Columbia Metropolitan Magazine

Low tea or high tea — what is the difference? Mrs. Isabella Beeton, English author of The Book of Household Management (1880) wrote that the “cozy affairs” are afternoon teas or low teas in which the tea service is presented on low, elegant tables. “At home” teas required easy-to-manage sweet and savory foods chosen in anticipation of the late evening meal to come. The protocol was two-bite portions.

Tea foods appeared on tiered cake stands: cakes and pastries on top; scones in the middle, tea sandwiches on the bottom. Of Scottish heritage, scones are de rigueur on any tea table. The hostess is showing respect when asking a guest to pour the tea. In England, it is called “playing mother” because this is usually the matriarch’s responsibility.

Afternoon tea evolved among the working class to become the high tea, which replaced the late dinner. Mrs. Beeton remarked that this “moveable feast” could be served when convenient; little formality was needed. Fancy finger sandwiches had no place in this meal! A menu with cold meat dishes, at least one hot dish, salad, cake, and fruit would be served at a “high” dining table or kitchen table.

The countryside “farmhouse tea” includes bread, cheese, ham, pudding, and other foods to satisfy hearty appetites. The evening “cuppa” is poured from a Brown Betty, the quintessential English teapot first manufactured in 1695. Produced from terra cotta, it holds the heat well. High tea is now referred to as “tea, the meal.”

Lifestyles and dining customs change; formal afternoon tea service is now usually reserved for special occasions in posh hotels and tearooms. But the experience is not to be missed. Recent English trends include themed teas such as Mad Hatter’s Tea; garden teas that resemble Chelsea Flower Show exhibits; sightseeing tea on a double-decker bus; Sherlock Holmes Tea; and a delightful tea with live kittens.

A tea party does not have to be a complicated affair; it is more about sharing quality time with family and good friends. These recipes may inspire new tea traditions and encourage exploration into the wonderful world of tea.

Harlequin Shortbread

No common “biscuit,” this Scottish culinary icon has a long, distinguished history. Medieval shortbread was refined by Mary, Queen of Scots in the 17th century. She was partial to these triangular shortbread wedges cut from dough rounds that resembled the spread-out pattern (tallie) used for making bell-hoop petticoats for the court ladies. Enjoy a wedge with a cup of Earl Grey or rose-infused hot tea.

1 cup (8 ounces) quality, unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar (plus extra for dusting)

1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup stone ground white rice flour (Bob’s Red Mill)

1 1/2 cups unbleached cake flour (King Arthur) or all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon extra-dark unsweetened cocoa (extra for dusting)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add rice flour, then cake flour; blend only until large clumps appear. By hand, press mixture into a dough. Divide dough; knead cocoa into 1/2 of the mix. Pat each half into an 8-inch round baking pan; cover with plastic wrap to smooth tops. Press a design around dough edges. Chill at least 1 hour. Dock (prick) the tops with a fork. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Bake dough 40 minutes until dry and slightly crisp; do not brown. With a sharp knife, cut each round into 6 or 8 wedges; do not remove until cool. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the vanilla wedges and cocoa over the chocolate wedges. Makes 16 pieces. Recipe from Cooking with Grains by Susan Slack (HP Books).

Currant Scones

The Devonshire Cream Tea is a simple tea service that is popular around England with scones, clotted cream, jam, or lemon curd and a pot of tea. In Southwest England, a long-standing controversy exists between Devonshire and Cornwall on whether scones should be topped first with clotted cream or with jam. In Devon, it is clotted cream first, then jam. In Cornwall, it is jam, then clotted cream. They also disagree on the pronunciation of scone; does it rhyme with bone or gone? The slightly dense texture of a British scone is well suited to these toppings. This version falls somewhere between the polished British scone and the rustic, American-style scone.

2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup cake flour)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder (make certain it is fresh)

1 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

1/3 to 1/2 cup Zante currants

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups chilled heavy cream, divided

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Clotted cream (Fresh Market) and jam

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a heavy-duty baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. (Two stacked baking sheets will protect scone bottoms from excess browning.) Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt 30 seconds to blend. Add butter; mash with fingers or cut it in, forming small clumps. Mix in currants. Whisk egg yolk, 1 cup cream, and vanilla together. Pour into flour, stirring with a wooden spoon to form a soft, shaggy dough. If needed, add remaining cream. Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Press out and fold dough 4 or 5 times. Pat into a 1-inch-thick circle. Cut scones with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter (do not twist cutter). Place on baking sheet. Layer dough scraps for cutting. Brush tops with any remaining egg mixture. (Or, whisk 1 yolk with cream or milk.) Bake 10 minutes or until firm and light golden brown. Frozen, unbaked scones can go directly into a hot oven; increase baking time by several minutes. Makes 8 or 9 scones.

Tip: If clotted cream is unavailable, lighten one cup of softened Italian mascarpone by folding in a small amount of whipped, heavy cream. Another luscious topping is creme fraiche, a French-style cultured cream.

Scones with Rose Cream Glaze

Grace the tea table with these glazed scones, which have the scent of roses from Nielsen Massey Rose Water, an elegant steam distillate of the purest rose petals. It is highly concentrated, so add it to foods drop by drop and then taste before adding more.

Bake one recipe of the Currant Scones omitting currants. As they cool, prepare the Rose Cream Glaze. Whisk until smooth 1 sifted cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream, a pinch of sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla, 1 to 3 drops rose water, to taste. Spoon mixture over scones. Garnish with unsprayed rose petal, if available.