though you can never go by a really light scone and as for buttery shortbread… – Im off to the kitchen now to infuse the house with the smell of a batch
my fav is at the soffitel. as the top layer they have a delicate dark choc cone filled with strawberrys and a licquor syrup and topped with fresh whipped cream. its delicious
There is this “dolls museum” in Melbourne that I think you would adore. You have to book VERY far in advance as they only have 6 or so tables at any one time. It appears to be a lovely old house that the two front rooms have been converted into a tea house and museum. There is one room dedicated to dolls from a large period (old and new) and a lovely little corner with dressups for little girls.
I believe from memory there is also a little room where girls can have their birthday celebrated as a tea party in style!
There is lovely 1940′sish music playing in the background and doilies, lace and what not all over the place. Its quite lovely and VERY Emily Howard
That being said, I havent been in such a long time, but I do remember when I had high tea there and they served the most wonderful passionfruit sponge cake I ever had.
It was monstrously high. Normally I don’t enjoy the eggyness in some desserts but this was perfectly balanced with sweet and tart passionfruit flavours, sandwiched with fresh cream and a lovely passionfruit icing on top.
Although there was quite a lot of other little tasties included, this sponge has forever been etched into my mind.
I would LOVE to win this giveaway but your post says the competition ended on the 3rd of April…..
Hi Lorraine- for me it is absolutely mini lemon Meringue pies- just so gorgeous!
Thanks for the opportunity.
Hahaha SWLB made me laugh. I think your mum and I would get along great.
My favourite high tea treat is cucmber sandwiches. I love them because they’re something I would never make at home, but they’re so delicious when I do get to have them at high tea – I very much enjoyed them at the Victoria room
.
High Tea Treat – sharing it with my married daughter – time together is a real treat but food it would be scones, plum jam and cream.
Oooo they look divine!
My favourite high tea delight, good ol scones with Jam and cream. I think they’re great rustic or sophisticated!
That spoon is so cute!
Nothing at high tea ever beats beats a good fruit scone with homemade jam and clotted cream. Tradition at it’s best!
gorgeous array and color; I assume that first ingredient is BUTTER??? as I see the cubes in the photo; cold? Thank you for sharing such a variety of recipes and photos…
I love picklets for afternoon tea. With really good raspberry jam and cream! Yum, especially good with grey wheather outside.
Beautiful pictures and the lavender shortbread looks so pretty.
My favourite idea for High Tea is tiny pots of different curd to accompany scones – Lemon, lime, mandarin, passionfruit – whatever takes your fancy, easy to make, delicate flavours and lovely pastel colours !
Definitely cream powder puffs that my grandmother used to make for special occasions!
I LOVE high tea! and yes the Victoria room is lovely for a treat, I had my ‘hen’s night’ there…
Well I think that no high tea is complete without freshly baked (still warm out of the oven) scones, homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream, alas proper clotted cream is hard to come by in Australia – the best stuff is found in the West country in England)
Water-cress sandwiches are my favorite. All light & fresh.
my favourite treat would have to be the cucumber sandwiches. there’s something about the old fashion crustless bread with bland cream cheese and crunchy thinly sliced cucumbers that just makes me want to put on my dainty white lacy gloves, pick them up and nibble on the corners with the lady friends
I do so wish I was Australian… this is a great review and looks like a wonderful book. You did a great job on the cookies but my eye was one that rose butter.. how great is that… can’t wait to try this.
Little tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off are my favourite treat – especially smoked salmon and egg salad! And served with a strong Earl Grey!
I love smoked salmon,cream cheese and cucumber ribbon sandwiches with stripes of brown and white bread ( crustless of course) . As usual , your descriptions leave me salivating and I have just eaten a big bowl of porridge,poaced apricots and yoghurt !
I don’t think afternoon tea is complete without scones. I had my favourite devonshire tea in Cornwall in England. Freshly made delicate, warm, crumbly scones, with thick clotted cream and a local raspberry jam. And of course, a piping hot pot of strong tea. Delicious.
The most wonderful treat at High Tea is taking the time to slow down and enjoy the ‘simple’ things in life – great friends a freshly brewed pot of tea and some sweet treats – and a bit of gossip!
My favorite high tea treat,
is something deliciously sweet,
maybe some spice,
so it’s extra nice,
mmmm – buttery spice biscuits.
Love your blog Lorraine and thanks for the chance to win a “treat”.
I do so love a good scone! They make me think of my Nanna, they have such a nice texture for a mouth that is more used to cakes and muffins, and they serve as such a good yardstick for judging afternoon/high teas.
Afternoon tea has always been a ritual for my family as we were children of the last of British India. As a child it was the favourite part of my day. High tea is a reminder of times past, an almost sacred ritual that brought family and friends together.
The most memorable part of high tea for me was the exotic teas that we came to taste served in a proper tea set.
A few friends and I meet every week for afternoon tea except in school holidays and I always enjoy making scones – with jam and cream of course, ginger sponge cake-my mums recipe, and finger sandwiches usually salmon or tuna and others when it’s my turn to host and as a special treat I make match sticks -bite size pieces of puff pastry cooked to a crunchy crust and sandwhiched together with jam-preferably home made – and dollops of whipped cream or double cream. I always make my tea in a pot although I have tea bags for emergency times-like when I run out of tea leaves. I love girly things and set the table with fine china and my grandmothers or mothers lace or embroidered tablecloths etc.-it’s my one time every few weeks to use all my pretty things and I love it.
