In her 1893 edition of the "Book of Household Management," a guide to all aspects of running a household in Victorian Britain, Mrs. Beeton indicates that a high tea should include items such as hot buttered toast, tea cakes, new-laid eggs, homemade preserves and cakes.
Also, meat played a prominent role in a high tea and sometimes this event was called a "tea dinner."
Here is a selection of recipes to try if you are hosting a high tea.
Buttermilk Biscuits
500 ml (2 cups) flour
15 ml (3 tsp) baking powder
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
60 ml (4 tbsp) chilled butter
2 ml ( 1/2 tsp) baking soda
150 ml (3/4 cup) buttermilk
Sweet milk, for brushing
In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Add salt. Cut in butter. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and add slowly. Mix with a fork, then turn out onto a lightly floured board and pat with hands to 1-cm ( 1/2-inch) thickness.
Cut dough with biscuit cutter. Place pieces on a baking sheet. Bake in a 245 C (475 F) oven for 12 to 15 minutes. As soon as biscuits are removed from oven, brush all over with sweet milk.
Serve hot or cold with jam, honey or preserves.
Makes about 12 biscuits.
Source: "Nothing More Comforting: Canada's Heritage Food" by Dorothy Duncan (Dundurn Group).
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Sugar Plums
This is a very forgiving recipe and deletions and or substitutions do not change its excellent flavour.
125 g ( 1/4 lb) dried figs
125 g ( 1/4 lb) pitted dates
125 g ( 1/4 lb) seedless raisins
125 g ( 1/4 lb) dried apricots
250 g ( 1/2 lb) crystallized ginger
250 g ( 1/2 lb) blanched almonds
250 g ( 1/2 lb) walnut pieces
250 g ( 1/2 lb) Brazil nuts
Grated rind of 1 orange
Enough lemon juice or brandy to bind the mixture together
Fruit sugar
In food processor, process or grind dried fruits, ginger and nuts to a coarse cut or chop very fine with a sharp knife. Add orange peel and mix well. Add enough liquid to bind mixture together. Shape into balls and roll in fruit sugar. Store in a cool place.
Source: "Nothing More Comforting: Canada's Heritage Food" by Dorothy Duncan (Dundurn Group).
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Lily Cake
Raisins, currants and nuts may be added to flour mixture to make a light fruitcake.
75 ml (1/3 cup) butter
250 ml (1 cup) sugar
3 eggs, separated
2 ml ( 1/2 tsp) lemon extract
2.5 ml (2/3 tsp) vanilla
425 ml (1 3/4 cups) flour
12 ml (2 1/2 tsp) baking powder
125 ml ( 1/2 cup) milk
In a bowl, cream butter until soft; add sugar, mixing well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, lemon extract and vanilla, beating until nice and light. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking powder; add flour mixture alternately with mik to creamed mixture. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into batter. Pour into well-greased cake pan. Bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven until golden brown.
Source: Woodside National Historic Site, Kitchener, Ont.
