Snack in royal style

[1]

What began as a tradition in the late 1700s, has still a lot of takers in India. English high tea derives its essence from serving workers who arrived home late from work. Originally, the brainchild of the Duchess of Bedford, who would invite friends and serve crustless cucumber sandwiches with an array of scones, muffins and pastries topped with jam or clotted cream. The spread of dishes would also comprise platters of eggs, meats, breads, butter and the obvious tea. High tea is served as a combination of savoury and sweet (to suit all palates) with an emphasis on presentation topped by gossip and timeless conversation.
Though the art of high tea may have been reduced to its minimal state, Chef Rohit Gambhir helps you take the art of high tea into your home with these English recipes.

***
Scones

Ingredients:

136 gm pastry flour
136 gm bread flour
110 gm sugar
20 gm baking powder
75 gm butter
200 ml cream (35 per cent)
2 eggs
60 gm raisins
Egg Wash (beaten eggs with a little water)

Method

Sift all the dry ingredients together. Add in butter but do not over mix. Mix cream and eggs together. Add raisins and liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, until just combined. Knead 2-3 times and roll out into balls, 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick. Cut with a cutter dusted with flour. Place biscuits on a lined sheet, brush with egg wash and let it rest for 45 minutes. Bake at
1700 C for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Yields 24 scones.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

7 eggs
Juice of 12 lemons
Zest of 2 lemons
375 gm castor sugar
75 gm corn flour
250 gm unsalted butter
1 whole lemon for garnish
25 gm dark chocolate
250 gm sweet paste
250 gm meringue mixture
100 ml egg white
300 gm castor sugar

Method

Make a lemon cream by mixing egg, lemon juice, zest, sugar and cornflour over a double boiler. Once it thickens, fold in butter and cool it. Line a tart mould with the sweet paste and blind bake it at 1800 C for 25 minutes. After the tart cools down, apply melted chocolate on it. Pour the lemon cream on it. Make an Italian meringue with the egg white and sugar. Scoop out dollops of meringue on the lemon tart.
Torch the meringue and serve garnished with slices of lemon. The base of a pie is short crust pastry known as sweet paste. It is either sweet for sweets or salty for savouries.