The lavender shortbread looks utterly divine!!
I myself cannot go past a cucumber sandwich, the only instance where a sandwich MUST be crust-less and it’s not because I am picky
Ahhh the simple things in life…
I know it’s boring but it’s all about the scones, jam and cream for me. Lots and lots of cream.
with afternoon tea, you cant go wrong with a smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich!
i recently had a really good one @ tiffin’s in grand hyatt, wan chai, hong kong. if you ever get the chance, you must visit tiffin’s it has absolutely gorgeous cutlery and view.
I always loved reading about afternoon tea in books and loved the idea of cucumber sandwiches. But my ultimate favourite thing is scones with fresh cream and jam. YUM!
I love high tea, a time of decadence & acting so refined.
I do love a really good chai tea with my high tea. I’m partial to a soft moist scone with a really good jam, home made preferably. The jam ofcourse has to have chunks of fruit. The cream whipped just right.
Also anything chocolaty, it doesn’t matter what.
Can’t wait to try out this recipe! Sounds delicious. I never fail to polish off everything on a high tea platter, but I think my favorite thing is the Macarons…yum!
I am so going to try that recipe!!! It just looks so fluffy and yum!!!
My most to die for treat at High Tea has to be something that is not tradition but it’s a must have in our family. It’s my mum’s mini egg crepes that has a great mixture of prawns and spring onions topped with salmon roe served in a mini cup. (The secret is her egg mixture). Like I said not very tradition at all but delicious none the less!!!
Thanks for the opportunity to “Win” the book!!! Fingers crossed!
I am attending high tea on Sunday. Organised it with six girlfriends and plan to frock up big time.
And it is at the Victoria Rooms, so the timing could not have been better.
I always love the crustless sandwiches with egg and chive. Oh and of course a glass of sparkling is a must at high tea.
Hi Lorraine, long time lurker, first time poster.
My favourite isn’t a single item, but a whole tray of pastries. In the Pump Rooms in Bath, we were offered 2 pastries out of a huge dessert tray the waiter had brought around as our last course, I recall taking a deliciously tart lemon tart and a sweet fruit tart. Beautiful!
I’m a huge shortbread fan – one of my favourites is cinnamon chocolate – and I’ve been meaning to try lavender shortbread for ages. I reviewed the Womens Weekly High Tea cookbook recently and came across a delectable-sounding recipe for pistachio, white chocolate and honey french macaroons: without having actually tasted them yet, just going by the name alone, these have to be my top high tea treat!
I love having the ladies around for afternoon tea.I generally go over the top with tiny cakes and tarts and cucumber sandwiches a la Mrs Beeton all served on my loverly inherited china.I have seen a few recipes for lavender shortbread but this one is the one I would like to try.So next month is slotted in for my turn again and these shortbreads will definitely be on the menu
Oh NQN,one of my favourite things to do is to have hightea. Coming to Sydney next moth and can’t wait to try some of your recommendations. My favourite treat for afternoon tea would have to be either fruit scones with jam and clotted cream and of course the traditional crustless cucumber sandwiches and a big pot of english tea. Mmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmm.
My high tea favourite is always scones with jam and cream. And I always leave them till last to eat!
Your shortbread looks perfect! Bet it tastes perfect too.
My favourite High Tea treat I’ve had to date is the Mini Panna Cotta from Eagle Heights, Mt Tamborine.. OH MY GOD! I would definitely choose that to be my last meal!
High Tea!!! Right on!!! Oh this looks so divine.. I need to start taking photos of my process, but I’m too lazy.
As much as I love everything pictured, I can’t eat Lavender, I think because I use a cleaning spray, non toxic, that I immediately associate it with cleaning.
I thought I’d died and gone to heaven at Betty’s Tea Rooms in York…all the archetypal tea room favourites and some idiosyncratic local items, such as bread loaves with a moulded mouse on top.
My (hard to choose!) favourite was a little butter cake which had been covered in marzipan to resemble a cabbage, very simple but absolutely perfect. Unfortunately their cookbook doesn’t give away many secrets about their afternoon tea delicacies.
My favourite high tea treat is cupcake, I really love making them and my kids love cupcakes.
Yay! I would love a high tea cookbook! My sister is having a baby shower, it would be lovely to have a book to get super cute recipes from. My favourite high tea? Probably crab and cucumber sandwiches! But your shortbread would come a close second. If I don’t win this all my guests to the shower will just enjoy ten different shortbread varieties (haha!) They look delicious, next time I’ll try them with orange and lemon.
Shortbread cookies and tiny finger sandwiches with any fillings … mini cupcakes oh just about anything I can fit in my mouth in one bite or two.
At high tea, my favourites are scones with jam and cream and lemon tarts.
I had some delicious and very ligth scones at the Easter Show on Saturday courtesy of the CWA cafe, I think I need my own CWA lady to bake for me!
My favourite food at a high tea is cucumber and vegimite sandwiches.
