More Summer Pudding, Please!

 Summer Pudding

Summer is winding down...

and I'm still savoring my Summer Pudding Tea

these last few weeks of summer.

I'm also enjoying time in my kitchen with the last of summer's
berry harvests.

Red Fruits

Not all Americans are familiar with Summer Pudding. 

Summer Pudding is a chilled British dessert made in a large pudding mould
or small individual moulds.  Its ingredients are simple...

stale white bread, luscious summer fruits and sugar.  

I've wanted to make Summer Pudding for years now. 

All my British recipes call for red currants which are very popular in England but very difficult to find here in sunny California.  I finally found red currants earlier this month at a grocer in the San Francisco Bay Area.  The red currants were grown and shipped in
from Hurst's Berry Farm in Oregon...
a climate closer to England for growing red currants.

Pudding Please!

So I finally got to make Summer Pudding!  I adore small desserts so I chose a recipe
for Individual Summer Puddings and I already had the moulds.

Years ago on a trip to London, I picked up small pudding moulds at the

neat cook shop Divertimenti.  Loved that store!

***The recipe is a keeper and my tip:

 be sure to use stale bread and red currants!

Happy end of summer...

and I hope your last few weeks of summer

include a little summer pudding!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Hearts 8.5" plate, Black Toast French Bowl and

Divertimenti Pudding Tins.)

Summer Pudding

Summer Pudding

It's still summer in California.

A trip to the San Francisco Bay Area last weekend

yielded me some beautiful berries and fresh red currants. 

Delicious red summer fruits that are perfect for making summer puddings. 

A trip to London in May yielded me some unique tea blends,

including a summer favorite, 

 Summer Pudding.

Summer Pudding tea is from my favorite British tea purveyor,

Whittard of Chelsea. 

 Summer Pudding Tea

Summer Pudding tea is as delicious as it sounds. 

Imagine the delicious kitchen smells of making summer puddings

or your favorite red fruit jams

and you've captured the essence of Summer Pudding tea.

This black tea is flavored with succulent summer

 fruits and a hint of spicy juniper.  I enjoy it both hot and iced with a little sugar

to sweeten up its fruity taste.

Whittard of Chelsea

I never visit England without a trip to Whittard of Chelsea

to stock up on unique flavored black teas with wonderful British names like:

Summer Pudding, English Rose and Sticky Toffee Pudding.

There are branches all over London and the UK. 

My favorite Whittard of Chelsea locations are at London's Covent Garden

  Bath and York England.

 Just look for the blue signs

and step into a Whittard of Chelsea branch

where you'll find 130 tempting tea blends including,

Summer Pudding...

a summer time favorite of mine.


(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Hearts 8.5" Plate and Hellebore Tea Cup & Saucer and Spode Tea Caddy Spoon.)

British Flapjacks

 Flapjacks

It's back to school time and do I have the perfect afternoon treat for you...
 British Flapjacks.

Flapjacks in the U.K. are not at all like American flapjacks (pancakes).  British Flapjacks are sweet oat bars that remind me of thick granola bars. 

I had my first British Flapjack in Stow-on-The-Wold at a cute British bakery
in the Cotswolds over 10 years ago.  The first time my husband and I had them we said to each other "these must be the original granola bar!"

I've been collecting Flapjack recipes ever since. 

The Ingredients

Most Flapjack recipes call for just a few basic ingredients:
Oats, Demerara sugar, Golden Syrup and butter.

Golden Syrup is the key ingredient for authentic British Flapjacks.  Not all Americans are familiar with it.  I don't recommend making British Flapjacks unless you have Golden Syrup.  Lyle's Golden Syrup is a brand that is fairly easy to find in America.  I purchased mine at Cost Plus World Market. 


 Let's Make Some Flapjacks:

Flapjacks are simple to make.

Butter, sugar and golden syrup are heated up over medium heat on the stove top. 

Next the oats and spice mixture are added.  Mix well making sure all the oats are coated. 

The oat mixture is pressed into a well greased 8" x 8" pan

and baked for 15 to 20 minutes.

The Flapjacks are cooled for about 5 minutes and then cut into bar shapes while still in the pan. 

Let them completely cool in the pan before removing them. 

Enjoy with a cup of Yorkshire Tea or PG Tips! 

Truly Great Flapjacks!

My latest batch of Flapjacks is from a recipe in the new

Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine and it's a keeper!

I also found a similar recipe online at Bon Appetit for British Flapjacks. 

