Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea fit for a Royal Wedding – Well that was the plan 😎
We had such a busy day in the Kitchen, Michele and I hosted a Live Show for close to 8 hours.. We had the usual Technical Glitches, so the show was broken into 3 segments.
What did we make ??
- Homemade Scones
- Clotted Cream
- Strawberry Jam
- Raspberry and Chocolate eclairs
- Southern Fried Chicken filled Masa Tacos with Maple Bacon GarnishCucumber Sandwiches with cream cheese and Chives
- and finally Smoked Salmon on Wholemeal with dill.. No wonder my feet are sore and belly filled.
I want to Thank those that joined in the Live show, you made our day, truly it means a lot that so many great people were able to drop in and say Hello.
All the segments are viewable on the channel, though I suspect you may find it too long to watch in full. If you watch even a little.. Say hi.
The Live Show Playlist is Here
Steve and Michele
Steve’s Kitchen, is FREE consider Becoming a Patreon we Love our Patreons, they keep the show Rolling
Or send some Love through PayPal every little helps.. ❤
Watch Part 1 Video
Clotted Cream
Ingredients
- A thick Cream with the highest fat content you can find In the show I used a fat content of about 36% but higher is much better.
Instructions
- Pour the cream into small heat proof containers with a fairly wide opening. Place the containers into a slow cooker and pour in boiling water from the kettle so that the water comes at least half way or 3/4 way up the sides of the pots.
- Turn the slow cooker on low, cover with a tea towel not the cooker lid and leave for at least 8 hours but 12 is better. Remember to keep an eye on the water levels and top up as required.
- After the required amount of time has passed remove the pots, allow to cool a little and then place in the fridge to chill. Your Clotted cream is ready to enjoy.
Lemon Meringue Tarts
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 250g / 9oz of All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 a teaspoon of Salt
- 125g / 4oz of Butter
- 3-5 tablespoons of Cold Water
For the Lemon Curd
- 1.25 tablespoons of Cornflour
- 1/4 cup of Water
- 1/4 cup of Superfine Sugar
- 1 Lemon, Zest and Juice
- 45g / 1.5 oz of Butter
- 2 Egg Yolks
For the Meringue
- 2 Egg Whites
- 1/4 cup of Superfine Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of Cornflour
Instructions
- To make the pastry, add the flour and salt to a large bowl and using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until you get fine breadcrumbs. Slowly add enough water to allow the pastry to come together into a dough. Place into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes. Then remove from the fridge and roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until it is about 2-3 mm thick. Use a small pastry cutter to cut out circles that fit you patty pans. Place a circle of baking paper into each pastry cup and top with baking beans or rice. Bake in the oven @ 180C / 350F for about 10-15 minutes to bake blind. Remove from the oven, remove the beans and allow to cool.
- To male the lemon curd, pour the water into a saucepan. add the cornflour, sugar and the lemon juice and zest. Whisk or stir together over a medium heat until the mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir through until melted and mixed through completely. Once the mixture has cooled a little, beat in the egg yolks. Spoon the mixture into the little pastry cases, leaving a small gap at the top to pipe your meringue.
- To make the meringues, whisk the egg whites until they are soft peaks. Add the sugar and cornflour in two stages and continue to whisk until you have stiff peaks. Place the meringue into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe on top of the lemon curd. Completely enclose the lemon curd with meringue.
- Place into the oven @ 150C / 300F for about 20-25 minutes or until the meringue has some colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups of Frozen Strawberries
- 1 cup of Sugar
- 1 lemon cut up including the pips
- A splash of water
Instructions
- Place the strawberries into a pan, add a splash of water. Pour in the sugar and add the lemon cut into pieces, juice squeezed in and then the whole lemon pieces dropped in too ( I place the pips into a little muslin bag so they were easy to find at the end of the cooking process). Turn on the heat and allow the sugar to dissolve ad the strawberries to soften. If your strawberries are big you can use a potato masher to ‘squish’ them. Bring the jam up to a boil and continue to cook for about 10 minutes at a gentle rolling boil until the jam reaches 105C / 220F. Remove form the heat and place into a serving dish or into sterilised jars, if you wish to keep it longer.
Watch Part 2 Video
Chocolate and Raspberry Eclairs
Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry
- 85g / 3oz of Soft Butter
- 180ml / 3/4 cup of Water
- 3/4 of a teaspoon of Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of Salt
- 100g /3.5oz of All Purpose Flour
- 3 Eggs
For the Icing and Filling
- Fresh Whipped Cream to fill
- 125g / 4oz of Powdered SUgar
- 2 tablespoons of Water
- 2 teaspoons of Cocoa Powder for the Chocolate Icing
- 1/2 a teaspoon of Raspberry Essence plus a drop of pink Colour for the Raspberry Icing
Instructions
- To make the choux pastry, pour the water into a pan and add the butter, sugar and salt. Gently heat until the butter has completely melted, Add the flour and stir into the water mixture. Continue to cook for a minute or two until the pastry forms into a ball and comes away from the sides Take off the heat and tip the pastry out of the pan to cool before adding the eggs. When the pastry is cool to touch pop it back into a bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time. When all the eggs have been added you should have a smooth silky batter. Place the batter into a piping bag and pipe small sausage size pastries onto a baking sheet lined with paper. Place into the oven @ 180C / 350F for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Once the Pastries are cool whip the cream and make a small hole each end of the pastry ( I used a small piping nozzle). Place the cream into a piping bag and push the end of the bag into the hole and gently fill the pastry. Fill from both ends so the eclairs are nice and full.