I don’t now how properly traditional high tea-ish they are – but I love the sweet sweet slices. Pineapple Meringue, Choc Almond Caramel, Cherry Ripe… oops, I’m drooling…
These looks gorgeous, love your shortbread, I can smell them all the way here…I cannot wait for my lavender to bloom again this year….
with my cup of tea, I like my tea with a piece of ginger and a spoon of honey, for that, i dont like anything overly sweet, I like to enjoy my cup of tea till the last sip…
I dont mind a copy of this book…
Good luck every one!!!
Tiny little sandwiches would have to be the winner – just to enjoy what I don’t do at home!!
sandwiches..strawberry n cream….petit four..
Before I read closer, I thought for a moment that you cut the shortbreads by hand!
I kinda want to know now why you pour the milk in beforehand and not after, since most people I know always do it afterwards.
Hi, I’ve never been to High Tea but I have attempted to host one for my two sisters.
I tried to duplicate the “look” and they loved it.
My favourite would be the petit fors of any kind OR a lemon/lime tart with lemoncello syrup YUMMY !!!
LOVE TO WIN THE BOOK XXXXXX
The tiny sandwiches, makes me feel like a giant handling those…hah
I LOVE HIGH TEA!
my fav high tea goodie to eat would be the sandwiches as they are soooooo soft and yummy (the sandiwches at the victoria room QVB are the best ive ever had it was just egg but omg droolworthy!)
i would love this book lorraine :O)
i hosted a high tea birthday party last year it was so much fun seeing everyone pick and eat what i made and there was so much food left over (i clearly went overboard haha) wwell id rather have too much food then too little
My favourite high tea treat would have to be warm fluffy scones with lashings of farm style raspberry jam and fresh double cream, washed down with a pot of lavender lady grey tea….Positively sinful!
the best high item i’ve had recently was the cheesey mini quiches at the Intercontinental. sooo rich, but so more-ish!
I think that I would love these lavender shorbreads with my tea, now, please.
i havent had them yet but know it will be gluten free scones from the Victoria Room Cookbook.
Oh high tea! Takes me back to ny childhood, I remember having high tea with my mum at the Windsor. My favourites were the cucumber sandwiches. I felt so grown up balancing a cup of tea on my knee in a gorgeous little china cup.
These days as I am wheat free my favourite would be biscotti or macarons. Yum!
wow, what a fabulous prize. My favourite high tea treat is anything involving choux pastry – profiteroles or mini eclairs.
thanks for the chance to win!
Lorraine, I love the look of these delightful shortbreads! My favourite hig tea would have to include mini orange syrup cakes, smoked salmon and cucumber ribbon sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, apple and custard creams, and mini vanilla cupcakes with lemon curd and fresh cream. YUM….I’m making my mouth water just thinking about it all!
Well i agree with most that scones are the best … but eclairs are so so good too
long live high tea !
These are just lovely, delicate desserts Lorraine!
My favourite part of High Tea? The tea of course, especially if it’s English Breakfast. It may sound a bit boring and uncreative, but I get this lady-like high from sipping tea from fancy tea cups and saucers – no matter how “dull” the tea is, drinking it from proper teacups makes it a real special experience!
My favourite treat is scones with jam and cream. Yum, I just made myself hungry!
My favourite would definitely have to be delicious scones topped with jam and fluffy whipped cream. mmm…
oooo… i love the tiny, tiny, bite sized, fits just in your hand sandwiches that make me feel delicate and like a lady!
Scones with strawberry Jam and earl grey tea. sweet!
The scones!! It’s always about the scones at high tea for me
What a great post! In 2007 I was totally obsessed with Nigella’s lavender cupcakes from ‘How to be a Domestic Goddess’- yumo! My favourite High Tea treat is anything that comes bite-sized (not just miniature-sized) – that way I get to try more. Oh and how could I forget, my other favourite High Tea treat is the chance to play dress-ups and wear those clothes that you buy with no intended purpose but the mere reason that they are pretty.
i am a bit blonde… how do i enter the competitions
?
my favourite afternoon tea is making my famous chocolate chip cookies with my two daughter annabelle and Tuscaney (6 and 5 years old) then easting them with a cup of tea (they love cups of tea especially camomille) in our rose garden.
High Tea is definitely my thing. When I have eaten out at various establishments offering High Tea they always get rated based on how well they do scones. I wish more places offered “old fashioned” cakes like a good sponge cake with fresh cream and strawberries- thats my favourite afternoon treat with a cup of earl grey.
Dainty little butterfly cupcakes with gorgeous fresh cream, dusted with icing sugar!
Personally, I love the delicate little chicken and watercress sandwiches, cut into perfect little fingers. I could probably eat a plate full myself.
My favourite High Tea treat is extremely pathetic. I love… Earl Grey tea in a pot. Really. Of course, it must be done in the ambience of High Tea – I have done High Tea at the Hyatt many times now, and my favourite part of it is drinking tea in as ladylike a fashion as possible, with all the delicate cutlery, trying to get all the rules right, while watching everyone else. But I also love cucumber sandwich fingers.
I looove high tea! But what a hard comp, trying to choose a favourite item off the stand!!
