Bridgerton’s back and we’re baking away an Afternoon Tea fit for The Ton.
The countdown to the return to the royal court is officially on; we are a mere couple of days away from whetting our whistle(down) once more with the return of Part II of Bridgerton’s third season. If you too, like us, have been hating the hiatus of our favourite period drama (yes, we know it’s only been a few weeks wait between the first half of the series), then find consolation in knowing Polin will soon be gracing our screens and hearts once more.
How should one celebrate such a joyous occasion? We think it’s only fitting that you host a royal regency viewing party of stately standards for Part II; hence we’ve concocted a sweet celebratory recipe to serve at an Afternoon Tea even Queen Charlotte wouldn’t snuff at.
A brief history of British tea time:
Two terms often (incorrectly) used interchangeably is that of Afternoon Tea and High Tea. We can all envision, if we may not have partaken, in the whimsical wonder of the ritual of sipping tea accompanied by trays of petite sandwiches, miniature cakes and petit fours and scones with jam and cream (jam spread first, always!) This tradition, a luxurious antidote to 3:30itis, is known as Afternoon Tea and came to fruition in England in the mid 1800’s during the reign of Queen Victoria. The roots of the ritual have been credited to the seventh Duchess of Bedford who has said to have required nourishment to tide her over between the hours of lunch and dinner, and thus the birth of Afternoon Tea was born. A ceremony reserved for the affluent upper echelons of British society at this time, Afternoon Tea was usually held in the elegant drawing rooms of wealthy households or their meticulously manicured gardens. This ritual has survived through to present day, where the art of Afternoon Tea can often be found in elaborate tea rooms, luxurious hotels and tea houses around the world. Many establishments have put a unique twist on the ceremony, adopting themes which seep from the interior décor to the tea that’s so lovingly steeped. The Sanderson Hotel in London offers a Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea in homage to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, complete with mini potion bottles of fruity elixirs entitled “Drink Me” in reference to the shrinking potion Alice famously drinks while the up market Berkeley Hotel in posh Knightsbridge hosts a Prêt-à-Portea, a clever play on words for their afternoon tea centred around all things fashion. And while sticking to the classic lineup of tea, scones with jam and clotted cream, and miniature egg salad or cucumber sandwiches is sure to impress and delight, we think Pen’s cheeky personality deserves a delectable delight that honours and pays homage to tradition, with a spin.
With many shared flavours between these two traditional desserts, we’ve popped our pastry chef hats on to come up with this classic combination with a twist (much like the electrically entertaining relationship between demure Bridgerton’s and eccentric Featherington's).
Introducing, the Sconington – mooreish lovechild between a British Scone and Aussie Lamington.
What you’ll need:
- Homemade or store-bought Plain Scones
- Homemade or store-bought Raspberry or Strawberry Jam
- 250g good quality 70% Dark Chocolate
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
- Desiccated Coconut
- 250mL Double Cream
- Freeze-Dried Raspberry Powder (optional)
Method:
1. Gently warm scones in an oven of 160°C for 5-7 minutes till warm but not gaining colour.
2. Melt dark chocolate and coconut oil over a bain-marie of water till melted and glossy.
3. Dip scones into melted chocolate so outside is coated and lay on a tray lined with parchment paper to set.
4. Immediately sprinkle with desiccated coconut so it adheres to the chocolate before it sets.
5. *Optional step: Add the double cream into a bowl and sift freeze-dried raspberry powder so there are no lumps.
6. Fold the raspberry powder through the double cream to create a raspberry ripple effect.
7. Once the chocolate has set on the outside of the scones, slice in half and serve with raspberry clotted cream and jam.
Serving suggestion: Gently warm the jam in microwave or on stove top before serving to create a warm, rich and easily spreadable consistency.
So pop the kettle on or pop the bubbly and perfect the vibe of your viewing party with our range of Regency-inspired romantic drinkware, serveware and dessert spoons itching to come out and play!
Happy Styling x GIGI&TOM