Next on my list though is to try Sophie Dahl's Golden Flapjacks recipe from

her UK show The Delicious Miss Dahl.  

Sohpie adds coconut, dried mango and dried cherries to her Flapjack version.  

Sounds divine!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack pottery.)

Yorkshire Tea Loaf

Tea & Cake

One of my favorite things about travelling to Great Britain

is learning about tea and tea time traditions. 

While travelling in England this year, I enjoyed a tea break

or afternoon tea nearly everyday. 

I came home with wonderful

tea time ideas along with a few souvenirs.

 Cold Tea Loaf

Besides carrying home an Emma Bridgewater Tea Pot,
I also carried home...
a Cold Yorkshire Tea Loaf!

I purchased my tea loaf at The Yorkshire Pantry in York, England.

York is famous for Bettys Tea Room (yes, I had afternoon tea there)  and Yorkshire Tea, so I wanted to buy a packaged Yorkshire Tea Tea Loaf to bring home.  It was out of stock, so the clerk recommended another Yorkshire Tea Loaf  handmade by The Harrogate Cake Co. instead.  (Mums the word...they told me it was even a better tea loaf!)

I hand carried my Yorkshire tea loaf further on our journey to Scotland,
Paris and then home to the States.  It made it home beautifully...
and all in one piece!

All Gone!

I now know what a real Yorkshire Cold Tea Loaf tastes like and

 can't wait to make them at home. 

And if you're an American and wondering about the name, Cold Tea Loaf...

it's called that because the fruits (currants, sultanas and mixed peel) are steeped overnight in strong Yorkshire Tea to plump up.  You then bake it the next day.

So now I'm on a search for an authentic Yorkshire Tea Loaf recipe. 

I recently found a British recipe in Good Food magazine by Mary Berry for a Family Fruit Teabread.  She soaks her fruit over night in Earl Grey tea.  I am going to try her recipe using Yorkshire Tea instead.  I'll let you know how it turns out. 

Yorkshire Tea

P.S. Yes, Yorkshire Tea tastes better in Yorkshire!


(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack Tea Pot, mug and Black Toast Crumbs plate.)

Jamie's Tea

 So Refreshing!

There's nothing like an iced tea on a hot summer afternoon!

Today I brewed up a pot of Mango and Passion Fruit Tea by Jamie Oliver's company Jme. 

Jamie's tea caught my attention awhile back at my local Williams Sonoma store.  While out shopping yesterday I noticed it was on sale from $29.99 to only $7.99 so naturally I couldn't pass it up!  Since my tea cupboard is quite well stocked these days, I decided to try his Mango and Passion Fruit Tea because I thought it would be wonderful iced.  I was right.

Here are a few of my tips for making iced tea:

Steeping the tea

Always use premium loose teas for making iced teas.  I use one teaspoon of tea for every cup.

To avoid a mess,  use a large tea filter and keep it securely closed with a teeli click.   Steep for the proper brewing time of the tea your using.

Today, Jamie's tea steeped to a beautiful pink color in 4 minutes time.

 Icing the tea

Quite often iced tea becomes cloudy after you make it. 

The best way to avoid cloudy tea, is after the tea has steeped, immediately put ice cubes in it.  I find this method works every time. 

The` a la mangue et aux fruits de la passion

Jamie's Mango and Passion Fruit Tea is a melange of premium black tea and dried fruit pieces.  Jamie selected Taiwanese tea specialists Smith & Hsu to blend his teas.  The teas come packaged in sleek modern metal tea caddies which are reusable.  

I enjoyed this tea iced and sweetened with sugar. It is a very light and tropical tasting tea.

They say...

 fruit infusion teas are very beneficial to ones health. 

So drink up!

(In the photos:  French Bee glass, Emma Bridgewater Hearts Sugar Bowl and Liberty of London Poppy fabric.)

Strawberry Tea 2011

 A Strawberry Tea Party!

This summer all over the UK,

 ladies are having fundraising Strawberry Tea Parties. 

British ladies are baking, canning and knitting all for the wonderful effort to raise money for Breast Cancer Care.  I love this campaign!  How wonderful...

 tea parties with a cause!

 Strawberries & Cream Cupcakes

For more information, have a look the UK's Breast Cancer Care website. 

I love their Top Tea Party Tips, Recipes and, of course,

 their Strawberry Tea Cosy.
 