I’ll never forget that summer’s afternoon having High Tea at Betty’s at York…
I love them all – the eggy sandwiches, the salmon sandwiches, the little pastries mmm could go on. But if I do have to choose, I’d choose a nice, not too dense, not too light scone with strawberry jam and cream – not any old cream, but clotted cream. Mmm mmm mmm
I love high tea. I recently went to the Art Gallery of NSW for my grandmother’s birthday and thought the high tea was fantastic albeit not very traditional with inclusions like duck wontons and mini bruschetta. The best high tea I’ve ever had was at the Victoria Room quite a few years ago now. We had tiny little lemon polenta cakes and chocolate rasperry cakes, they were gorgeous (and possible recipes from Manna from Heaven now that I think about it…)
Your cooking blog is a favourite of mine
and to ignore this competition would be a crime!
While the scone is a classic best served warm with cream
There is another treat that will make me scream
Mini creme brulees need only one good whack
and the top is broken with a satisfying crack
to reveal the filling so luscious and sweet,
a bottomless bowl would make my heart leap
high tea is a favourite thing to do
but with traditional ways I haven’t a clue!
so to keep me from etiquette doom,
I would love the high tea book from the Victoria Room!
These are so gorgeous! Love the pretty flower shape and lavender decorations.
As much as I adore sweets, my favourite high tea treat would probably have to be the savoury tarlets – they always leave me wishing there was more!
Scones. Definitely, scones…….with jam and creams, served with Lady Grey tea.
Oh WOW! the idea of lavender shortbread…I must make them for Nell as she adores lavender but don’t think shes ever cooked with it. I try to experience Afternoon Tea/High Tea wherever I travel be it Hong Kong, London, NYC or Sydney etc..but being originally from the UK I’m always curious as to how well they’ll manage the scones! Other items on offer may be sublime but the scones very rarely pass the test!
)
Thank you for the chance to win this gem of a book Lorraine. Cheers, Elaine
I love the Victoria Room’s Dark Chocolate Cup with Chocolate Mousse, Cream & fresh Raspberries. It is just a divine morsel and a great way to end high tea on a sweet note.
ps. have just found out about your blog and I have you bookmarked! Love your stories and your photos. You have inspired me to get up and bake!
What dainty,pretty looking shortbreads. Australia’s Biggest morning Tea is coming up soon and we always celebrate this with the children,Parents and staff at the pre-school where I work.The children and staff bake goodies for the purchase for a gold coin donation to the Cancer Council. The children would be delighted to make the Lavendar Shortbreads and I’m sure the parents would be delighted to eat them!!My favourite for afternoon tea however is cucumber sandwiches.
My favourite high tea treat…would have to be fruit scones! The one and only time (though not the last time!) I have had high tea was also the first time I tried scones…and I was in heaven!
Ahhhh I love the Victoria Room! Went for a hens day once and fell madly in love with the gorgeous posh antique-ness of the place! Obviously in London there is afternoon tea everywhere, but that actually takes away from the uniqueness that it still holds in Sydney.
Also love the SWLB reference! Hilarious
What a great book! And your shortbread looks AMAZING. I am definitely going to whip some of that up when my girlfriends come around for afternoon tea this weekend.
My favourite high tea item is definitely cucumber sandwiches! White bread, real butter, paper thin slices of cucumber, and definitely no crusts!
Salmon Mousse- can’t go passed it or Melon Soup mmmmm… sigh -
what unique biscotti and dainty shortbread! purple is my favorite color and there are woefully few purple foods. nice post, lorraine.
cupcakes and scones.
Hi Lorraine, my fav high tea treat is definitely a good scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam all washed down with Pai Mu Tan white tea (served in a teapot of course) x
I absolutely adore the cute bite size finger sandwiches – especially those filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill.
scones.
jam.
cream.
and lots of it.
Wow love the look of the shortbread and I do love a good afternoon tea (they do it well in London)
I love those delicious chicken and wild herb sandwiches!
I am also looking forward to having the Lenotre high tea at Sofitel Wentworth because they’ve changed their high tea menu!
Those shortbreads look adorable!
I love finger sandwiches for high tea. Especially if they have smoked salmon in them.
Oh Lorraine ,well my fav high tea treat ,has to be Lavender shortbread…not only sounds girly but also very romantic and i ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ them both….and ur pictures here more than jus support my statement
)
)))))))
So deliciately girly and so deeply romantic…and anyway u’d have me at ”buttery”…
bdw ,how many entries can i get
ohhhh, that would have to be a chai or earl grey tea with a “matching” tea infused cupcake ( or two!)
ohhhhh so lovely! that book looks just lovely and so do your lovely shortbread!
I’ve had a few high teas at the tea rooms and my favourite thing, sooo boring I know but little twee sandwiches! cucumber or egg or chicken! I seem to be able to put away so many because they are so tiny and delicious!
thank you for a generous giveaway
Corrie:)
champagne!!! is the staple, regardless of venue (and a quality tea selection)
I love the High Tea in the Tiffin Room at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Tasty,mouthwatering,divine, delectables served in an ambience of old English snobbery with perfect teas served in beautiful crockery.
What a way to while away a lazy afternoon and retreat from the hustle and bustle.
Oh my gosh, what a great post. My favourite high tea treat would have to be a rose petal & pistacchio shortbread that I had many years ago at a friends kitchen tea. No mater how much I begged she would not share the recipe
Needless to say the friendship didn’t last too long lol.
P.S. If you have a recipe for them I would reallllllllllllly appreciate it. :-d
strangely enough I am not at all girlie girlie but I love high tea – or any afternoon tea – it is an excuse to eat a lot without feeling it should be a balanced meal!
