Polly

Issue 1 Summer 2012

ÂŁ5 please

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HE L L O RE A DER

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FAI RS

FUN

Welcome to Polly.

Seeking out antiques in Hampshire.

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T E A A ND C AKE

H I DDEN

GE MS

The perfect pairing of a sponge and a brew.

Hunting high and low at boot fairs in the sunshine.

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P OLL Y LOV E S These are a few of our favourite things.

R OOM S TEA

Polly’s most favourite tea rooms.

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F E S T I V A L S

F OR

WI N

WI N

WI N

Jam pack your Summer with Polly’s highlights of going-ons in England.

Have you ever seen better prizes?

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TE A

PL E ASE

How to host the most perfect afternoon tea par ty.

A MS T E R D A M Polly travels to Holland for sunshine, bicycles and tea.

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S WEET S A V OU R E U X

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TEA

AND

I

A rainbow of macaroons and sweet tooth treats in Paris

The relationship between a girl and her cup of tea.

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T H E R E IS L IKE

NO P L A C E H OM E

P E R FECT I ON With or without milk?

Treats for travels in England

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S H OW OFF Decorate and display your baked goods like a proud mother.

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B I S C OTTI Thyme, orange, almond and chocolate biscotti.

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TEA

L IGHTS

Ar ty and crafty homemade tea cup candles.

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C HOCOL A T E Polly’s favourite chocolate Argentine alfajores recipe.

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HU NGRY DUC HE S S The origins of afternoon tea.

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IC E

I CED TEA

The perfect drink to cool off with in the heat of Summer.

If you are reading this then we love you already! Before you settle down and become drawn into the world of the Polly lifestyle, we would kindly ask you to make yourself that well deserved cup of tea. Nibble a few biscuits if you wish and make yourself comfor table in the garden on a picnic blanket or in your Granddad’s armchair. Now you can begin turning the pages of our world, a place you’ll want to live in. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to throw the perfect tea par ty, or create a cupcake candle, then we’ve hopefully got it all covered! We really like to hear from our little Pollys so please get in touch and let us know whatever is on your mind. So sit back, relax and immerse yourself in a world where crochet and baking is cool - we hope it makes you smile.

Big hugs from Harriet, Emma & Emily

Words: Harriet Edgar

xxx

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Editor & Creative Director

Breakfast Tea Lemon Madeira

Editor & Designer

Earl Grey Coffee & Walnut

Editor & Features

Jasmine Tea Coconut Cake

Amber Rixon Hazel Lee

a a d t c

If ever there were a more perfect

cake would be it. As the sweet caffeine delight warms your

a

par tner suited to one another, afternoon tea and

toes and provides that comfor ting hug inside, the cake provides the delicious glamour and beauty of what is a quintessential tradition for any lady at teatime.

Between a light lunch and late dinner, it is typically shared amongst friends or indulgently favoured on your own; the combination of afternoon tea and a warm sponge cake is the perfect blend.

The nice, kind people at the UK tea council have repor ted that over 165 million cups of tea are sipped everyday in Britain. 96% like theirs straight from the tea bag whilst 98% take their tea with milk, but only 30% take it with sugar.

Yet with all that drinking of tea, a sweet accompaniment is needed for a fuller feeling, especially if you prefer your tea unsweetened. Traditional recipes include cream scones, sponge cake and shor tbread which are amongst the favoured additions to sit beside a cup and saucer. All with lashings of sugar, fruit or cream, the accompanying cake needs to look as elegant as the porcelain teapot stands tall.

Most of us may have faded memories of our first sip. May that be asking for your first milky tea when you are little or finding a lust for tea in latter years, what is true with us British is the first

Words: Harriet Edgar

sip to be had, will definitely not be the last.

What’s new?

To compliment our Summer Tea Par ty feature, here we have the cream of the crop of tea par ty essentials. A tea set is, of course, ideal, but it’s the little details that will leave your guests cooing as they leave, anticipating your next par ty.

