Scones, cakes and finger sandwiches: cult recipes from the Downton Abbey series

Scones , cakes and finger sandwiches : these are the hallmarks of authentic English tea time as served in our beloved Downton Abbey series . On the occasion of the highly anticipated release of the book Tea-time at Downton Abbey at Solar editions , here is a selection of perfect recipes. Take out the servants, china and silverware.

For the little story. With lunch set for noon and dinner at 8 p.m., afternoon tea offered the perfect opportunity for a mid-afternoon break, and the delicate sandwich breads played a key role in calming a little hunger. , while respecting the rules of decorum . Tradition dictated thin slices of crustless sandwich bread. The filling was usually made of butter, mayonnaise or cream cheese, or a mixture of cheddar and pickles or ham and English mustard.

The ingredients for the cucumbers : ¾ cucumber, fine salt + 8 thin slices of white sandwich bread + butter at room temperature + white pepper.

Recipe. Peel and slice the cucumber as finely as possible. Put the strips in a colander, sink or large terrine , sprinkle with salt and let stand for 20 minutes. Taste a strip to see if you haven't added too much salt. If so, rinse the coverslips under a tap of cold water. Spread several layers of absorbent paper on the work surface, arrange the cucumber strips on top in a single layer and pat them dry. Place the slices of bread on the work surface and spread them generously with butter . Arrange the cucumber slices on 4 of them, overlapping them, and pepper them. Place the remaining slices of bread on top. With a saw knife, remove the crust from all the slices of bread, then cut the sandwiches into rectangles or triangles.

The ingredients for the salmon: 225 g of cream cheese at room temperature + 2 tbsp. finely chopped dill soup + ½ lemon + salt and black pepper + 8 slices of wholemeal bread + 225 g of smoked salmon in thin strips.

Recipe. With a fork, mix the cream cheese and dill in a bowl. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the slices of bread on the work surface. Spread them with cream cheese. Divide the slices of smoked salmon over 4 slices of bread, then cover them with the 4 other slices of bread. With a saw knife, remove the crust from all the slices of bread, then cut the sandwiches into rectangles or triangles.

The ingredients for the devil's eggs & watercress: 4 eggs + 60 g of butter at room temperature + 50 g of mayonnaise + 1 tsp. finely chopped parsley teaspoon + ½ tsp. finely chopped dill teaspoon + ⅛ teaspoon. lemon zest + salt and pepper + powdered sweet paprika + 8 slices of white bread 15 g watercress.

Recipe. Place the eggs in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, cover them with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Then put the eggs in a bowl of cold water and let them sit for 15 minutes to stop cooking. Shell the eggs and set them aside in a clean terrine. Mash them with a fork then add the butter , mayonnaise , parsley , dill and lemon zest . Mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, add the paprika . Place the slices of bread on the work surface. Spread 4 with the egg mixture. Spread the watercress on it. Cover them with the other 4 slices of bread and press firmly. With a saw knife, remove the crust from all the slices of bread, then cut the sandwiches into rectangles or triangles.

For the little story. Sweet oranges were unknown fruits in Europe before the 15th and 16th centuries, when Italian and Portuguese merchants promoted their cultivation in Mediterranean countries. British bakers, who used to pair fresh fruit with their pastries, didn't hesitate for long to promote this recipe for tea cakes , garnished with a thin slice of orange that celebrated the introduction of a new flavor in their repertoire.

The ingredients: 90 g of melted and cooled butter + 115 g at room temperature + a little for the ramekins 2 oranges + 155 g of light brown sugar 125 g of flour + 1 tsp. coffee baking powder + ½ tsp. of baking soda + ¼ tsp. of salt + 100 g of powdered white sugar + 2 eggs at room temperature + 6 cl of crème fraîche at room temperature + 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.

Recipe. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C (th. 6). Lightly butter 6 ramekins of 25 cl. Grate the zest of 1 orange ; reserve the fruit for another use. Cut 6 very thin slices from the other orange. Sprinkle the bottom of each buttered ramekin with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar . Pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter on top, covering the sugar well. Then place the orange slice in each ramekin.

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Sift the flour with the baking powder , baking soda and salt into a bowl. In a large terrine, beat the remaining butter for 1 minute with a mixer at medium speed. When it is smooth, increase the speed and add the powdered sugar and orange zest. Continue beating for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a silicone spatula, add the flour and mix until you get a homogeneous consistency. Finally add the crème fraîche and vanilla . Mix.

Distribute this dough in the ramekins, pouring it over the orange slices. Bake the cakes for about 35 minutes, until the top is golden: a wooden skewer inserted to the heart should come out clean. Let the ramekins cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Pass the blade of a knife along the sides of each ramekin to loosen the cake. Place a small dessert plate upside down on each ramekin, then flip everything in a quick motion. Lightly tap the bottom of the ramekin with the handle of the knife to loosen the cake. If the orange slice remains stuck to the bottom of the ramekin, remove it with the tip of a knife and put it back on the cake. Serve these cakes hot or at room temperature.

For the little story. Scones have been an integral part of the tea time tradition in Britain since the mid-19th century when, according to legend, the Duchess of Bedford requested these cupcakes and hot tea for a 'high tea ' during the afternoon. She then invited friends to join her and the ritual was thus initiated. Queen Victoria , having heard of this new fashion, also began to organize very chic “ teas ”. The tradition continued into the 20th century, and in Season 6 of Downton Abbey , Mrs Patmore is seen serving scones to Lord and Lady Grantham in the bed and breakfast she opened.

Ingredients. 250 g of flour + a little for the work surface + 1 tsp. tablespoon of yeast

chemical 2 tbsp. coffee powder + 1 tsp. soup to serve + 1 tsp. of salt 70 g of raisins + 20 cl of heavy cream + 1 egg white beaten with 1 tsp. coffee for the gilding.

Recipe. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C (th. 7-8). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the flour with the yeast , 2 teaspoons of sugar and the salt in a large bowl. Using a large spoon, stir in the raisins and crème fraîche . Using your hands, work the dough by kneading it against the sides of the terrine until a large, compact ball forms.

Lightly flour the work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 2 cm thick. With a 7.5 cm diameter cookie cutter, cut circles in the dough. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving an interval of 5 cm between them. Collect the leftover dough, knead them quickly on the floured work surface and roll out this dough again, cut out a few more circles and add them to the baking sheet.

With a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops of the scones with the egg white, then sprinkle them with the sweetener. Bake the scones, 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Place them on a rack right out of the oven. Serve them hot or at room temperature.

Also find the recipe for Hazelnuts by Philippe Conticini and hazelnut madeleines by Pierre Hermé