The late Queen Elizabeth’s chefs share their secrets!
The British love their tea, we all know that. And if we are very honest, we are always ready for a nice high tea. However, if your love for tea goes beyond just the drink, we have good news!
Royal Collection
As a royal family you have quite a history. Traditions, ceremonies, heirlooms, works of art, jewelry, and so on – they all have to be kept neatly! Fortunately, the Windsors have the Royal Collection Trust for this.
Sometimes very special pieces emerge from this. And one of our favorite bits of history that the RCT shares from time to time? These are the recipes from the royal kitchen. Because people understand: brunch with the royals goes beyond a sandwich with cheese!
This week they published the recipe for a classic from the palace kitchens: the so-called tea bread. This delicacy is just as much a bread as, for example, banana bread, and is more like a tasty spice cake. Sweet, fruity, and with an extra dose of tea: that sounds good, right?
This is what you need:
- 150 milliliters of boiling water
- 2 Earl Gray tea bags
- 120 grams of soft brown sugar
- 250 grams of dried fruit (think currants, raisins, dried apricots, etc.)
- 180 grams of flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice (pumpkin spice spices and gingerbread spices are a readily available alternative)
- 75 grams of egg
- Warm honey
- 1 cake tin
This is how you make this royal classic:
- Pour the boiling water over the tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags from the water and add the sugar and dried fruits. Let it soak for about 12 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease the baking tin and line it with baking paper.
- Now mix the flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs and fruit and mix well again.
- Carefully spoon the mixture into the cake tin.
- Place in the center of the oven and bake for about thirty minutes, or until the cake has turned a golden brown color.
- When the cake is almost ready, remove it from the oven and brush it generously with the warm honey. Then put your Tea Bread back in the oven and bake it for another ten minutes until it shines.
Touch!
Well that was closer than expected in the end. But we have a winner….🫖🍞 Share a photo if you have a go at making it! https://t.co/iPXp8OQuY1
— Royal Collection Trust (@RCT) October 11, 2023
Royal Teas
It is clear that many would like to (literally) taste tea like the Windsors. The RCT has published a complete book containing several of these tasty recipes: Royal Teas! This was written by Mark Flanagan, the late Queen Elizabeth’s long-time personal chef, and Kathryn Cuthbertson, the former Royal Pastry Chef. Not the least names, of course.
Maybe drinking tea with the royals isn’t an option, but drinking tea like a royal should be fine!
Source: Royal Collection Trust | Image: Adobe Stock