Mini Strawberry Sponges, £2 TESCO Vintage Floral Range, from £2.99 THE LAST DETAIL Vintage Rose Sandwich Sticks, £2.99 THE CONTEMPORARY HOME Regency Teatime, from £4.99 THE CONTEMPORARY HOME

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Words: Emma Hursey Images: Press Loft

24TH JUNE

29TH JUNE TO 1ST JULY

SURREY

KENT

4TH AUGUST

23RD SEPTEMBER

LONDON

SURREY

t a

T E A

MAKE THE M

OF OS T

TH E SU NS HI N E THIS SUMMER A N D

As the last glimmers of the afternoon’s sun finally set, Polly can

safely assure you that there are few simple pleasures as social or as pleasing on the eyes as a summer’s tea par ty.

The British summer’s notorious weather continues with its unpredictability; lets not fret though! This is merely our excuse to increase the spontaneity factor. A quick stop at the shops and the baking is complete; as much as Polly endorses the goodness of homemade, err, goods in this case it just may not be practical.

When setting up, Alice in Wonderland’s mismatched splendour sits perfectly inside an overgrown garden.

Drag the dining room table into the garden and sit it alongside the garden set, whilst a picnic blanket adds extra space for friends and family. Place mats can sit atop floral material commandeered as makeshift tablecloths and without a tad of morbidity Polly endorses flowers; fake, living, dying or deceased. Why not bring an armchair into the dry sunny day for an added home comfor t, and cover iron wrought garden seating with cushions and throws galore to assure your guests are comfor table.

Now to fetch the crockery; firstly turn to the Polly craft page on making your own cake stand, a gorgeous talking point to display your homemade or shop-bought baking alike. Brim those teapots to the top embracing the heat to cool down with a Polly iced tea until

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N E R MA D HATE R AT A P O LLY A FT ER N OON TEA PART Y IN R U O Y E M B R AC E

the afternoon sun begins to set and it is time to toast the day with warm, fruity tea variations. Decanters hold fruit juices for those less par tial to tea, and why not combine juices decorated with strawberries, mint leaves, cucumber, orange and limes to add some zest.

If time passes too fast, or that oak tree is blocking the sunshine, it’s best to use your teacup candles for a soothing flicker of light - Polly shows you how to make these on the craft pages. If this is yet to be created, simply pop some tealights into the teacups for the added ambiance. The excessive blankets brought down for the occasion will serve well with the unpredictability of our British summer weather. Warm tea, giggles and

Images: Emma Hursey & Harriet Edgar, SXC Words: Emma Hursey & Harriet Edgar

cake, it’s the days Polly dreams for.

Tea pot Tea cup Baked goods Biscuits Sugar Chairs

Table Cloth Cake stand Flowers Candles Sunshine Initivative

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Lyndhurst POLLY STUMBLES UPON VINTAGE TREATS IN DEEPEST DARKEST HAMPSHIRE

Sometimes the best way to locate antique

find that one item, be that clothing or home

fairs is by chance. Rolling around in a friend’s

accessories, that will complete your life for

car one lazy Saturday afternoon, Polly and

that one afternoon.

friends found a delightful little village called

Searching out pretty teacups is a must - one

Lyndhurst, just outside of Southampton.

for you, one for me! It’s always best to speak

Frequently stopped on our journey by

to the sellers, more often than not the lovely

donkeys nuzzling up to the window, we

ladies and gentlemen have interesting stories

nosied on down following the signs directing

to tell of their collections; amateur displays

us to an antique fair. Of course this is normally

scattered over wooden tables. Tales of their

something strictly for people above our age

glamorous lives and how they acquired the

range, but we felt compelled to see what was

items is all par t of the fun.

on offer.

Taking that item home, such as a pendent

An antique fair really is the place to search

or photo frame, and knowing its history is

out the extraordinary, the unique and the

all that more fulfilling and rids you of buyers

simply divine, clutching onto your purse to

remorse. Don’t be afraid to haggle for lower prices, it ‘s all about finding a home for the new treasure, not profit.

After a hard days work hunting the bargains find a lovely little tearoom. Put your hardworking feet up and enjoy a well-deserved cuppa, and a slice or two of fruitcake.

Images: Harriet Edgar Words: Harriet Edgar

of a good antiques fair, explore the area to

Images: SXC.hu

SHARING WITH YOU OUR FAVOURITE TIPS FOR HUNTING DOWN NEW PURCHASES You get what you put in, and never has this been truer than when searching for hours at car boot fairs. The rush of excitement at discovering a knitted jumper or vintage bag hidden amongst pop-up tables and boxes of dusty tat is a well-deserved emotion. Par ticularly when it’s a cat boot bargain! When the time comes to move in to your star ter home, you will need furniture items that are cheap and cheerful, and entwined to your personality. It is more rewarding to find a lampshade or folding table with a bit of history, than to pop down to the local shops for it. So, we thought we would share a couple with you, which have helped us locate some beauties in the past.

