Afternoon Tea Cakes & Biscuits

Scottish Shortbread

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

  • 3 c. flour

  • 1/2 lb. butter, softened

  • 1 c. sugar

  • 1 egg, well beaten

  • 3 tsp. baking powder

Method

  1. Sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder three times.

  2. Add very soft butter.

  3. Mix with hands until batter holds together.

  4. Add beaten egg into batter.

  5. Pet brown paper on a cookie sheet; add dough and flatten out with hands, turning around to straighten out edges.

  6. Pinch edges as you would for a pie and using a fork, stick through dough all over.

  7. Bake at 325 F for 30 minutes or until light brown.

  8. When done, slip paper and bread off onto cookie rack.

  9. When slightly cool, cut in and separate slightly.

  10. Allow it to cool.

  11. Stand each quarter up on edge until entirely cool.

  12. Wrap in wax paper.

Courtesy of member Susan Moser Gaza, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Duke of Cambridge Tart

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Can be served hot or cold. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. short crust pastry

  • 1/3 c. butter

  • 1/4 c. chopped fruit peel

  • 1/3 c. sugar

  • 2 egg yolks, beaten

Method

  1. Roll out pastry and use to line 7-inch cake pan (shallow).

  2. Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in sugar.

  3. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks; beat well.

  4. Sprinkle peel over pastry; pour egg mixture into pastry case.

  5. Bake at 350 F for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Courtesy of member Rena Platt, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Swiss Tarts

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. plain flour

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1/2 lb. butter or margarine

  • 2 oz. castor sugar (fine white)

  • Few drops vanilla

  • 15 paper cases

  • Raspberry jam

Method

  1. Sieve flour and salt.

  2. Beat butter and sugar until very light and creamy.

  3. Mix in vanilla and flour a little at a time.

  4. Mixture should be light and soft.

  5. Place in forcing bag with large star pipe attached and pipe a whirl into each paper case, starting at center.

  6. Bake in top of oven at 355 F for about 15 minutes.

  7. When cold, sprinkle with sieved confectioners’ sugar. Fill centers with a dab of jam.

Courtesy of member Rena Platt, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Alice's Butter Tarts

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 c. butter

  • 1/2 c. currants (optional)

  • 1 c. sifted brown sugar

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 2 Tbsp. -half & half

  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Method

Mix and bake in pastry shells (12) at 450 F for 8 minutes, then lower to 350 F and cook till pastry is light brown.

Courtesy of member Celia Esmonde, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Maids of Honor

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

  • 6 unbaked 4-inch tart shells

  • 1 Tbsp. heavy cream

  • 2/3 c. ground blanched almonds

  • 1/2 tsp. almond extract

  • 1/2 c. sugar

  • 2 Tbsp. red currant jelly

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

  • Whipped cream

  • 1 egg

  • Toasted whole almonds

Method

  1. Prepare tart shells and refrigerate until ready to use.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

  3. In a medium size bowl, combine ground almonds, sugar, and cornstarch.

  4. Mix well in a small bowl, beat egg until foamy.

  5. Add almond-sugar mixture with cream almond extract.

  6. Stir until combined.

  7. Place 1 teaspoon jelly in bottom of each shell.

  8. Spoon batter evenly into shells.

  9. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.

  10. Let cool in pan on rack.

  11. Decorate with whipped cream and whole almonds.

Courtesy of member Nancy Jean Mozer, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Brandy Snaps

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

  • 3 oz. butter

  • 4 oz. plain flour

  • 6 oz. golden syrup

  • 1 tsp. ground ginger

  • 4 oz. sugar

Method

  1. Melt butter and syrup together over gentle heat.

  2. Stir in sugar and remove from heat.

  3. Stir flour and ginger and add gradually; mix well.

  4. Put teaspoons of mixture on greased baking sheet, about 4 inches apart.

  5. Bake at 375 F. for 10 to 15 minutes until light golden brown.

  6. Stand for a few minutes, then remove with spatula and curl around greased wooden spoon handle.

  7. If some harden before curling, heat for a few minutes in oven to soften.

  8. Cool on wire rack.

  9. If you wish, fill with piped whipped cream.

Courtesy of member Celia Esmonde, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Tudor Roses

