Quintessentially English, the afternoon tea remains one of our nation’s favourite edible pastimes. Of course, the scone remains a staple, but we asked Sous Chef at Lewtrenchard Manor and sweet treat expert, Tom Browning, what makes for the perfectly balanced afternoon tea.
“In my opinion, the most important aspect of any afternoon tea still remains the scone – however you may pronounce it. Having the right scone can make or break any afternoon tea. We keep it simple at Lewtrenchard, using an old recipe that we know works, and serving plain and fruit varieties. Don’t forget the clotted cream and the home-made jam, of course!
As far as the cakes and pastries are concerned, we are currently enjoying making passionfruit and coconut tarts – an amazing combination using the sharp fruit, sweet coconut and a thin pastry base together.
Whenever making your own sweet treats at home, try to keep the flavours balanced, using complementary flavours, but don’t be put off trying out new combinations, you may find a winner.
Another favourite is our praline choux buns. These rich and crunchy buns are a fantastic additions to any menu for a little variation. When making the choux pastry, ensure that you cook the flour out for a good 3-4 minutes to ensure you get a really good rise when you dry them out in the oven. Also, try making a Choux au Craquelin for the top, this adds an even better crunch.
Choux au Craquelin are mini cream puffs topped with a ‘craquelin’ that crackles and crisps in the oven. The dough is made from softened butter, brown sugar and flour which is chilled then cut into thin discs and placed on top of the choux before being baked. This topping will take your buns to another level.
Finally, we like to serve our floral raspberry macarons. This classic French patisserie is a hard one, it take lots of practice and many, many failures before you get them right, However, once you do they are phenomenal and well worth the effort. They add much needed lightness to the plate and perfectly round off your afternoon tea.”