Get there early! If it star ts at seven, get there at six. If it star ts at nine, get there at eight! You will be the first to see everything, and you will be most likely to succeed with haggling, as the sellers won’t be in a flustered mood, yet.

Whilst we are on the subject of haggling, make sure you flutter your eyelashes and jiggle your little amount of coins to show you really won’t budge to a higher price. They have left it in their garage for years after all!

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Images: Words:

of car boot tips

Do your research as to what car boot you want to attend. If you want designer pieces, jewellery or furnishings it is best to locate events in affluent areas or mainstream events in London.

Do not be put off by anything that seems aged and rough around the edges.

The Polly way is tomake do and mend, its all par t of the fun.

Battersea Afternoon Boot, Battersea Park School.

Sunday from 1:30pm to 5pm, sellers from 11:30am

Car Boot Sale, Aldershot High Street Multi-storey Every Sunday 12pm to 4pm, sellers from 9am

Stay until the end, the sellers will be tired and will want to get rid of as many things as they can, for a bargain price or even for free.

Beachlands Car Boot Sale, Seafront, Hayling Island Wednesdays all-year round 8am, sellers from 6am

Mammoth Boot Sale, Marsh Farm, Canterbury Every Thursday 12am, sellers from 11am

Nuthill Fruit Farm Car Boot Sale, Guildford Sunday April to October 7:30am to 1pm

Blackthorn Car Boot Sale, Bicester

Images: Harriet Words: Words: Edgar Research: Emma Hursey

Every Sunday 1pm, gates open at 8am

Ford Airfield Car Boot Sale, Arundel

Oh, and it’s not always the best weather so it is always good to wrap up in your favourite jumper or coat! If the sun has got his hat on, then so should you.

Thursday and Saturday from 7:30am

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Polly

Snuggled the

most

in unusual

place,

alongside rows of take outs and chippies in Southampton’s Bedford Place, this delightful tea room sits idyllically in a world of its own, like the one clean child wearing bows in a group of scruffy muddy kids. Everything about this tearoom is pretty and delicately designed to reflect a warm and welcoming atmosphere, but the por tion sizes reflect that of a herculean por tion, perfect for a man. Except, gentle ladies battle with this por tion, which involves the inevitable mayo/sandwich-down-facescenario. Of course, not content with our delicious oversize generosity of salad vs. sandwich size, we almost always opt for cakes for brunch or lunch desser t. The tea served in either black or red teapots are always hot, guaranteeing a refreshing and warming brew, that par tners perfectly with the homemade raspberry and vanilla madeira (four tiers + extra strawberries). Of course the friendly quick service, and meals beautifully displayed with doilies makes this a daily retreat.

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Hidden away, discovered at dawn, this peaceful tea room is set within the wealthy grounds of Ripley village in Surrey. A cappuccino was asked for whilst a gentle nose around the shop began. Most wanted item included a treasure chest, patterned on the inside with old maps. Brass metal paper weights came a close second, followed by hand appliquĂŠd cushions found sitting on the tall green shelf. The cappuccino was exceptionally frothy and smooth - both obvious attributes but hard to fake. There is room for a view outside on the wraught iron garden tables and chairs, with parasols by day and a patio heater by night. This tea room and collectable shop is the most desirable place for a nippy afternoon, with time in the day to flick through broadsheets with the all impor tant sweet treat accompaniment. Find this tea room in the

Images and Words: Harriet Edgar

hear t of Ripley.

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For this Summer’s competition, one lucky Polly reader gets to win a wonderful luxury hamper of assor ted treats and delights, wor th £400. This hamper is perfect to equip you with everything you need for all the sunny get togethers you and your friends will be, undoubtedly, hosting.

Just some of the lovely treats include a range of preserves and chutneys, House of Edinburgh shor tbread, Whittard of Chelsea and Betty and Taylors luxurious tea bags (80 of each), Whittard home cafe blend, Yorkshire gingerbread, a large tinned Betty and Taylors almond and apricot layer cake and many more goodies.