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. butter, softened

  • 1/4 tsp. mace

  • 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar

  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla

  • 3/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

  2. In a small bowl at medium speed, cream butter until light and fluffy.

  3. Gradually beat in sugar.

  4. Sift together flour and mace.

  5. Beat into butter mixture along with vanilla.

  6. Use the star tip of cookie press.

  7. Place cookies 1 inch apart.

  8. Bake for 15 minutes or until a delicate golden brown.

  9. Cool for several minutes.

  10. Remove from cookie sheet.

  11. Cool on wire rack.

Courtesy of member Elizabeth Ann Moser, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Viennese Chocolate Fingers

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Makes about 20.

Ingredients

  • 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter

  • 4 drops vanilla flavor

  • 2 Tbsp. fine sugar

  • 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

  • 1 c. unbleached flour

  • 1/8 tsp. baking powder

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

  2. Butter 2 cookie sheets.

  3. Beat butter until very soft and then add sugar.

  4. Sift flour and baking powder.

  5. Beat well and add vanilla flavoring.

  6. Put mixture into a pastry bag with a star nozzle and pipe out finger shape on cookie sheet (about 3 inches long).

  7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

  8. Cool on a wire rack.

  9. When cold, dip each end in melted chocolate and leave to cool.

Courtesy of member Eileen F. Dyer, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Lemon Squares

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients:

  • Crust:

    • 1 c. sifted flour

    • 1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar

    • 1/2 c. butter

  • Topping:

    • 1 c. sugar (regular)

    • 1/2 tsp. baking powder

    • 2 eggs

    • 3 to 4 Tbsp. lemon juice

    • 2 tsp. grated lemon peel

    • 2 Tbsp. flour

Method:

  1. Sift flour and confectioners’ sugar together.

  2. Melt 1/2 cup of butter and add flour and sugar.

  3. Press this mixture into an 8x8 inch greased baking pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 F.

  4. While this bakes, combine sugar, baking powder, eggs slightly beaten, lemon juice, grated lemon peel, and 2 tablespoons of flour.

  5. Pour this mixture over baked crust and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more.

  6. When cool, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares.

Courtesy of member Rena Platt, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Hummingbird Cake

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

  • 3 c. flour

  • 3 eggs

  • 2 c. sugar

  • 1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple

  • 1 tsp. soda

  • 1 tsp. butter

  • 1 tsp. salt

  • 1 1/2 c. cooking oil

  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla

  • 1/2 c. chopped nuts

  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

  • 2 to 3 bananas, mashed

Method

  1. Sift together flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon.

  2. Set it aside.

  3. Add 3 eggs to sugar and mix well.

  4. Add dry ingredients, then crushed pineapple.

  5. Add cooking oil.

  6. Mix thoroughly.

  7. Stir in pineapple and chopped nuts.

  8. Pour it into a tube pan which has been buttered, then dusted with sugar to make a nice crust.

  9. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

  10. Cool in pan for 1 hour.

Courtesy of member Betty Jane Bailey, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986

Luscious Lemon Cake

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

  • Cake:

    • 4 oz. soft margarine

    • 5 oz. castor sugar

    • 5 oz. self-rising flour

  • Syrup:

    • 3 rounded Tbsp. icing sugar

    • 4 Tbsp. milk

    • 2 large eggs

    • Grated rind of 1 lemon

    • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Method

  1. Grease and line a loaf tin.

  2. Set oven to 350 F.

  3. Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.

  4. Add everything else, but syrup, and mix.

  5. Pour into tin.

  6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until firm.

  7. Immediately pour syrup over cake while still hot in tin.

  8. Leave to cool and turn out.

Courtesy of member Alison Mackie, House of Lancaster Cookery Book, 1986