I’d love to win the book so put me in for the draw – my favourite high tea treat would probably be scones – my mum has taught me to break not slice but I always just break them in half horizontally – otherwise how to you eat them with jam and cream!
Oh your shortcakes look delicious, I’m going to have to knock some of these up to treat myself.
I want to be able to hold my own high tea one day and I think this book would help out alot! You are making this competition very hard as there is a lot to love with high tea. But I guess the ultimate High Tea treat would HAVE to be the scones. Serve them to be warm with yummy jam and loads of cream. Mmmmm..
Scones definitely, I would always force my self to eat the scones even though I know that I would be bursting after drinking tea – expands with liquid – it nearly sound like space food!!!
Afternoon Tea was always my favourite time with my Grandmother (often we’d be on holiday as a family and she’d be with us, my parents and brother would go off and hike up a mountain and Grandma and I would go for a gentle stroll and afternoon tea!); and I have very fond memories of eating it at her house (sandwiches before cake, milk in first or you’ll crack the cups!). Thank you for the lovely reminder
My favourite High Tea food is the simple scone with strawberry jam and a dollop of cream.
i love all foods but for now i will say i love scones with jam and cream, AND earl grey tea. yuuummmmm
I love beautiful little sandwiches. I am a huge sweet tooth but there is something about the sandwiches at high tea…so yummy.
Whats not to like about layers of dainty deliciousness? I think I will kick myself for the next 20 years for not taking the opportunity to have high tea at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel in Penang when I had the chance- (I was feeling just a little scruffy.)When I have had high tea though, you can’t go past some fluffy scones with jam and cream. A perfect way to spend an afternoon.
Such pretty shortbread. I somehow have never warmed to lavender in food, but I would definitely try making this with lemon. Or chocolate chips!
I love your tea cookies, they are very pretty and would be so perfect as an afternoon pick me up.
Mimi
Scones with chantilly cream and jam!!!
The perfect cup of tea is essential. In delicate fine bone china.
The best treat is knowing you’re having High Tea. Mother’s Day is just around the corner and we (grandmother, mother, daughters, granddaughters) traditionally put on our version of High Tea. Tiny little cupcakes and quiche, bite size morsels of everything we can reasonably make to impress each other. This year I have a new teaset as well. I am anticipating those delicious 2 tiered sandwiches on the freshest of crustless bread and … Oh don’t tease me so! Roll on May 9.
My favourite high tea treat is a Melting Moment. So appropriately named, I can’t think of a better way to describe the combination of soft buttery shortbread and the sweet creamy filling. I have my own melting moment every time I have one!
Im such a sucker for mini Lemon Meringue Tarts, any high tea needs some of them!
Ooohh so hard to choose, beautiful fresh ribbon sandwiches, perfectly brewed tea in proper fine bone china tea cups, dainty and pretty everything… but my favourite has to be a perfect warm, just slightly crusty outside, soft and fluffy inside, scone! With a dark and fruity jam like blackberry and lashings of delicately whipped cream!!! mmmm
Wow, I can’t believe watching the many epsiodes of “ladette to lady” has totally failed me- I have been eating scones wrong this WHOLE time!! Who would have thought?! I think tea is not complete without finger sandwhiches especially cucumber they are simple yet sooooooo good- a lovely post NQN!!
Of course along with the loose leaf tea, warm scones, clotted cream and jam, beautiful pastries and dainty sandwiches, no high tea is complete without a glass of bubbles… bring on the champagne darling!!
Of course to do it all properly the book would help
PS – Lina, love your poem!
I absolutely adore high tea and my favourite is the combination of tiny cucumber sandwiches with bubbly champagne!
Ooooo, favourite high tea item.. we had a wonderful tea at the Ritz in London for my Grandma’s 80th birthday where she announced that she had been taken there for tea many many years before – by a man who was NOT my Grandfather! I find it very hard to go past the pastries (love love LOVE pastry) – but afternoon tea sandwiches have a special place in my heart too!
I am holding a high tea this Sunday!
My favourite high tea goodie would have to be the real strawberries and cream.
Delicious tiny pastry shell with think, custardy cream and a beautifully sweet strawberry on top. To.Die.For.
I would LOVE the book!!
Oh, you’ve no idea how much I want to have high tea
Cheese & Chive scones. My mouth is watering now just thinking about them.
Call me old fashioned, but a plain yet delicious cucumber sandwhich does it for me.
I love high tea too and I can’t go past the scones either, nothing beats a scone with jam and cream.
Like you, I’m all about the food porn. So my favourite high tea item is the cupcakes – mostly because they always look so fabulous.
My all time high tea fav are the delicately decorated cupcakes. They are divine and so dainty, almost too beautiful to eat.
Thank you for your delightful posts every day! I love high tea, a favourite of mine is something that i served at my mums 80th birthday, it was little prawn cocktails with lemongrass and a coconut cream sauce served in a mini glass with pink ribbon wrapped around the it.