The adorable tea cosy is a free pattern, thanks to knitwear designer Libby Tomey who supports this cause.  Knitters knit up Strawberry Tea Cosies and then raffle them off at Strawberry Teas.  I love this idea! 

I found a delicious recipe for Strawberries & Cream Cupcakes in Cupcakes by Janet Smith.  (Yes, it's even a British cook book.) 

So, now I'm ready for a Strawberry Tea Party!

I do hope this idea takes off here in America...

 for one of our Breast Cancer charities. 

In the meantime,

 it's a nice reminder to make a donation to one's favorite charity.  

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Hearts Tea Cups and Plates and Blue Toast & Marmalade Teapot.)

Teeli Click

Time for The` Glace

(French Iced Tea)

It's the heat of summer...

so I'm drinking a lot of iced tea!

As a California girl, I grew up on Lipton (instant) iced tea.  

There was always a huge cooler of good 'ole Lipton in our ski boat

on every trip out on the water. 

Today, I prefer to make my iced tea with premium loose teas. 

 I enjoy Yorkshire Tea iced and I love to experiment with French teas

 for The` Glaces (French Iced Teas).

Teeli Click!

On my latest trip to Paris,

I discovered the neatest little tea gadget for making tea. 

It's called  Teeli Click. 

Teeli Clicks are the perfect accompaniment to tea filter bags.  The Teeli Click is a little clip that "snaps" like a barrette.  You just "click-it" on your tea filter bag to close it and "voila"...no more messy tea leaves. 

I love using my Teeli Click with large tea filters for making a pitcher of iced tea.  It comes on a little chain with a hook so you can hook it on your glass tea pot while steeping your tea.  

I found my Teeli Clicks at Le Palais de The`s in Paris. 
It's another one of my favorite tea shops in le Marais...
just a few blocks away from Mariage Freres. 

Wills & KaTea

 Royal-tea

Let's hear it for a big "Royal Welcome" to

Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge
to the golden state of California!

 The royal couple are set to arrive in America at the Los Angeles airport at 3:40 PM today.  They will be greeted by California Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife. 

Since I can't be there to greet them...
I do hope someone realizes that 4:00 PM is tea time
and offers them a good "cuppa" or better yet, some California iced tea!

Wills & KaTea Blend

I'm celebrating Prince William and Catherine's visit with a special tea blend named after them,  Wills & KaTea.  Don't you just love that name?  This blend commemorates the Royal Wedding and is black tea,  flavored with passion fruit, grapefruit and orange.  It's wonderful with milk and sugar. 

I purchased my tea at the adorable tea boutique and cafe Eteaket on my recent trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. 

I found out about Eteaket in last years Cath Kidston catalog in a shopping feature on Edinburgh.  I had hoped to have tea and cake there but couldn't fit it into a one day trip to Edinburgh.  I did manage to walk by Eteaket in the Princes Street area but they were already closed.  The door was still open so I "popped" in and they let me buy some tea.  "Thank you" to the nice girls working that day at Eteaket!

Hurrah for Wills & Kate!

I'm also drinking my Wills & KaTea tea in true British style...

in my Emma Bridgewater William and Kate Wedding Mug
that I purchased at the Emma Bridgewater factory
 in Stoke-on-Trent, England. 

Hurrah for William and Kate coming to California!

 (In the photos: Emma Bridgewater William and Kate 1/2 pint Wedding Mug.)

All American Muffins!

 Blackberry Muffins

We have an abundance of Farmers Market blackberries at our house so I whipped up some delicious Blackberry Muffins for our 4th of July breakfast today.

I love making muffins and they seem so "All-American" to me.  You really don't see American style muffins in Europe...unless you venture into a Starbucks!   

 Farmers Market Blackberries

My husband grew up in Oregon and loves blackberries. 

Growing up his mom would send him and his sisters down the road to pick blackberries.  She would then make yummy pies, cobblers and blackberry jam.

Today, I just send my husband to the Farmers Market for fresh California blackberries.  I normally make cobblers with them but decided to make blackberry muffins for the 4th of July holiday. 

All American Muffins!

I used Williams Sonoma Blackberry Muffins recipe. 

You need just 2 cups of fresh blackberries for this muffin recipe.  It has a delicious crumble topping with chopped pecans that gives these muffins a bit of coffee cake flair!  ( I added 1t. of cinnamon to the crumble topping and doubled the cinnamon in the muffin batter.)

