Royal countdown
Wedding-ready dishes are inspired by pomp and circumstance of afternoon tea
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is one week away, and we’ve got you covered. Check out our DIY guide to what to wear, what to eat and where to watch the big event,
The wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry takes place Saturday, May 19 at noon in Windsor, but in Toronto time, that means royal watchers could be tuning in as early as 4:30 a.m.
While I did make a home version of the royal wedding cake, I don’t expect many Torontonians to be craving buttercream that early in the day (read: make everything the day before).
Instead, I put together an easy breakfast spread inspired by the pomp and circumstance of afternoon tea that will hopefully give enough fuel for viewers to stay awake through the wedding festivities.
Think an ‘English fry-up’ condensed into mini quiches, an energizing salad made with tea sandwich fillings and fluffy, lemony scones inspired by the royal wedding cake.
LIU continued on L2
You may not have gotten an invite to the ceremony, but at least you can get a taste of it from the comfort of your couch.
English Breakfast Tarts
Star Tested These little savoury tarts take cues from an English fry-up by mixing back bacon, browned mushrooms and tomatoes in an egg mixture.
You can make the tarts a few days in advance and pop them in the fridge or freezer, then warm them up again in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes.
Pre-made mini pie shells can be found in the frozen food section of supermarkets. In recipe tests, I used both the No Name and Tenderflake-brand tart shells, and I found the latter had a flakier pastry and overall tastier result.
It may seem like a lot of mushrooms and shallots, but once the liquids cook, they shrink significantly. 24 unsweetened frozen mini tart shells with liners 1 tbsp (15 mL) canola or vegetable oil
8 oz (225 g) cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped (about 10-12) 4 shallots, thinly sliced
(about 1 cup) Salt and pepper, to taste 5-6 slices back bacon 4 large eggs 1 cup (250 mL) 2 per cent milk 12 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise 1 cup (250 mL) grated old cheddar Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat. Arrange tart shells on baking sheets. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add mushrooms and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until browned and reduced by half in volume, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Wipe down skillet. Over medium heat, cook bacon until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Coarsely chop bacon. Add to bowl with mushrooms and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Stir into bowl with mushrooms and shallots.
Pour mixture evenly into tart shells, careful not to overfill. Place a tomato half on top of each tart, pressing slightly into egg mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until eggs are set and cheese is bubbly. Remove from heat.
Let cool for 5 minutes before serving or let cool completely to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.
Makes 24 tarts.
Tea Sandwich Salad
Star Tested A splash of green doesn’t hurt in the morning. These mini salads inspired by afternoon tea sandwich fillings cut through the heavier quiche tarts. Make the dressing ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight container. Let it come back to room temperature just before tossing with the greens. The watercress, cucumber and radish can be pre-washed the night before and cut up just before serving. Keeping with the British theme, I used Keen’s hot mustard for the dressing, but you can use any kind. For the salad 1 large bunch watercress, washed, dried, woody ends trimmed 4-5 radishes, thinly sliced (about 1 cup) 1/2 field cucumber, thinly sliced (about 1 cup) Capers, for garnish In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients together. Just before serving, toss with dressing (see below) and garnish with capers. Serve in mini teacups or bowls. For the vinaigrette 1/4 cup (60 mL) apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 2 tsp (10 mL) hot mustard Salt and pepper, to taste In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil and mustard until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use. Before serving, let dressing come back to room temperature before adding to salad.
Makes 8 small servings.
Lemon Scones With Elderflower Icing
Star Tested This is a more breakfast-friendly version of the lemon-elder-flower cake that will be served at the wedding. Best of all, you can make these a day or two in advance and store them in an airtight container until ready to be served. The scone recipe is from Daphna Rabino- vitch’s Classic Cream Scones recipe (I just added lemon zest) and can be found in her comprehensive and award-winning The Baker In Me cookbook. I highly recommend picking up a copy, especially since she’s a fellow Torontonian. These scones are fluffy, not too sweet and don’t require an electric mixer or food processor. For the scones 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour 1/3 cup (80 mL) granulated sugar 1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder 1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt 1/3 cup (80 mL) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 3/4 cup (180 mL) cold 35 per cent whipping cream 1 cold large egg Zest of 2 lemons Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C) and arrange middle rack. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter in flour mixture until butter turns into pea-sized pieces. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, whisk together cream, egg and zest. Drizzle over flour and butter mixture. Toss with a fork until dough is wet and mostly incorporated.
Transfer dough to a clean work surface. Knead gently until dough is smooth and moist. Shape dough into an 8-inch by 5-inch (20-centimetres by 13-centimetres) rectangle that is 1 inch (2.5 centimetres) thick. Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut rectangle in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 6 rectangles. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until golden and baked through. Cool scones on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before serving. Cool completely before adding glaze.
Makes 12 scones. For the icing Elderflower syrup can be found at bar supply stores, but I used the lower-priced elderflower drink concentrate sold at Ikea (use leftover syrup in other baking projects or simply mix it with club soda for elderflower pop). If using syrup, start with half the amount and add more to taste. 1 cup (250 mL) powdered sugar, plus more as necessary 11/2 tbsp (22 mL) elderflower drink concentrate 11/2 tsp (7 mL) milk, plus more as necessary In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth and achieves a thick consistency similar to pancake batter. If mixture is too dry, add more milk.
If mixture is too wet, add more sugar. Drizzle over scones using a spoon or a piping bag. Allow to fully dry before serving. A runnier mixture will take longer to dry.