Greetings Ladies & Gentleman,
I invite you to come with me into the kitchen and go back in time, if you will, to make some recipes that Queen Victoria herself enjoyed. These are the recipes for Balmoral Shortbread, Lavender Scones, and Orange Marmalade Tea Bread from a recent episode of All Things Victorian.
The weekly 1/2 hour program is filmed at 1623 Studios (formerly Cape Ann TV) north of Boston, and on location in and around the north shore of MA.
The Alliance for Community Media northeast region video awards just notified co producer John Grant and myself that we have been awarded the prestigious 1st place honor for a profile talk show in the New England & New York regions.
To watch episodes- Youtube.com under All Things Victorian 1623 Studios.
Let's get started baking, shall we?
Balmoral Shortbread - A daily favorite of Queen Victoria, recipe is directly from the royal kitchens.
Ingredients:
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 & 1/2 cups flour
Place the softened butter and sugar in a bowl and cream together with a mixer. Sieve in the flour and using the fingertips gently work the flour into the butter mixture, adding flour a little at a time to make a soft dough.
Take small pieces of the dough and roll out thinly. Take a glass, or cookie cutter about 3-3 & 1/2" in diameter, and cut out the dough until all is used. Prick the surface of each shortbread cookie with a fork so they bake evenly.
Put the cookies on a greased baking tray and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Do not let edges get brown. Oven times may vary so it's best to do a test cookie first.
Shown:
Balmoral Shortbread & Orange Marmalade Tea Bread
English Marmalade Tea Bread: A delicious sweet bread perfect with tea
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
4eggs
3 cups cake flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Orange Marmalade
1/2 raisins
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each one. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.
Combine the sour cream and orange marmalade in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients and the marmalade mixture alternately to the creamed butter mixture. Fold in the raisins.
Bake in two well greased loaf pans for 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Pour the marmalade sauce over the warm bread while still in the pans.
Allow the bread to cool, remove from the pan. Wrap securely in plastic wrap or foil to be refrigerated or frozen. The tea breads cut best if they are chilled first.
Marmalade Sauce:
1 cup orange Marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sherry or 1/2 cup rum (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat to just under the boiling point. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
This is poured on the warm tea bread once it comes out of the oven.
Lavender Scones:
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream with 1 egg beaten in it
2 Tbsp. organic pesticide free dried lavender
Add dry ingredients and mix well with a whisk. Rub lavender buds between your fingers to release the fragrance and add to flour mixture. Add cubed butter and with a pastry cutter (or you can use a food processor) cut the butter in with the dry ingredients, until it resembles cor meal.
Finally add the egg cream mixture and stir with a fork until it begins to blend. Finish mixing the dough by hand JUST until it is blended. DO NOT over work the dough or you will have tough scones.
Pinch a piece of dough about the size of a half dollar and put on an un-greased baking sheet.
Butter baste:
Melt a 1/2 stick of butter. taste a pastry brush and coat the top of the scones. Top with finishing sugar (it looks like sea salt with larger granules). bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes.
Shown:
Lavender Scones
I hope you enjoy these recipes. Cheerio!!
Victoriana Lady Lisa- Bringing history to life since 2003
To book a program please contact me - Victorianaladylisa@gmail.com
References available upon request