You certainly could also enjoy these muffins in the afternoon with a cup of tea.  I think they would pair nicely with Twinings Lady Grey! 

Well, I still have plenty of blackberries left so...

 I think I'm making a blackberry cobbler for dessert tonight!

In the photos:  (Spode The Blue Room Collection "Woodman" 6" plate and Emma Bridgewater Black Toast & Marmalade French Bowl.)

Blackberry Goodness!

 Blackberry Shortbread Squares

Leave it to Martha...

this recipe is a keeper. 

Martha Stewart's Blackberry Shortbread Squares were a hit at my house and

I'm sure they'll be a hit at your house,too. 

Here's a look at my batch...

 Almond Shortbread Crust

This is a quick press-in-the-pan recipe that yields tasty results.

The almond shortbread crust takes the most effort and is worth every step.  Besides the normal shortbread ingredients, this crust requires blanched almonds which you roast in the oven, cool and then finely ground in a food processor.  A bit of almond extract adds even more almond flavor for the most delicious shortbread crust I've ever had (outside of Scotland)!

 Farmers Market Berries

Fresh berries are then scattered over the shortbread crust. 

 Off to the oven!

One cup of reserved shortbread dough is crumbled over the berries and

then it's off to the oven to bake.   Then it's time to enjoy this berry goodness!

This is a great summer berry recipe just in time for the 4th of July.  You can even make it with other seasonal berries. For the 4th of July holiday, I think it would be quite "All American" made with blackberries, blueberries and red raspberries!

I think these delicious squares are a perfect summer tea treat
to enjoy with a good friend in the garden,
with your favorite "cuppa"!

Special Note:  I followed Martha's recipe version in her Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home cookbook.  Its measurements/ingredients are slightly different than the recipe available here online at MarthaStewart.com. 

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Black Toast & Marmalade Crumbs plate)

Weekend Project!

Blackberries!

Summer has arrived!

Every week my husband brings home beautiful berries from the farmers market. 

So, I've decided my weekend project this weekend is...

Blackberry Shortbread Squares.

I'll post the results and recipe next week on

Teatime Tuesday!

(In the photos:  Emma Bridgewater Black Toast French Bowl)

Bienvenue Laduree!

 Laduree 

21 rue Bonaparte

It's no secret...

Laduree is my favorite Paris Patisserie

and

French Tea Salon!

Laduree at Harrods

Did you know,

you don't have to travel to Paris to have the Laduree experience? Today Laduree has locations all over the world including three locations in London.  

On our recent holiday in London we had to "pop" into Harrods just to see the Laduree at Harrods.  Of course, we had to try some macarons to compare them to their Parisian counterparts.   

I was curious if the macarons for the London branch were made in London or shipped in daily from Paris.  I politely asked the Laduree clerk and found out that they are made locally in London.  They tasted the same but for some reason, my husband and I agreed...

macarons are just more magical in Paris!

Laduree is a smashing success in London and they will soon be opening even another branch in trendy Convent Garden.

Laduree

Champs Elysess

Americans adore Laduree so wouldn't it be grand if Laduree would open

here in the States?

Well it's finally coming true..

Laduree is opening this July in New York City. 

Several years ago there was a rumor about a New York City branch opening, but it never happened.  This time it's really happening and America will soon have it's own Laduree branch at 864 Madison Avenue! 

I can only hope (and keep my fingers crossed) that Laduree will eventually expand to other fashionable cities in America, like San Francisco.  For now, New York City sounds a little closer than Paris for a macaron fix!

les Macarons

Bienvenue Laduree to the Etats-Unis!

(Welcome Laduree to the United States!)

Taking Tea at Laduree

Tea at Laduree

I can finally check having tea at Laduree off my Paris list!

Finally on our 5th tip to Paris my dream of having tea at Laduree came true.

All I can say is...

it was worth the wait
and

"merci" to my wonderful husband for being my Laduree date. 

16 Rue Royal

There are a number of fashionable locations for dining at Laduree in Paris.  I selected the Laduree Tea Salon at 16 Rue Royal.  It's one of my favorite Laduree locations on the elegant Right Bank.  It's also the original Laduree location which Louis Ernest Laduree created in 1862 as a bakery. 

On our first day in Paris, our first stop was 16 Rue Royal to make reservations for lunch the following day. 

The Tea Salon

After a fabulous first day in Paris it was time to enjoy Laduree on day two. 

Stepping into the Laduree tea salon was like stepping into another era.

