The history of afternoon tea

Everything may not stop for tea at four o'clock any more, but afternoon tea has a strong heritage, not to be forgotten. So why not tuck in for the fifth national Afternoon Tea Week, from Monday August 10 to Saturday 16?
In the 1840s, the British habitually ate just twice a day: breakfast, and dinner in the evening. Anna Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, complained of 'having that sinking feeling' as the afternoon wore on, and had the bright idea of enjoying a pot of tea, becoming a popular beverage at that time, in the afternoon, accompanied by a light snack.

Tiring of taking tea alone, she began to invite friends to join her for a cup of tea and afternoon snack at her country home, Woburn Abbey. Once the summer season was over and she returned to London, she'd grown so fond of her teatime ritual that she saw no reason to stop. The idea caught on with other society hostesses and before you could say 'Polly put the kettle on', she'd started a trend.

Teatime traditions 

Afternoon tea traditionally consists of dainty sandwiches (crusts on or off) with fillings such as salmon, watercress, egg and cress, cucumber, a selection of cake and, of course, tea with milk.

For a cream tea, whether invented in Devon or Cornwall – both claim it as their own – split freshly baked scones in two, cover each half with clotted cream and then add raspberry or strawberry jam. Or if you prefer, start with the jam, then add the cream.

Read my feature: Best places to take afternoon tea in London, on Prima.co.uk
Try my apricot and walnut scones recipe, on Allaboutyou.com

Discovering the difference between raisins and currants

I'd never consciously considered it, just thought: currants...gritty...yuk...raisins and sultanas...chewy...yum. However, all is now made clear to me thanks to a new book on around the UK via its regional baking: A Slice of Britain: around the country by cake, by Caroline Taggart (AA Publishing, £14.99). It may seem obvious but raisins are made from seedless grapes, and currants are made from seeded grapes!

Baking: lemon and lavender drizzle cakes recipe

I love lavender, but I'd only used lavender essential oil in cooking (try beating a few drops in to good-quality vanilla ice cream). I'd eaten lavender-topped cakes from Konditor & Cook, and then my mum gave me some dried edible lavender designed for culinary use, and I devised this recipe to use it. They're now one of my favourite bakes – so fragrant – and other people love them too!

These mini lemon and lavender drizzle cakes, made in muffin cases, are a delicious teatime treat.

Ingredients
• 250g unsalted butter

• 225g caster sugar

• 280g self-raising flour

• 2 level tsp baking powder

• 4 large eggs

• 4tbsp milk

• finely grated rind of 2 lemons

• ½ tbsp dried lavender flowers

For the topping:
• 150g granulated sugar

• juice of 2 lemons

• 1 tsp dried lavender flowers

You will need...

16 muffin-sized paper cake cases

Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF. Place paper muffin cases in a muffin tin.

Place all the cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat until well blended. Spoon into the muffin cases. 
Bake for 20-25 mins until the tops of the cakes are golden brown.

While the cakes are cooling, mix the sugar, lemon juice and lavender. While the cakes are still slightly warm, spoon the topping evenly over the cakes.

This recipe first appeared on Allaboutyou.com, where I used to work. It was a great website, with lots of top-quality content, including a few recipes by me. Unfortunately, it was closed in January 2015.

Baking: apricot and walnut scones recipe

I fancied baking some scones, because they're so quick and easy, but I wanted a change from sultanas, so I had a rummage around in my cupboards, and this was the result...

Ingredients
• 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 40g caster sugar
• 75g butter, cut into small pieces
• 30g finely chopped dried apricots
• 30g finely chopped walnuts
• 1 egg
• 3-4tbsp milk
You will need...
• Rolling pin
• 5cm round pastry cutter or a glass

Preheat the oven to 220°C /F/gas mark 7. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar. Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the apricot and walnut pieces with the beaten egg and the milk. Mix with a knife, then bring the mixture together with your hands. The dough should be soft but not sticky so add a little more milk or flour as necessary.

Shape the dough into a ball and place a on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough until approx. 3cm thick. Use the cutter to cut rounds from the dough, starting from the edge and place on a non-stick baking sheet.

When you have cut the first batch, bring the dough into a ball and roll out again. Cut remaining scones out.

Dust the scones with flour and bake for 12-15 mins. Place on a rack to cool and serve halved and buttered – delicious served warm and particularly good with apricot jam!

This recipe first appeared on Allaboutyou.com, where I used to work. It was a great website, with lots of top-quality content,including a few recipes from me. Unfortunately, it was closed in January 2015.

Making chocolate cake for charity

We decided to have a Macmillan Coffee Morning at work. I left it to the last minute to come up with a cake, but thanks to Nigella Lawson I found a quick and easy chocolate cake recipe.

Store Cupboard Chocolate Orange Cake appears in How to be a Domestic Goddess and widely online. Basically you melt butter and chocolate, then stir in a jar of marmalade, eggs and sugar, then fold in flour and bake. I decorated mine with grated orange zest and a nasturtium, which is edible.

And it was very popular with my colleagues at the coffee morning, raising money for Macmillan, which was the whole point.

Baking and taking cake

On Friday I'm finally making it to an outdoor film screening. As well as an unfeasibly large pile of warm clothes, I'm baking and taking a blackberry crumble cake to enjoy with my oldest friend and her daughters. Like many of my baking sessions, this will involve going a bit freestyle. Although I haven't been making cakes for very long, I'm confident enough in my cooking to alter recipes to suit me.
The recipe I used is based on one from Hedgewizard's diary blog. I think I've made it before with apples as described, but now it's customised. Now I just have to avoid eating it before Friday...

Sew cute

Seen in the window of my local soft furnishings shop (also where I arrange to have my sewing machine serviced), this gorgeous cake decorated with a curtain tassel, reels of thread, ruler and pins. Seriously impressive.