Brew the Perfect Pot of Tea

The first thing you need to determine is the quality of your water. If you live where there is a lot of lead in your water, or where the water has a strong smell or flavor, use bottled water for your tea. Otherwise your water could change the flavor of your tea. If you are using tap water, let the water run for a minute or two to clear the pipes for fresher water.

Place a kettle of cold water on to boil using medium heat. Just before the boiling point, pour a small amount of the heated water into your teapot. Swirl this around so the inside of your teapot is heated by the water, then pour the water down the drain. This is to ensure the teapot doesn't leach heat from your tea.

Now its time to add the tea to the teapot Add one teaspoon of tea per person and one for the pot. I recommend using a tea ball infuser. This way when the tea is brewed to perfection you can remove the tea leaves to prevent the tannins turning the tea bitter. If using tea bags, remove after proper brewing time, gently squeezing the tea bags to release more flavor.

Once your water is boiling, quickly remove and pour into the tea pot onto the tea leaves. Over boiling can cause your tea to have a bitter flavor. Under boiling can prevent the full flavor of the tea to emerge.

Let the tea brew for 3 to 6 minutes depending on the type of tea you are using. Large leaf teas such as Oolong, Earl Grey or Jasmine should brew for 5 to 6 minutes. Never brew for longer than 6 minutes or you will have a very bitter flavor. Medium leaf teas such as Queen Mary, Orange Pekoe, or Ceylon Breakfast should brew for 4 to 5 minutes. Small leaf teas such as English Breakfast or Irish Breakfast should brew for 3 minutes. Tea bags should be brewed a shorter amount of time, read directions on package. Do not judge the strength of your tea by its color, some teas naturally brew a lighter color than others. Remember to remove tea leaves after the proper brewing times to prevent bitterness.

Pour and enjoy!

Welsh Rarebit (also known as Welsh Rabbit)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup dark ale or dark beer

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pound sharp cheddar, grated

4 to 8 slices of toasted bread

In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour, continuously stirring for 3 to 5 minutes, until light golden brown.  Stir in mustard and cayenne, then whisk in beer and Worcestershire sauce.  When mixture is uniform, turn heat to low and stir in cheese, again stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and pour into a shallow broad container to set (you can refrigerate for up to a day).

Spread mixture thickly on toast and put under broiler until bubbly and slightly brown in spots. Serve immediately.  

Drop Scones or Scotch Pancakes

Sift 1 1/2 cups of unbleached flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cream of tartar, and 1/2 tsp salt together. Set aside. Beat one medium egg. Beat together the egg, 1 1/4 cups milk, and 1 Tbsp of sugar. Stir this into the the flour mixture a little at a time until you have a thick batter. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a hot griddle. Cook until bubbles show on top. Flip the flat cakes over and cook this side for the same amount of time. They should only need two to three minutes per side. Slide them off the griddle with a spatula. Serve buttered and while still warm. Makes 30 small drop scones.

Tea Cakes

1/4 stick butter (2 Tbsp)
3 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp super fine sugar
1 1/4 cups warm milk
1/2 cup golden raisins and currants mixed
1 tsp sugar dissolved in 2 Tbsp of milk for glaze

Preheat oven to 400 degrees/200 Celsius
Makes 6 tea cakes

Directions:
Butter two baking sheets. In a large mixing bowl cut the butter into the sifted flour and salt. Cover and let stand in a warm place. In a separate bowl mix the yeast, sugar and warmed milk together, cover and leave in a warm place for twenty minutes until frothy. Uncover the bowl with the dry ingredients and make a well in the middle. Pour in the frothy yeast mixture. Stir in the flour from the sides. Knead for 10 minutes. Mix in the fruit. Cover and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size, about an hour. Pull the dough into six equal pieces. Shape and knead each piece into a round, slightly flattened cake. Arrange on baking sheets, prick with a fork and cover to let rise for 15 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes. Brush lightly with the glaze and serve hot.

The Cucumber Sandwich

Afternoon tea must start with sandwiches. You are not suppose to eat the cakes and muffins until you have blunted your appetite with a sandwich. The cucumber sandwich is a classic. And so easy to make. First peel a cucumber and slice it thinly (almost transparent). Put in a non-aluminum bowl or dish. Sprinkle with a little vinegar and salt. Set aside for half an hour. Drain off excess cucumber juice by patting with a paper towel. Cover a slice of thin bread lightly buttered with one layer of the cucumber slices. Cover with another buttered slice of bread. Cut off crusts. Now cut into 4 squares. Put on a serving plate and cover with a lightly dampened cloth until ready to serve. A variation is to also add a thin layer of radishes to the sandwich.

Contributed by World of Teas.

The History of Afternoon Tea

As legend has it afternoon tea was concieved in the early 1800's by one of Queen Victoria's Ladies-in-waiting, Anna Marie Stanhope, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. The tradition of the time was to have only two main meals during the day: breakfast and dinner. Dinner was usually served between 8:30 and 9 p.m., maybe even later during the summer. The Duchess would find herself feeling hunger pains in the late afternoon around 4 pm, so she asked her servants to secretly serve her tea with bread and butter and cake. She decided she liked this afternoon treat so much she started inviting her friends to join her for her afternoon tea. It soon became popular among the aristocrats in her circle including Queen Victoria.

Afternoon tea became more elaborate as time progressed. In the 1880's ladies where changing into long tea gowns for the occasion. Tea serves also evolved thanks to Josiah Spode, who at the start of the century invented bone china. Bone china was a beautiful and inexpensive form of porcelain, which kept tea hot even though it was so thin you could see the shadow of your fingers through it. The small snack evolved into including hot dishes being served by footman and professional musicians playing in the background.

English Tradition Of Afternoon Tea

Have you ever wondered where the English tradition of afternoon tea came from? Who started it? How long has this tradition been going on? What the heck is high tea? Ever hear of low tea? Is one for the aristocrats and one for the common man? (Is there such a thing as a common man?) What should be served? There are so many questions I have about this tradition, so I decided to go out and find the answers. My next few blogs will deal with different aspects of Afternoon Tea.