In true Jubilee spirit, we’ve even included a full Royal Collection china set for 8 people. And as if that isn’t enough, you get a free subscription to the next four issues of Polly! Two runners up receive yummy House of Edinburgh shor tbread and lovely Betty and Taylors assor ted loose teas to accompany it.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS EMAIL YOUR FULL NAME, NUMBER AND ADDRESS TO US AT WIN@POLLY.CO.UK AND LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE POLLY MAGAZINE - EASY AS THAT! THE CUT OFF DATE IS AUGUST THE 23RD AND WE WILL SELECT THE WINNERS FROM THE RANDOM PRIZE DRAW ON THE 27TH OF AUGUST.

Words: Emily Tsontilis

GOOD LUCK!

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This is a capital whose much celebrated liberal

halting at the

outlook and pastimes have the capability to

Company, we took a guided

deter so many of us. There are those, however,

tour of the city that is

who may otherwise fall for the cobbled streets

stitched together by its bicycle

incased by a labyrinth of canals and lined

lanes. For the following days the

with row upon row of tall, narrow buildings

transpor tation to our free-will

not unlike the inhabitants of Holland herself.

was provided by Mac Bike, and

Amsterdam. When we look past (though we

with four-storey bike-parks

must still acknowledge) the attitude that has

across Amsterdam, it was a

made the city a mecca for stag do weekends,

breeze to hop on and off our

we’re gazing upon a historical place that holds

bicycles wherever we fancied.

a tale in each and every street. As you emerge

But be forewarned that on

from a winding alley, falling upon a wide street

weekends the cities streets

corner, a bridge over the canal straight ahead, a

are

rainbow of bicycles and wicker baskets brimming

who haven’t even gazed at

with tulips swarm each and every path. This is

a bicycle since they were

Amsterdam, a majesty so often overlooked for

nine, and tackling packs of

five leaved clovers and a parade of nudity lit

inexperienced

with red bulbs. We visited Amsterdam in the

nothing like a holiday.

Summer, with the tulips in bloom, Vondlepark

Our cycling was centered

basking in warmth and the bicycles leading your

around the Jordaan district,

way down the higgledy piggledy pathways, now

and the picturesque canals

accompanied by tables, chairs and parasols set

of

to occupy coffee and tea drinkers the world

shady trees and beautiful

over.

houseboats.

On any given weekday, why walk when the

cafes open in the morning and

road and pavements are free to peddle and

stay so until the early hours, a

glide along in the quintessential Dutch manner.

home away from home where

Bicycles have played a vital role in Amsterdam’s

the sun beats down as you

history such as the early-20th century campaign

sip the most beautiful of

to secure women the vote, whilst they were

teas, a European cuppa.

used again in the 60s as Socialist symbols of

Jordaan

the happenings of the Provos ar t group. First

Thijssen is a relaxing all-

with

tourist

cyclists

Prinsengracht Here,

favourite

lined

is

by

most

Cafe

Images: Words:

26

swarmed

Yellow Bike

Images: SXC.hu Words: Words: Emma Hursey

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x u e r u

Although Polly likes to

Sweet S av o

focus on all things Britannia,

the cobbled streets of Paris have

always melted our hear ts and made our sweet tooth tingle. Whether it’s the beautiful hill of Montmar tre, home to the

children of the revolution, or Champs-Élysées,

the most famous street in France, this city has a little corner of pleasure to offer to everyone.

La Galette De Moulins is a wonderfully quaint

bakery located in the shadows of the Sacré-Cœur in

Montmar tre, and filled with many wonderful biscuits,

tar ts and macaroons. For reasonable prices (between

2 and 3 euros for most yummy delights) you can get a taste for Paris whilst sitting out on the adorable patio

furniture looking out onto Montmar tre’s winding street of Place du Ter tre.

Our personal savoury favourite was the spinach and ricotta quiche, but focusing on the main show, La Galette De Moulins’ selection of desser ts, the peach and almond tar ts are absolute front-runners for the best Parisian flavours. Other goodies we delved into are buttery croissants and delightfully fresh raspberry macaroons. If you’re going to be naughty, be naughty here.

If you’ve got a little bit of money to spend, we strongly recommend Ladurée, on the ChampsÉlysées.

