ENGLISH HIGH TEA

ENGLISH HIGH TEA IDEAS

Melinda Scheepers

Komkommerbroodjies is 'n moet.

Het so 2 naweke terug gehoor. Dit het ontstaan uit afvalstukkies kos wat 'n dame geneem het en so kreatief geraak het. Ons het ook 'n heerlike broodjie gehad met beetpuree onder en dan komkommer skyfie op 2de lagie. Baie mooi gelyk en geproe.

Die ander broodjie was driehoekie met aspersiestukkie in.

Heerlike skons met dadels, kaasskons en klein vleisrolletjies. Gemmerkoekies, fudge en cupcakes. 

High-tea sandwiches

Buy a loaf of fresh white bread from your local bakery. 
Cut it into thin slices and spread with soft butter or mayonnaise. 
Make sandwiches with combinations such as shaved ham and thinly sliced cucumber; shaved beef with a little mustard and a few rocket leaves; and smoked salmon and cream cheese with some finely shredded lettuce. 
Cut the crusts off the bread and dip one edge of each sandwich into finely sliced fresh chives or alfalfa sprouts 

Flower-shaped mango cakes

Drain one can of mango slices and reserve the juice. Cut the fruit into smaller pieces. Beat together 250ml butter and 300ml sugar until light. Beat in five large eggs, one at a time. Sift together 625ml cake flour, 5ml baking powder and a pinch of salt. Fold in alternately with 75ml milk and 50ml of the reserved mango juice. Fold in the fruit. Pour the batter into flower-shaped silicone cake moulds. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and remove from the moulds, then dust with icing sugar.

STRAWBERRY AND ROSE-PETAL CHEESECAKE

• 140g digestive biscuits, crushed

• 60g butter, melted

FILLING

• 15g gelatine

• 45ml cold water

• 500ml sour cream

150g brown sugar

• 400g ricotta

• 5ml vanilla essence

100g fresh strawberries, chopped

• fresh rose petals and strawberries, to decorate

Mix the biscuits and melted butter together. Press into a 20cm spring form tin and refrigerate.

FILLING

Put the gelatine into a bowl and cover with the cold water.

Leave for two minutes then melt in the micro-wave and stir to dissolve.

3 Heat the sour cream and sugar together in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar has melted. Remove from the heat and stir some of the mixture into the gelatine mixture, then stir the gelatine mixture into the remaining cream mixture. Set aside to cool.

4 Process the ricotta in a blender until smooth. Add to the sour cream mixture and blend again. Add the vanilla essence and pour into the base. Stir in the chopped strawberries. Refrigerate until firm. Decorate with the rose petals and the fresh strawberries.

 Lavender scones

• 80ml (75g) cold butter, cubed

• 410ml (225g) self-raising flour

• 45ml (40g) castor sugar

• 10ml chopped fresh lavender flowers

• 1 large egg

• 30ml buttermilk

• berry or cherry jam and whipped cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Rub the butter into the flour. Add the castor sugar and lavender. Add the egg and buttermilk and mix together quickly; don’t over mix. If the dough seems a bit too dry, add a little more buttermilk.

2 Roll out to 2,5cm thickness on a lightly floured board. Cut out scone shapes with a scone cutter. Place them onto a greased and dusted baking tray. Brush with a little extra buttermilk and dust with a little flour. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool and serve with jam and whipped cream.

 Cheat‘s savoury croissants

• 750ml (410g) cake flour

• 25ml baking powder

• 50ml (45g) butter, cubed

• 400ml grated Cheddar cheese

• 125ml crumbled feta cheese

• 6 slices of salami, chopped

• 15ml finely snipped chives

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 180ml buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together in a bowl. Rub in the butter, then stir in the cheeses, salami and chives.

2 In a separate bowl, combine the egg, buttermilk and 60ml water. Stir into the dry ingredients. Divide into two. Roll each portion into a circle (about 26cm in diameter) on a floured surface. Cut into eight slices (like pizza slices). Roll each slice up, starting at the rounded edge and ending at the point. Turn the outer corners inwards to form a crescent.

3 Place onto a greased baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

 CHEESE AND HERB QUICHE

• 60ml butter

• 6 sheets phyllo pastry

• 3 leeks, thinly sliced

• 250ml grated mature Cheddar cheese

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 150ml cream

• 30ml each chopped parsley and chives

1.   Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat a saucepan and melt the butter. Brush a sheet of phyllo pastry with the butter. Cover with another sheet of pastry. Repeat to make six layers.

2.    Cut large enough to fit a rectangular or round quiche tin, allowing extra so the pastry can hang over the top of the tin.

3.    Fry the leeks in the butter that remains in the pan. Once they are soft, spoon into the prepared pastry.

4.    Whisk the remaining ingredients together and pour into the pastry. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until set and golden.