Being a decorator, I was in awe of its beautiful hand painted cherub fresco ceiling and wood panels throughout.  Laduree's soft pastel trademark colors are apparent everywhere you look..even on the china. 

 Saint- Honore

Our reservation at Laduree was for 1:00 PM. 

My husband and I shared a delicious crab sandwich from the lunch menu followed by luscious Laduree desserts and tea.

From the les The`s Laduree menu, I selected The Melange Special Laduree tea.  It is a delicate blend of citrus fruit, rose, vanilla and cinnamon.   It was served in a silver tea pot, of course! 

For our French treats we shared a Tarte Citron, Laduree's signature Rose Raspberry Saint-Honore and a few Macaroons. 

Laduree's Saint-Honore pastry was the most wonderful and beautiful dessert my husband and I have ever had!  Just imagine cream puffs, framboise (raspberry) and rose all executed in a breathtakingly beautiful pastry with a rose petal on top. 

 Table #16

Our Laduree experience was perfect in every way. 

We were seated by a friendly monsieur at table #16 with a wonderful view of the salon.  

I'm calling Table #16 now our special table at Laduree.

We were married on May 16, 2001 and honeymooned in Paris.  We were now in Paris 10 years later celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary and were seated at table #16 at 16 Rue Royale!

The next time we're in Paris...
I'll be asking for table #16 when I make our reservations!                 

les Macaroons

Laduree is truly a very special place in the world

and
I'm so happy my dream of having tea at Laduree came true!

Now I dream of going back to Laduree and...

 table #16.

Tea Dream Comes True!

Afternoon Tea at Laduree

My dream to have afternoon tea at Laduree in Paris came true last week! 

I loved having afternoon tea at Laduree's Royale Tea Salon.  It was the most elegant experience of my entire holiday and I loved dining with all the fashionable French people!

I'm still too jet lagged to do a proper write-up on this elegant experience. 

Do stay tuned though...

 for pretty photographs and my story of having tea at Ladureee coming soon!

PS:  There are two new summer macaron flavors just introduced that I was able to try in Paris:

Strawberry Mint and Melon. 

They were lovely but my favorites are still Chocolat and Citron (Lemon). 

Au revoir for now.

Keep Calm and Drink Tea!

Tea Break

I'm on a "Tea Break" holiday in England...

enjoying afternoon tea everyday. 

I'll be back soon. 

Until then, as they say in England...

Keep Calm

and

Drink Tea

Hail Britannia!

Time for Tea

If you love tea...

you can never have too many teapots!

Emma Bridgewater's Union Jack teapot has been on my "wish list"
for a very long time. 

During the Royal Wedding weekend, a US stockist, Joann Hudson ran a "Royal Sale" on all Emma Bridgewater pottery.  I treated myself to a new teapot and even though it's not commemorative china, I think it's a wonderful souvenir for me to remember the Royal Wedding.

I love that it's hand-decorated and made in Stoke-on-Trent, England...
also known as The Potteries!

It arrived yesterday and I love it! 


(In the photo:  Emma Bridgewater Union Jack Teapot and Spode Blue Italian Round Platter)

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

 The Tale of Peter Rabbit

"I am sorry to say that Peter was not well during the evening.

His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea:

and she gave a dose of it to Peter!"

From The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

I can't help but think of Beatrix Potter's

adorable Peter Rabbit at Easter time.

Hilltop Farm Garden Gate
(I took this photo when we visited Beatrix Potter's
Hilltop Farm in The Lake District, England)

As the tale goes, mischievous Peter squeezed under the garden gate to Mr. McGregor's garden and ate too many vegetables that gave him an upset tummy.  That is why his mother gave him camomile tea.

Chamomile herbal tea is soothing for an upset stomach and calming as well. 

Peter Rabbit

Since it's Easter week my Peter Rabbit figurine and friends are out for tea. 

I hope you enjoy fresh baked scones or hot cross buns with tea this Easter week.

And if you're ever travelling in The Lake District, be sure to visit Hilltop Farm and have afternoon tea at  nearby Sharrow Bay Hotel on Lake Ullswater.


***If you are interested in the life of Beatrix Potter, you might enjoy my 2009 post about her on my knitting blog.  She was a woman way ahead of her time.  I admire her so much.


(In the photos:  Royal Winton Old Cottage tea cup and Richmond plate, vintage Beswick Peter Rabbit figurine and Wedgwood Peter Rabbit tea caddy.)