- Next you will need to make the two icings. Place the powdered sugar into a bowl and add the water. Stir and mix through to get a lovely smooth icing. Divide between two bowls and add the cocoa powder to one and the raspberry essence and food colour to the other. Mix both bowls to get an even colour. Take a filled eclair and dip the top into the pink or chocolate icing and cover the top evenly. Place onto a plate to set ready to serve.
Watch Part 3 Video
Southern Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- Breast of Chicken cut into small strips
- Seasoned flour (season with salt, pepper and cajun spice)
- Egg, beaten
- Breadcrumbs with more cajun spice added
Instructions
- Take a piece of the chicken breast and dip into the seasoned flour. then pop into the beaten egg and finally into the breadcrumbs. Drop once more into the egg and breadcrumb again and place onto a plate ready for frying. Repeat until all the chicken is covered in breadcrumbs.
- In a deep fat fryer heated to 180C /350F gently drop each strip of chicken into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. You will notice the chicken strips will float to the top once they are cooked through.
- Remove from the oil and place on a plate covered with kitchen paper and set aside until ready to use.
Maple Bacon
Ingredients
- Streaky Bacon
- Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Lay the bacon out onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and use a pastry brush to cover the bacon with maple syrup.
- Place into the oven @ 200C / 400F for 15 -20 minutes or until brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before chopping into small pieces ready to garnish the tacos.
Corn Tortilla Tacos
Ingredients
- Fresh Masa or Masa flour mixed with water or Pre made Tortillas
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
- If you are using fresh Masa or Masa Flour, press out your tortillas and fry in a dry pan until cooked. Slightly undercook them as they are going in the oven. If you are using pre made tortillas wrap them in a wet tea towel and cook for 30 seconds in the microwave to rehydrate them a little.
- Take each tortilla and using a pastry cutter, cut 2 circles of bread from each tortilla. Take a patty pan tray and turn it upside down, spray with a little oil and spray each side of the tortilla circles too. Place the circles in the grooves of the patty pan to create your taco shapes. Place in the oven @ 180C / 350F for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
- To make up the tacos take a shell and pipe some mayonnaise in the bottom of it. Lay on a strip of chicken and top with more mayonnaise. Dip the mayonnaise top into the maple bacon pieces and serve on a plate. Repeat with all the taco shells.
Sandwiches
Ingredients
- White Sliced Bread
- Cream Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh chives
- Cucumber, thinly sliced
- Wholemeal Sliced Bread
- Cream Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Dill
- Fresh Smoked Salmon
Instructions
- To make the cucumber sandwiches, mix the cream cheese with the salt and pepper. Finely chop the chives and add to the cheese. Then take one slice of the white bread and cover with the cream cheese mix. Top with thinly sliced cucumber and then cover with another slice of bread. Make all of the cucumber sandwiches that you need and then stack together and tightly wrap in aluminium foil.
- To make the salmon sandwiches, mix the cream cheese with the salt and pepper. Add the finely chopped dill. Then take one slice of the wholemeal bread and cover with the cream cheese mix. Top with thinly sliced salmon and then cover with another slice of bread. Make all of the salmon sandwiches that you need and then stack together and tightly wrap in aluminium foil.
- Just before you are ready to serve unwrap the sandwiches, cut off the crusts and cut into finger size portions. Place on to the serving plate ready to be enjoyed
Afternoon Tea
Scones
Ingredients
- 500g / 17.5oz All purpose Flour
- 30g / 1oz Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of Salt
- 90g / 3oz Sugar
- 80g / 2.8oz Butter
- 105g / 2 Eggs
- 150g / 5.3oz Buttermilk
- An egg for the egg wash
Instructions
- In a large bowl place the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Rub in the butter to create fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and buttermilk and mix to a dough
- Tip out onto a lightly floured countertop and press together before rolling out to 3/4 inch / 18mm thick. Cut out the scones with a small cookie cutter and place onto a baking tray lined with paper.
- Beat up the last egg really well and using a small pastry brush gently brush the tops of the scones being careful to avoid any dripping down the sides. Let the egg wash dry a little and then repeat the process.
- Place into the oven @ 200C / 400F for 15 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool slightly before serving.
A Nice Pot of Tea
Make a pot of your favourite tea and place all of your goodies onto a pretty serving plate and enjoy!!!
Afternoon Tea