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A decadently decorated Sweets & Delicacies shop, Ladurée is filled with pretty pastel boxes and displays heavily laden with every imaginable flavour of macaroon. A box of 15 macaroons will set wor th it. These fresh macaroons have been France’s best contender since 1862 and if that isn’t enough for Polly readers, Ladurée also sells a wide range of lovely

pa

you back 25 Euros, but for a treat it’s cer tainly

perfumes, hand creams and bath lotions. Scents like

Almond, Rose, Violet and Bonbon will make this place the source of all your piggy bank problems.

Finally, for a nice wholesome meal, Le Poulbot is a cosy but charming local cuisine restaurant to settle down in after a long day of exploring. Le Poulbot serves rustic French food with quality ingredients and is run by mother and son – an adorable pairing. Polly suggests the onion soup, beef Bourguignon and, if you have room, the Crème caramel.

The wonderful thing about Paris is that you can find food on every corner, but the most magical and delicious places are usually off the main roads and into the winding side streets, so give a little time for exploration – it’s

Images and Words: Emily Tsontilis

usually wor th it.

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Images: Emily Tsontilis

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England LEARN TO LOVE A HOMEGROWN HOLIDAY IN TIME FOR THE SUMMER. Despite our best effor ts, we unfor tunately cannot control the weather in England. But that doesn’t mean our summer has to be spent under covers, dreading the sound of rain hitting our window. This season’s issue of Polly has equipped you with all you need for an inconveniently rainy day in July, but now it’s time to look at how to fill the good days.

The first thing to do, is make a playlist of every song that has ever reminded you of good, young, summery times. Polly advises you fish out a dusty old por table cd player from the loft to take with you. You never know when some good music will be needed.

If you want to truly embrace the sunny goodness, do some online research – what’s happening today?

There’s always a vintage fair, car boot, exhibition or

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Lucy Rose, Middle of the Bed Best Coast, The Only Place Animal Collective, Fireworks Noah & the Whale - Wild Thing

Images: Emma Hursey Words: Emily Tsontilis Playlist: Emma Hursey

She & Him, Why Do You Let Me Stay Here

Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Shine Neil Young, Harvest Moon Arcade Fire, Keep The Car Running Elton John, Tiny Dancer The Velvet Underground, Sunday Morning

lovely educational day in a stately home to discover. If

optimistic, should bring some sun tan lotion, shades

you want a more relaxing day, to sit, eat and laugh with

and who knows - maybe even swimwear (Although

friends, a road trip is just the ticket.

that verges on idealism as opposed to optimism).

Head to your nearest bit of water; we live in England,

Unplanned adventures are always the ones with most

we cannot be fussy with how picturesque our coasts

memories collected and most stories to tell, so grab an

are. Polly suggests Bournemouth beach, Folkestone

AA map and see what you can find - you never know

coasts, Lymington harbour and lovely sandy Mudeford

when the sun will make another appearance.

for Southern travels. If you’re venturing fur ther nor th, Bridlington, Scarborough and Blyth are wonderful places to see.

Polly believes a filled picnic basket should be at least 3 metres away from you, at almost any given circumstance.

Fill your hamper with homemade lemonade, flasks of iced tea, coconut cake and finger sandwiches, to later fill your mouth with. Those of you who are more

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Decorate

cakes

Decorating cupcakes can be a difficult task to master, especially when so many different styles are seen in shops and in supermarkets, it can all be a bit daunting. But we’ve found a delicious and quick way of making icing that is easy to style around any cake.

It involves whipped cream instead of icing sugar, and using colouring for the look you want to achieve. As it’s cream it has to be served fresh - which adds to the spontaniety that cupcake baking brings.

To swirl the icing on top, all it takes is using some greaseproof paper styled into a cone shaped. Fill the cone with the whipped cream and trim the tip of the cone ready to squeeze!

Hold the nozzle right against the tip and gently squeeze and rotate. Adding sprinkles and a slice of strawberry is a pretty touch with Polly loves! Oh and glitter, hundreds and thousands, chocolate

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Images: SXC.hu Words: Harriet Edgar

buttons, jelly tots...

Display

There’s no need to purchase any cupcake stands, no matter how pretty, as they can be easily replicated with the plates and glasses you have at home.