Gorgeous gorgeous cookies, Lorraine! And I think you seem to be a girly girl who loves all things girly! And that’s not bad if you make lovely cookies like this! Scones are yummy but I must say I’ll take a light, fluffy choux bun filled to overflowing with lightly sweetened whipped cream. Please.
your shortbread cookies look so dainty, I love it
..oohh too bad I’m not qualified to join the contest, I would love to have a chance to win that lovely book
.oh and I tried your clafoutis recipe using mango instead of plum..turned out great! thanks
Gorgeous sounding book… so English and ever so whimsical. Does a Sydney address count? If yes, please let me in!! Knock,knock!! Love the butter shortbread and love the cookie cutters! I remember the buttery cake you made for your Mom last year…happy birthday to sweet mum who loves butter!
i make oh-so-kitsch devilled quail eggs, they are so cute in miniature. I can’t wait to see the recipe for gluten free scones. so many GF recipes are a disappointment but from somewhere this fancy pancy they must taste good.
OOOOOoooo – I so want this book! Going to a High Tea at the Victoria Room is on my list. I wish they had it on a Friday and I would be there!! My favourite high tea treat would have to be the traditional scones with jam and cream. I love custard tarts if they’re available – or a nice friand…..
I recently bought some culinary lavender (not so easy to find around here) and had some cookies like this in mind. I may try these. Thanks for sharing the recipe daaaaahling.
*kisses* HH
p.s. can’t take part in competition but my fav tea treat is scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream. It’s to die!!!
I love baking with lavender but have never tried making shortbread – yours are so beautiful, Lorraine, a true inspiration!
I had a high tea in London while visiting a friend and we had loads of fun together – it was wonderful!
These biscuits are amazing, it reminds me of a place I visited and have close friends who started and own the place, and it’s called Norfolk Punch’.
Location
1757 Goobarragandra Rd, Goobarragandra NSW 2720
Tel: 02 6947 5888
This beautiful company used to be in Kendal and has relocated in the picturesque Goobarragandra Valley, 28 kms east of Tumut, and adjoining Kosciuszko National Park. They grow organic herbs and plants and make health tonics. I went up for a visit and in their beautiful garden and was served with their delightful organic lavender biscuits and a cup of tea, catching up on the old & new. The classical high tea in the Australian Outback.
W O W ,,, I wasn’t a great fan of shortbread until I saw the picture … I want one now please and maybe a scone with jam and cream to finish ,,, how civilised one can be with the aroma of high tea in the air
Creme Caramel. I could eat a whole tray full.
mmm, egg sandwiches with the crusts removed!
To choose one…..but I need savoury and sweet!
A simple but perfect sandwich is divine, even if it is just fluffy white bread, butter and cucumber.
And there is nothing quite like the perfect buttery shortbread.
With tea of course!
Thanks for the giveaway.
Hi Lorraine~
Awesome shortbread =)
my favorite High Tea treat is probably buttermilk scones served with vanilla whipped cream and a good mixed berries jam!
mmmm. I’ll have to go with shortbread sandwiched with strawberries and cream!
Ohhh…I love lavender shortbread! So light and refreshing!
My mother & I collected odd antique cups & saucers. We only had a few, but proudly displayed them. Mum would whip a batch of scones and mini cupcakes and I would set the table with a pretty pink tablecloth and place the mix match of tea cups and a Teapot with steaming earl grey tea.
It was the best of times with my mum and I hold dearly her recipe for her marvellous scones.
Scones with clotted cream and jam, of course….
My Fav. high tea treat is my granny’s special tuna sandwich.. She made it with some cucumber, chilli, pepper, variety of herbs from her garden and a special thick mayo sauce. We all wish we have learn from her the skill to host a great tea party. Sadly we will never get a chance to do it again.
Cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches…very very yummy
Sandwiches – no crusts, fillings finely prepared, with alfalfa sprouts please. It’s these small and delicate details that make the humble cuppa worthy of the name High Tea!
Ooh Lorraine these look scrumptious! It suddenly feels like Spring here and I keep fantasising about making floral-flavoured sweets (rose, violet, lavender, orange blossom) so will definitely be making these. Do you happen to have any good violet or orange blossom recipes/ideas? I’m thinking orange blossom and rosewater (separately) madelines perhaps.
And I love afternoon tea – there is no girlier treat! I make sure I do it often in London (my favourite place to go is Liberty after shopping for accessories and homewares). My favourite part is definitely the gorgeous sweets – jewel coloured macarons, strawberry tarts, and tiny little almond cakes. And doesn’t tea just taste so much better when served in a gorgeous teapot and china?
Miss B xx
Cucumber sandwiches… first the thick white fluffy bread, spread with luscious golden butter with neat, so-thin-almost-translucent cucumber slices… made by hand by smiling, bright, slighty anxious/slightly shy children.. allowing me to forget… allowing them to forget, that we were preparing high tea to share together at the kids-with-cancer charity teatime sessions… beautiful cucumber sandwiches…
These look absolutely stunning. I can imagine them melting in my mouth… yum!
I love tiny pikelets, cream and jam
Just like those made by dear old Gram;
Light as a feather, the perfect mouthful.
I just keep eating till I’ve got a belly full.
But if Gram could read what I just said
She’d send me (without supper) straight to bed.
“Nice girls don’t say belly full, it’s elegant sufficiency!”
She’d say, nearly succumbing to apoplexy.
My favourite high tea treats are the savoury mini quiches with truffle oil served at the tea room in the QVB. I haven’t yet been to the Victoria Room although I’m itching to go! Perhaps the book will give me a taster of the delights they have on offer.
I must confess I have never been to a high tea, only today a friend was talking about the “Victoria Room” after seeing the much coveted book in the shops.
