TEA TIME FOUR O'CLOCK

TEA TIME…..FOUR O'CLOCK TEA.

We grew up with the lovely idea of tea at four. It was a British custom that families loved. It was a getting together of kids, friends, chats, swopping recipes and taking time to share a drink and lovely eats.

The idea is to take the trouble to make a decent cup of tea. Use good cups and saucers, a china teapot and loose leaves. We were taught to warm the teapot, warm the cups and serve tea that was strong and well brewed. Today the choice with tea bags, fruit teas, herb teas has changed habits. In a warm climate the iced teas are a hit, but no matter what, the cookies and cakes take special place.

There are scones, muffins, cookies, yeast cakes, date loaf and apple and cheese cake, biscuits and fruit cake and of course decadent chocolate cake. The following are a few of
my best and easy to make and even freeze..

DATE LOAF.
1 heaped cup of dates.
1/4 lb butter.
1 cup brown sugar.
1 rounded teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda.
1 1/2 cups boiling water.
Put all of this in a saucepan on a medium flame, stir and bring to the boil. Leave to stand until cool.
Add three cups of flour. If you uses brown flour , uses less. I add half a teaspoon ginger, half a teaspoon cinnamon and three to four Tablespoons of crushed walnuts and raisins.
Mix carefully and bake in loaf tins that are buttered and floured. Bake at 300 for fifty minutes.
I serve Date Loaf with butter and honey. It is excellent after a day or two. Cool well, before storing.

CRUMPETS.

Mix one egg, one cup flour, 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder, I dessertspoon honey, 2 teaspoons sugar, a pinch of salt and 3/4 cup of milk. Mix well and roll on a floured board. Pat 1/4 inch thickness and cut with a floured glass. Bake in medium oven floured board. Takes fifteen minutes.
I serve scones in a basket, with butter rolls, jams, honeys and cheese slices. They are excellent freshly baked. And can be part of a quick supper with fluffy omelets.

DROP SCONES.

2cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
6Tablespoons butter.
One beaten egg.
One cup yogurt or milk.

Sift the dry ingredients. With your fingers you can work the butter in.
Stir in the egg and yogurt mixture. I use a buttered cookie pan and drop a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into each spot. Bake at 400 for ten to twelve minutes.
To serve place them in a basket with a linen serviette and have butter, jam, marmalade and honey on the side.

If you like a variation to this scone, add two teaspoons grated parmesan cheese and half a teaspoon dried parsley.

For a sweet version, grate the peel of an orange and add half a cup of soaked raisins, or two dried apricots and two dates and a dash of cinnamon to the mixture.

YOGURT MUFFINS.
175ml yogurt
3 cups self raising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
2 eggs
3 heaped teaspoon baking powder
Add 2 tablespoons crushed walnuts or pecans and a mashed cooked apple.
Mix all and place in muffin tins.
Bake 180. Twenty minutes. Enjoy.

Tea time can be the new style, mint tea, iced teas, fruit teas and a mix of snacks. It is popular to serve granola on top of yogurt with a tablespoon of honey. People like tea time to be food rather than cakes. You can make open sandwiches with cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, boiled eggs mashed with parsley and techina, cottage cheese mixed with herbs and chopped olives and even cottage mixed with dried fruits cut up and served with a few slices of melon and cut up pears. In the heat of summer, people like
Cold watermelon, melon slices served with bulghari cheese.

Make time to relax, so stop and listen to a friend, to share a cuppa and a story. '
Tea time is a ritual, but also a memory maker. The setting, the ambience, reflects the time, trouble and effort you put in to make it special.

Have a good week and love each day.
Rona