Find a delicate patterned plate in both a small and a larger size; they don’t have to match, if anything this adds to the appeal. Then balance the smaller plates on top of the larger plate with a sherry glass inbetween each level to make it three tiered.

The best thing about this cupcake stand is you can change it up to suit whatever event you need it for. As the Jubilee is approaching, why not find some royalty memorabilia for a blue blooded celebration of the event?

If you would like to make this cupcake stand more permanent, it can be easily stuck together with some super glue, although it could be quite fiddly.

Then simply add all delicious cakes and sandwiches and decorate it how you

Images: Harriet Edgar Words: Harriet Edgar

wish!

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Homemade LIGHTEN THE ATMOSPHERE WITH A POLLY HOMEMADE TEA CUP CANDLE

To begin you’ll need to hunt down a china teacup and saucer from your local car boot fair, charity shop or ask your Granny nicely to par t with one of hers! The prettier, the better! We found this little beauty on eBay, they’re everywhere at the moment and bargain bin favourites.

Watch the pennys and the pounds will look after themselves. Scrimp and save on buying your wax by avoiding craft shops; old tea lights and candles work a treat, leaving your only expense to be the wicks.

Firstly give that teacup a little clean, and attach the wick to the bottom to the teacup with a little dot of hot wax to keep it centred and upright, a smidgen of sellotape may help here.

Now add the wax to a saucepan on a low heat and melt gently.

This is when you can add a couple of drops of scented oil. You can even pop in some old crayons to experiment with colour!

Images & Words: Harriet Edgar

Then once all melted slowly pour into the teacup.

Leave to cool until it is hardened, trim the wick to size and you are ready to light it! We love using them for tea par ties or when snuggled up reading Polly.

The Duchess and her hunger

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Afternoon tea all began in the early 1900s with the Duke of Bedford’s wife Anna. The Duchess lived and dined in a time where breakfasts were colossal, lunches were miniscule and dinners were served what felt like decades later in the evening.

Allegedly, the Duchess of Bedford told staff of a ‘sinking feeling’ she felt between lunch and dinner, and therefore began to request tea and a selection of cakes at 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

Through the years, this tradition has evolved. From being a decadent luxurious occasion filled with trifles,

tar tlets and meringues, to being a British necessity in later nineteenth century, whereby the sweets were more simple and frugal: bread, butter and jam.

Thankfully, this craze has re-emerged in more recent years, taking place in both quaint, novelty tea rooms all around Britain, and our living rooms. Today, food served alongside tea most likely includes dainty finger sandwiches, scones, rich biscuits and slices of cake.

What a delightful tradition this is, both elegant and relaxed, but a sophisticated affair indeed! Polly has

Images: Waitrose Words: Emily Tsontilis

never been more thankful to a Duchess’s hunger.

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Not exactly winning the prize for Britain’s most patriotic woman, I do however hold some quintessential English traditions close to my hear t.

Having an Irish, tea loving Grandmother and a British ‘Tea for all Occasions’ Mother, I don’t think I could ever shirk off the ritual of tea, biscuits and a mothers’ meeting. Since childhood I’ve been aware that my barmy, yet nur turing Nana put sweet milky tea in my baby bottles. Looking back I doubt tea is a relatively normal liquid to be giving toddlers, her response being, “It never did me any harm.”

Maybe this is why my love of tea has flourished into such a dear, daily routine. The quaint act of putting on the kettle, brewing the teapot and everyone sipping the hot goodness amongst the tales and gossip of the day is a habit I don’t think I will ever break. Call me old

fashioned, but even

the act (or ar t form) of drinking tea fashionable; TEA

pretty teapots and floral cake stands catch me like a

CHIC, the New Generations of the infamous Boston

magpie to their shiny loot. My ideal afternoon is spent

tea par ty movement. Somewhere in all of us is an old

amongst my girls with a teapot and sugar cubes traded

lady enjoying the spoils of tea, friends and if our student

up in the sun. The window displays of the Cath Kidston

budget allows a delectable Vicky sponge cake. Friends

boutiques never fail to draw me into their pretty

have asked for teapots for bir thdays, with some already

house-proud world.

well on their way to having a cosy collection of tea set

The most joyous occasion fell upon me last month

treasures.