Would love to experience the QVB, a grown up “tea Party”without my three young ones.Would love to win the cook book to try and adapt some of the recipes for two newly diagnosed coeliac’s myself and my six year old son!
Happiness.
High teas always bring back beautiful memories of my childhood days with Mum. Whenever I indulge in the simple yet succulent sandwich with the wonderful layers of tasty fillings of eggs, chicken, bacon, cheeses and fresh avocados, I think of the beautiful sandwiches that Mum used to make for my lunch box every morning. The delicately made sweet and savoury pastries served with tasty strawberry jams, a vivid reminder of the happy times when Mum and I experimented with making pastries in the kitchen during the school holidays, our faces covered with flours, oh we had so much fun back in those days! I simply love the joy of the high tea experience, something that never fails to conjure up these beautiful images in my mind and a little tear of happiness in my eye. Love you Mum!
Hi Lorraine, your short bread looks so pretty! I have recently made some short bread too but I think I might have overmixed them…. I am going to try your recipe soon. Buttery short bread and English scones with creamy rich butter is definitely my favourite tea items! I don’t usually try out for your giveaways as I am too far away but this book, it’s worth giving it a long shot
I love savoury scones, perhaps with caramelised onion and cheese or bacon, and chocolate-caramel slice. The slice is so rich that a tiny, tea-party sized piece is enough anyway, and leaves plenty of room for all the other treats!
Wow, that looks yummy. My favourite high tea treat would have to be all the different miniature sized desserts.
High tea is just about my favourite thing
I love to make lemon meringue cupcakes.
Hello Lorraine!
Your lavender shortbread looks just amazing!! real georgous flower treats!
MMMMMMMM,…lovely!!!!
Many greets from rainy Brussels!
From your foodie friend,
Sophie!
classy cucumber sandwich, it’s a classic but so refreshing and delicious.
crustless salmon, dill, cream cheese and caper sandwiches – one side is brown bread and other side is white bread.
oooOOOOOoooo high tea is my absolute favourite. Dresses, china, tea, little morsels of prettyness (that is a word right??). Whats not to love!
I have this sublime lemon slice recipe which is perfect for a high tea. Sweet and sour, intensly gooey. mmmm. Dusted with icing sugar – perfect!
My favourite has always been my Nan’s ‘special occasion’ Date and Lemon Scones spread with Creme Frais.
An unbeatable favourite is an invitation to High Tea with my expatriate friend… at Raffles in Singapore!
ANY delicacy there is special!
scones!!! of course the scones!!
I love high tea as well. Whilst I am a SAHM (although not for much longer), I take time out for afternoon tea each day. I love to have scones with jam and cream, such a lovely treat!
my fav is the humble scone. warm and buttery with fresh cream and sweet strawberry jam
Without a doubt my favourite treat is scones with raspberry jam and clotted cream. Without scones it’s just not afternoon tea!
I have to say that scones with jam and clotted cream are my all time favorite. Scones bring back such good childhood memories.
Hi NQN. I’m a long-time reader, first time commenter. (Love saying that!) And I have to say that my absolute favourite high tea indulgence is the macaron. The delicate sweetness and beautiful scents that macarons are often flavoured with really compliment the aroma and taste of a pot of tea. They are also beatiful, and some of the only treats that are dainty and delicate enough to look right on the same table as a fine china tea set. Give me a rose and raspberry, or a creamed rice macaron and a pot of lady grey, and I’m in high tea heaven! Delicate, sweet, and easy to eat while still looking like a lady.
XoX Sarah C
How very fitting my daughter has not long returned from a week in Melbourne with friends and upset me by telling me they had HIGH TEA and went to see Mama Mia…..
mmmmum high tea. If only I could win then I would ask her to make me my favourite indulgence DATE SCONES with strawberry jam and double cream. Thinking about it makes my mouth water so best go ..all the best to you Lorraine and Ladies. Tut tar.
All in all I love High Tea,
It really makes me squeel with glee…
Shortbread,cupcakes and scrumpcious scones (and cant forget the biscot-ti!)
What else could one really need!
Scones, jam and cream!
I love the whole “effort” of high tea. Making an effort to get dressed up and enjoy the fruits of some very talented pastry chef’s labour. I love drinking tea from lovely china cups.
baby lemon meringue tart with a toasty, golden blob of meringue on top
Mini banana caramel pies!
i like the asian high tea of a variety of kuih. My fav is kuih talam – a savoury coconut layer on the top, and a sweet pandan layer at the bottom.
I love receiving a three tier tray of goodies. There are usually some amazing tarts and cakes. Last time I was at high tea there was a delicious little chocolate mousse tart, yum!
I Went to my first High Tea at Flemington/Melb and loved it!
My favourite are the savoury treats.Pinwheel Sandwiches, Salmon tartlets and of course the famous cucumber sandwiches.
Melt in your mouth butter shortbread biscuits!
I just love the little sandwiches at High Tea – oh also all those yummy bite size cakes – yumbo!!
High tea favourites would be the sandwiches especially if it has the smoked salmon, with a close second would be the petite fours as they’re so pretty to look at
Favourite high tea treat? Any of my mum’s old favourites – melting moments, florentines, brandy snaps, caramel slice.. the list goes on & is updated all the time. She has so many & whenever she comes to visit from SA she brings a selection on the plane so we’re all geared up for several high teas (or just afternoon tea) during her stay. Love it!
