Treats to raise a cup to
A little tea can do for an afternoon sweet what wine can do for the evening meal
Liz Franklin grew up in North Yorkshire, where tea was tea. “At my house, she says, “it was made with loose leaves in a teapot and ‘mashed’ (brewed) until it was dark and robustly flavoured. It was served with a smidgen of milk, nothing else. It was wet and warm and sometimes so strong you could almost stand a spoon up in it, the sort of tea that builders are notoriously supposed to thrive on, but that was how it was then – back in the days when pasta meant spaghetti hoops in a tin and olive oil came from the chemist!”
Quality teas, says Franklin, can bring out the best in the food we choose to eat alongside our chosen cuppa, just as the right fine wine can enhance a plate of food.
In her new book Tea and Cake, Franklin matches a multitude of stunning teas with lovely homemade sweet treats.
Following is one of her recipes: ORANGE PEKOE TEA with FAT RASCALS
Despite the name, orange pekoe doesn’t actually contain any orange. Orange pekoe is a term largely used to describe a category of black teas noted for their high quality, which mostly come from India and Sri Lanka. I first ate fat rascals in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, at Betty’s Cafe´ Tea Rooms, but at the time they wouldn’t divulge the recipe, so I bought one and did a bit of an autopsy on it at home. Here’s what I came up with.
Ingredients
■ 150 g/1 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain/allpurpose flour
■ 150 g/1 cup plus 2 tablespoons selfraising/rising flour
■ 1 teaspoon baking powder
■ 130 g/9 tablespoons butter, cubed
■ 90 g/scant 1⁄2 cup caster/superfine sugar
■ grated zest of 1 orange
■ grated zest of 1 lemon
■ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
■ 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
■ 150 g/1 generous cup mixed dried fruit (I use currants, raisins and sultanas)
■ 1 egg, beaten
■ 50 ml/3 tablespoons milk
■ 1 egg yolk
■ a pinch of salt
■ glace´ cherries and blanched almonds, to decorate
MAKES 6 Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas
Sift both flours and the baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the fl our until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar, orange and lemon zests, spices and dried fruit and mix well. Add the beaten egg and enough milk to bring the mixture together to a soft dough. Shape the mixture into 6 saucer-sized rounds, about 2 cm (5 in.) deep.
Mix the egg yolk, 1 tablespoon water and salt together to make a glaze and brush this over the fat rascals. Decorate with the cherries and almonds. Transfer to a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Fat rascals are best served warm, either alone or with plenty of butter. They’re also gorgeous served with vanilla-scented mascarpone.
FOR 1 POT OF TEA Ingredients
■ 3–4 teaspoons orange pekoe tea
■ Sugar or honey, to taste
■ Milk, to taste.
Method
Warm the pot and add the tea leaves. Pour in boiling water and leave to brew for about 4 minutes. Sweeten with sugar or honey and add milk, if desired.