Stokes Sauces: A right royal tea time

Putting the 'tea' in Royalty

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/category/jams-and-marmalades

Just in case you didn't receive your invitation to the wedding on Saturday, they look splendid, using American ink on English card printed in gold and black, then burnished to bring out the shine, and gilded around the edge - so we're given to understand.

But watch it we will and celebrate we shall.

Up with the bunting and out with the best china. Crusts off, scones laden, serviettes starched, salmon smoked and little fingers crooked.

Other good news is that the wedding falls on the day before the start of British Sandwich Week, about which you can read more here.

It's tea party time ... !

Cheesy scones
with a ploughman's twist

You'll need:

225 g of self raising flour
A pinch of salt
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of baking powder
55 g of butter, cut into small cubes
100 g of strong Cheddar cheese, finely grated
2 tsp (heaped) of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard
90 ml of milk, reserve 5 ml for glazing

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/product/traditional-condiments/cider-and-horseradish-wholegrain-mustard

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 7. Mix together the flour, salt and cayenne then rub in the butter until you have a breadcrumb consistency.

Add the cheese and mustard, combining them thoroughly with the flour mixture. Now add the milk, a little at a time to create a soft dough. Knead the dough gently on a floured surface, patting it out to 2 cm thick and cut into rounds.

Put them on a greased baking sheet, brush the tops with the remaining milk and bake for about 15 minutes.

For the ploughman's twist: cut the scones open and serve them filled with slices of sweet eating apple and a good spoonful of Stokes Real Ale Chutney.

Mini sausage rolls with mustard

You'll need:

600 g of really yummy sausage meat
1 tbsp of chopped thyme leaves
250 g of puff pastry, ready made
2 tbsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard
1 egg, beaten

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/product/traditional-condiments/classic-english-mustard

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 7. Work the meat and thyme in a large bowl to combine the herbs.

Roll the pastry on a floured surface to a 32 cm x 15 cm rectangle and cut this in half lengthways. Spread the mustard on each strip of pastry.

Form the meat into two rolls the length of the pastry and place one on each of the edges. Brush the exposed edge with water (to help seal the roll). Roll each, seal neatly and cut into 10 smaller portions (20 in all).

Place them on a greased baking sheet, brush with the egg and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry puffs up and turns golden brown.

Luscious lemon crumpets

You'll need:

http://www.stokessauces.co.uk/product/jams-and-marmalades/lemon-curd

6 crumpets
50 g of caster sugar
The juice on 1 lemon
200g of Greek yogurt
4 tbsp of Stokes Lemon Curd

Here's how:

Toast your crumpets and sit them on a wire rack.

Whisk the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl to form a syrup which you spoon over the crumpets.

Let them rest for a couple of minutes to absorb the flavour. Serve with a good dollop of yogurt and lemon curd.

The WI's finest shortbread

You'll need:

200g of plain flour
100 g of butter
50 g of caster sugar

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 5. Sift the flour into a bowl, stir in the sugar and rub in the butter until the whole mixture comes together.

Now press the mixture into a lightly greased 17 cm x 18 cm tin. Bake the shortbread for 15 minutes until it is golden, then cut it into fingers.

These are really very good dunked in a bowl of Stokes Lemon Curd and Greek yogurt (as above).

Triple layer sponge

You'll need:

225 g of caster sugar
225 g of unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
225 g of self-raising flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder
2 tbsp of whole milk
Stokes Extra Jam - of your choice

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 6. Grease and line three 18cm loose-bottomed sandwich cake tins. Beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, bit by bit, beating well after each addition and adding a little flour if it starts to curdle. Now add the flour, baking powder and milk and beat to combine them.

Divide the mixture evenly and smoothly between the tins and bake for 20 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. Turn them out on to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.