Definitely the scones with jam and cream – oh yummy!!! and the tea to go with it
)
Mini chocolate cupcakes filled with cream!
My favourite is Scones with clotted cream (which I can’t seem to find in Australia) and home made jam.
I had mine at Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms in Harrogate.
http://www.bettys.co.uk/cafe.asp?storyid=%7BF0B1D680-B489-47EB-8EF2-4120A05E9F43%7D
Macaroon biscuits!
those little, little sandwiches. They make me feel so dainty!
scones with cream and jam. just had that yesterday and it was delightful!
Neenish Tarts
My favourite high tea treat is undoubtedly scones, jam and cream. It seems to be the only time I have them which is somewhat of a shame. Must correct that!
Mini chocolate eclairs. Oh yeah.
Gorgeous Book! I’m afraid I’m coveting it already. My favourite high tea treat is little lemon tarts.
Scones with apricot jam…mmm so good.
cucumber sandwiches, recipe from Mrs Beeton’s book
Shortbread is delicious and a real treat – I hardly ever have it, but when I do, I’m reminded how much I love it!
I love the dainy petifours, remebering those the Windsor served, years ago, send me into escasty
Apple & Cinnamon Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting as these delights always bring back the memories and the aroma of my grandmother’s apple pie.
Love your blog NQN!
I have only been to High Tea once a long time ago but we had some mini Lavender Creme Brulee’s that were amazing!
My most favourite ever hightea treat has got to be when I had hightea with my girlfriends!
The best combination was Larme de Gaugin (sourced from a patisserie in the rocks) with superior oolong tea!! We did it ourselves in our dinning room.
p.s. I’m such a fan of your blog!
lemon meringue tarts!
I also love a Japanese-themed High Tea! My favorite treat will certainly be a cotton soft Japanese Cheesecake! Green Tea, Black Sesame or even the original flavour will do!
I love to try new high teas, my fav’s are always the sweet little treats on the top tier.
My fav is from the Empress tea rooms in Victoria, BC, Canada (my hometown!). They had a lovely curried chicken salad, which we appropriated for the menu of our high tea wedding reception.
Little choc chip cookies are delish!
Another entry for me
I love macarons and they are so stylishly chic, I just can’t go past them (buying or making) 
Nothing beats a carefully brewed cup of piping hot tea in a proper porcelain cup and saucer. Heaven!
Hi Lorraine,
I hadn’t realised how difficult it would be to answer this one simple question! My mind instantly flew off to both distant and recent memories of wonderful high teas I have had the good fortune to experience over the years. A particular highlight of which was the high tea for my recent wedding reception for which I spent weeks collecting fine English bone china trio cup sets, silver tiered stands, silver tea services, silver serving trays and sourcing fine leaf teas for 140 guests! Everyone thought I was completely nuts! But I am passionate about high tea and wanted so much to do it properly, and in loving memory of my late Grandma (an inspiring baker and afternoon tea aficionado).
So as I sit here planning a decadent leisurely high tea as a treat for my Mum in a couple of weekend’s time, I have realised that is it the ceremony of the high tea service that I particularly love – dressing up for the occasion, setting the table with our best china, silverware and tablecloths, poring over a selection of delicious fine leaf teas, sipping the tea hot from a fine bone china cup while eagerly awaiting the arrival of the tiered stand of deliciousness and feasting with my eyes and at finally with my taste buds!
In answer to your question, I do love a soft, moist butterfly cake, its arching spongy wings woven with sweet fragrant rose petal and quince jam and pretty pink rose scented cream and dusted with crystalised rose petals.
I also wanted to thank you for your wonderful afternoon tea venue reviews. My Mum and I love to go for girly outings here in Melbourne to try out different high tea venues and also making a special afternoon of it at home too (especially now that we have all of the accoutrements!). We are very much looking forward to coming up to Sydney to go to the Victoria Room and the other afternoon tea venues that you have reviewed. I am also particularly keen to delve into the wonderful recipes in this book. It looks divinely enticing and inspiring!
Thank you for a wonderfully inspiring blog, for sharing your food passion with us and for providing a forum for an open exchange of ideas and the inspiration that this provides. Keep up the great work!
Xx Caroline
May sound strange, but it’s definitely cucumber sandwiches. Must be super-thinly sliced and the crunch of the cucumber against the softness of the bread just works. Plus eating something green makes you feel less guilty about the scones and cupcakes afterwards
It has to be scones, I mean a High Tea just wouldn’t be a High Tea without scones!
Scones jam and cream. Sometimes I like scones just with butter too.
Vanilla Slices, with rich, creamy filly, flaky, buttery pastry and perfect, sof, sticky icing, a must for High Tea
How fun that you have done a post about the fantastic ‘Victoria Room High Tea’ book.
I wrote the original manuscript for it – not the recipes, but the history / trivia section!
Caught up with Jill Jones-Evans today (she is a dear friend) and it was she who mentioned you had blogged about the book and so here I am checking out your post. It looks great and how fun that you have tried some of the recipes out. If you haven’t yet, you MUST try making the sausage rolls (in the ‘Not So Sweet’ section).. Oh mon Dieu, they are fantastic!!
Happy weekend to you.
x Charlotta
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