Best-Ever British Teatime Treats: 10 Classic Never Fail Recipes

 

One thing which I really came to love when I moved to the U.K. was the British Penchant for taking Tea.  That wonderful time of the day where everything pauses for a hot cup of tea and a bit of cake or some other sweet to enjoy along with it.

This was a ritual that I wholeheartedly embraced and still do. There is naught for bringing joy into even the worst of days as a cup of hot tea and a biscuit.  (A biscuit is known as a cookie in North America.)

When the world is at odds

And the mind is all at sea

Then cease the useless tedium

And brew a cup of tea

I thought it would be fun today to share with you some of my favorite Traditional British Teatime Bakes.  This is by no means a total list, just ten of my favorites. All tried and true and all delicious.  A tasty combination of cakes, scones, biscuits and a fruited loaf that is made using tea-soaked dried fruits. (A real favorite!)

To be honest I had trouble narrowing it down to just ten favorites!  I could have just kept going. There is nothing that I do not love or enjoy about British Teatime Treats!

Here is what I chose. Are any of your favorites here? If not, why not share with me what it is you do like!  A joy shared is a joy doubled after all!

 

IRISH TEA BRACK 

Not only is this a delicious quick bread to enjoy with a hot cup of tea but it is made with a beautiful fruit mixture that has been soaked overnight in cold leftover tea. These soaking plumps up the dried fruit beautifully so that you end up with a loaf that is loaded with moist bits of raisins, sultanas. currants, etc. Moist, delicious and fat free.  Yes. Fat free.  No fat is used in the making of this loaf. You can feel utterly justified in cutting it into thin slices and then spreading it with copious amounts of butter to enjoy.  

This tasty bread is a delicious nod to Irish thrift and their ability to not waste anything at all. Not even a cup of tea.

CLASSIC ENGLISH SCONES 

The absolute best, these are the classic scone that you will see on offer in most tea rooms all across the UK. Tall, light and studded with raisins, these are beautiful served with clotted cream, jam and steaming hot cups of tea. These are scone perfection, and I have included a complete tutorial on scone making. You cannot go wrong!

 

Serve cold (never warm) with butter, cream, jam and hot cups of tea.

 

FAT RASCALS

Fruity buns, with brown crusts, originally hailing from the Cleveland area between County Durham and Yorkshire, thought to date back to the mid 19th century.  They are like a thick pastry, thin scone. Studded generously with dried currants and dusted with a layer of caster sugar.

Delicious served as is with a lovely hot cup of tea.

TRADITIONAL CORNISH SPLITS

Before they ever included scones, these lovely light yeasted buns were the original stars of a Cream Tea.  Light as air, only slightly sweetened, like soft yeasted pillows of deliciousness. Perfect for splitting and spreading with soft butter and jam, and topped with lashings of clotted cream. Just a slight dusting of icing sugar garnishing the tops. 

I have never had anyone turn down one of these. The only drawback is that once they are filled, they must be eaten on the day.  Not a problem!

A VICTORIA SANDWICH CAKE

A bit of cake always takes center stage on the typical British tea table.  Usually, a Victoria Sponge or Sandwich cake as it often called. This is the epitome of a beautiful tea table. Two layers of a butter sponge cake, sandwiched together with copious amounts of sweet jam. Usually raspberry or strawberry. No icing is needed. Instead, the cake is dusted with a liberal amount of either caster or confectioner's sugar.  I prefer the caster sugar myself. Both are very nice.

This is a very easy cake to make.  

A TRADTIONAL BATTENBURG CAKE

A firm favorite on the traditional English tea table, this is a very pretty two colored sponge cake, put together in a pink and white checkerboard pattern. I think you may actually be quite surprised as how very easy it is to make one of these delicious cakes!

Sandwiched together with some jam and a bit of buttercream, these cakes are wrapped in a unique layer of thinly rolled out marzipan, which is also dusted with sugar.  Very nice.  Very elegant.  I have also done a Chocolate Hazelnut version, which is delicious. You can find that here. 

COFFEE CAKE

I just adore this cake recipe which I adapted from a WI cookbook. You cannot beat the Women's Institute for baking tasty things to enjoy with a hot cuppa and this cake is one of the best! This delicious coffee flavored cake comes with their approval so you just know it is great.

With two layers of a moist ad buttery coffee layered sponge, filled with a lush coffee cream and decorated with the same. I have added toasted walnuts and a dusting of icing sugar to dress it up.

Not just delicious, but also beautiful. I have never had anyone turn down a slice of this cake.

 

BUTTERFLY CAKES

How can you not love a cake called a butterfly cake?  It's impossible!  These lovely little cupcakes have a cone-shaped piece of cake cut out of the tops which is then split in half.  Buttercream fills the divots left from the removed cake and those bits are cut in half and reapplied in such a way as to resemble a butterfly's wings. A bit of jam is piped down in between the wings adding another bit of joy!

Dusted with icing sugar, these are as visually appealing as they are delicious!  Simple to make as well.

GINGER CRUNCHIES

These crisp moreish biscuits/cookies/bars are one of my favorite Teatime Treats.  And no small wonder, with their crisp, crumbly ginger flavored cookie base and sweet ginger glaze topping, they always go down well.

I adore the flavor of ginger, and this is a bar that highlights it really well! I like to decorate the tops of the bars with small bits of preserved stem ginger. This is a British ingredient which consists of knobs of gingerroot which have been poached in a syrup until crispy tender and then preserved in a jar, covered by the same. I do have a recipe where you can make your own, very easily I might add, here. It's not totally necessary, however. You can also decorate the tops with bits of candied gingerroot. Also, very nice.

PETTICOAT TAILS

A petticoat tail is a variety of British Shortbread biscuits, baked in a large buttery round that has been scored and pricked prior to baking so as to make these delightful cookies easy to cut when done.  Crisp and buttery, they were called petticoat tails due to the ruffled edges.

 

You can leave them plain or flavor them with a bit of peppermint for a special touch.  I have also made Polka Dot Petticoat Tails, which are dimpled with small bits of jam prior to baking. All very nice.

Again, these are simply dusted with some caster sugar to finish them off. Not totally necessary, but it adds a nice hint of sparkle.

    HOW TO BREW THE PERFECT CUP OF TEA

Of course, the pleasure of all of these bakes is greatly enhanced by accompanying them with a hot cup of tea, black, green, herbal or otherwise!

I did a brilliant tutorial here on how to do just that. I take you through all the steps from beginning to end.  Sure, you could just throw a bag in a cup of boiling water, but if you have gone to all of the trouble of baking something nice to enjoy with a hot drink, why not spend a few minutes and make a proper hot drink to enjoy your bake with!  Why not indeed!

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