when the three generations of ladies in my family went

For me, tea is nostalgic. It’s reminiscent of my

for High Tea at Coombe Abby Country Manor in the

Grandmother and I think we all have a hidden agenda

Midlands. I was beside myself with the lavish décor and

to sit around like Nanas with our cherry bakewells,

delicious finger sandwiches, the fact I had to sit on my

talking from the hear t about the injustices of the world.

hands to stop myself from a potential five fingered

So on that note ladies lets hang out the bunting, cut up

discount on the teapot of dreams was all too much.

the cupcakes and whack on the notorious kettle. It’s

It seems the ideas of the cultural tea leaf have come a long way since the 1500s when the Por tuguese first brought the wholesome beverage to our shores. A

Words & Images: Amber Rixon

new genre of tea-lovers have taken over and made

45

tea break, a drink for the soul.

Apparently, 98% of British tea heard of in France, roughly in 1680

point as possible. Also, sugar can

drinkers take milk in their cup, when Marie de Rabutin-Chantal,

dissolve when in hot water, but

whilst a handful cringe at the described

experimented

not in cold milk, leaving a sad and

thought. As always, Polly doesn’t with it. Despite the fact that us

neglected lump at the bottom of

judge; she simply sits in her chair Brits are stereotypically known for

the cup. However, putting milk into

waiting for the kettle to whistle. our love of tea, Britain was the last

your teacup before the hot water is

There are many ways to take your of the sea-faring nations to pay any

also an extremely popular way to

tea and there are, curiously, many attention to the beverage. China,

prepare your cuppa as it has also

India and America, amongst others,

been proven that hot water straight

ways to make your tea.

having

Milk is added into tea primarily in beat us to the teacup.

onto a teabag can destroy the

British and Indian cultures, because In the office, we stick to the good

nutrients it has to offer, and people

tea blends originating from here are old fashioned routine of teabag

often favour pouring milk first, to

far stronger, with a flavour that won’t in, sugar in, water in, tea bag out,

avoid cracking their china cups.

weaken after the addition of milk, milk in. Delicious. This is a common

Where does that leave us? Well

unlike Chinese tea. Oddly enough, preparation as people tend to think

Polly is left confused,overwhelmed

milk being added into tea was first tea brews best as close to its boiling

and craving tea, however it’s made.

46

Images: Hazel Lee Words: Emily Tsontilis

What makes

Sieve and mix the flour, sugar and baking powder together. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and whisk in the eggs to create a dough.

Roll the dough into a log shape and place on greaseproof paper.

Flatten down the dough a little with your hands and bake at 150째C for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and slice into pieces around 1.5cm thick and bake the slices for a fur ther 5-10 minutes. Let the chocolate chips melt in your mouth with your favourite cup of coffee!

The beauty of biscotti is that it is so versatile, you can practically add anything to it! Cranberries, chocolate chips, figs, nuts, coconut, poppy

Thyme, Orange, Almond and Chocolate Biscotti

seeds, coffee, ginger, lemon zest... the list goes on! This collection of flavours is my personal favourite but feel free to create your own.

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Cream the butter and sugar together and then add sieved cocoa powder and flour. Roll out to a thickness of 3mm and use a hear t-shaped cutter to cut out hear ts.

Place the hear ts on a baking tray with greaseproof paper and bake at 180ยบC for 10-12 minutes.

Let the cookies cool and then sandwich them with 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche, pressing the cookies together to ensure an even spread.

Roll the edges in a bowl of dessicated coconut. You may wish to add some more dulce de leche to the

Images & Words: Hazel Lee

edges for better sticking of the coconut!

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I C

Images: SXC.hu Words: Emily Tsontilis

E D

A DELICATE DRINK TO ACCOMPANY THE WARM SUMMER TEA PARTIES OR DAISY-CHAIN MAKING IN THE GARDEN Put two English Breakfast teabags in a mug and fill it with hot water.

Once strained, take the teabags out and add a heaped teaspoonful of Whittard Cranberry & Raspberry Instant Tea, and a teaspoon of sugar to the mug, stirring well.

Join the hot tea with an equal amount of cold water in a tall glass, and add a squeeze of honey, to take the tang out of the flavour.

Stir well.

Add ice and a lovely helping of chopped strawberries, garnish with a lemon slice and strawberry and enjoy our extra fruity iced tea in your garden, with an issue of Polly.

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