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I did a class on English afternoon tea at the cooking store in our town. Traditional cucumber sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, coffee walnut cake, chocolate tartlets and lemon drizzle cake.

A picture of the coffee walnut cake . . . and the recipe


Coffee and Walnut Cake

1/2 c. walnut pieces
1 1/8 c. sugar
1 c. butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. flour
4 t. instant espresso powder 9if you can't find it you can use regular instant coffee but make it double strength)
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
4 eggs
1 - 2 tablespoons milk (or more if needed)

For the frosting:

2 1/4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
5 T. butter at room temperature
2 T. heavy cream
a few drops of vanilla
1 T. instant espresso mixed with 2 T. boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Butter 2 cake tins and line the base of each with baking parchment.


Put the walnut pieces in a food processor and blitz to a fine nutty powder. Add the buyer, flour 4 t. espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and eggs and process to a smooth batter. Add the milk, pouring it down the funnel with the motor running, or just pulsing, to loosen the cake mixture. If should be soft, dropping consistency, so add more milk, if needed. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake it in the oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tins for a few minutes before turning out onto a rack.

When the sponges are cool, make the buttercream. Pulse the icing sugar in the food processor to remove any lumps and then add the butter and process to make a smooth icing. Dissolve the instant espresso powder in 1 T. of boiling water and add it while still hot to the processor, pulsing to blend into the buttercream.

Turn one cake over and decorate with cream. Top with second layer. Cover the top of the cake with the rest of the icing and gently press the walnut halves into the top of the icing all around the edges to make a pretty pattern.

O.M.G.!!!!! That looks heavenly!!! I saved that recipe real quick. Thanks.

Sounds delicious! The photo answered my question - English or black walnuts...

This is definitely my kind of cake. Gonna have to try it, but I would toast the walnuts first. They are sooooo much better when they are toasted. And I would be putting the halves all over the top (we are a nut-loving family!).

What kind of cream did you use for the scones?

Sherry, I haven't seen a black walnut in YEARS!

Wow, when did our emoticons reappear?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CA Lori,

Martha you do the neatest, most interesting things! I bet the customers of the cooking store loved this demonstration/eating treat!

A proper English tea is probably my favorite meal. I dearly love scones and clotted cream and the tea sandwiches and goodies. On the Cunard ships they serve tea every afternoon at 3:30.

Note the white gloves on the waiter!

quote:

Originally posted by CA Lori:


What kind of cream did you use for the scones?

Part of the cooking "demo" was three kinds of "fake" cream --

the first was cream cheese and sour cream with a bit of sugar added

the second was cream cheese and whipping cream with a bit of sugar added

the third was creme fraiche whipped

The ladies thought the cream cheese/whipping cream "cream" was the best.

None of them, IMO, tasted like real clotted cream!

Although they were good!

Martha

CA Lori - Would you like me to send you some black walnuts? My mom has a couple recipes that are cherished and when either one of us finds the appropriate nuts we buy them for each other.
One is for Hickory Nut Cake and the other is a Black Walnut Dessert made with angel food cake - all made from scratch of course.

Well, last year I found black walnuts at the niche dairy store so I got some for each of us.
Another friend came to lunch and brought me black walnuts as a hostess gift.

I gave Mom black walnuts in her Christmas package.

A month later she confided in me that I wouldn't need to buy her anymore black walnuts, she still had some in the freezer her father had picked out, plus a couple or three bags I'd given her for birthday and Christmas - well to be concise she said "I'm sure I have enough black walnuts now to last me until I die!"

I noticed the other day the dairy has more black walnuts.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Lurah,

Thanks, Lurah, for the offer, but I'm just as happy using English walnuts.

Linderhof, how much cream cheese to whipping cream? Is the cream whipped? I'm not familiar with clotted cream so I have no idea if it's runny or not. What kind of consistency are we shooting for?

Lurah, you are nicer to CA Lori than me. I was going to offer to send her the whole walnuts and let her pick them out herself.

Lori -- the "mock" is good but not as good as the real deal. The cream cheese one was 3 oz. of cream cheese and 1 cup of heavy cream. And 1 T. sugar. Whip the cream cheese, add the heavy cream and sugar and whip until it is thick.

It's good and rich and creamy but doesn't really taste like real Devonshire or Clotted Cream.

Martha

Okay, Linderhof, you might or might not like this BUT I am going to start a new thread encouraging you to try out for the next season of "Master Chef" - come on, you know you would love to do it. More on the new thread!

Best Home Cooks of America - apply at fox/com/masterchef/

You go girl, you HAVE what it takes....

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Idaho Resident,

IR -- thank you so much but I'm just a cook not a chef and I do recipes from cookbooks -- I would be lost without a cookbook to cook from! I certainly am not on a Master Chef level -- I'm just a good home cook!

Martha

quote:

Well, last year I found black walnuts at the niche dairy store so I got some for each of us.
Another friend came to lunch and brought me black walnuts as a hostess gift.

I gave Mom black walnuts in her Christmas package.

A month later she confided in me that I wouldn't need to buy her anymore black walnuts, she still had some in the freezer her father had picked out, plus a couple or three bags I'd given her for birthday and Christmas - well to be concise she said "I'm sure I have enough black walnuts now to last me until I die!"

I had the same situation. Friend winters in AZ in an area known for pecans. Everytime she comes home to CA, she brings me a couple of bags of pecans. I have resorted to giving them to anyone who remotely mentions pecans. I only needed 4 ozs the one time I mentioned it to neighbor, not 40 pounds (slight exageration).

Oh, my goodness, PeppermintPatty!!!! Let's remedy that situation of giving away pecans willy nilly, okay? Here's my recipe for Spiced Pecans and they'll disappear like crazy.

Spiced Pecans

1 egg white
1 teas. cold water
1 lb pecans halves (or pieces if that's what you have)
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 teas. salt
1/2 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. nutmeg
1/4 teas. cloves
Dash of cayenne pepper

Beat egg white and water until frothy. Add nuts and mix well. Mix sugar and spices. Add to nuts and mix well. Spread on well buttered baking pan. Place in 225 degree oven for 1 hour. Stir every 15-20 minutes.

You can very easily make more at the time. I sometimes make several pounds and just increase the ingredients. Say, two or more egg whites, etc. Just don't get them too thick on the baking pan. You may have to do more than one batch or use another pan. And the spices can be to taste. I actually use more than the recipe calls for. If you don't like cloves, leave 'em out! Add something else. But, the cayenne (more or less as you like) gives a nice little kick. They keep well and travel well. Make wonderful gifts.


Enjoy!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Florida Farm Girl,