Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

by Helen Kain | Jan 21, 2023 | Cakes, Desserts, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Tea, Winter Recipes

Zesty lemony, buttery cake studded with tangy blueberries—a perfect afternoon pick-me-up or dessert. It could even qualify for an indulgent breakfast at a stretch (ok, a large stretch). It would certainly fit the bill for brunch, with perhaps Asparagus, Tomato and...

A Late Fall Tea with Villa de Medicis

by Helen Kain | Oct 26, 2022 | Blue, Green, Recent, Tea, Terracotta, White, Yellow

The warm fall days of sitting on the porch are coming to a close for this season. But if we look sharpish, we can pour ourselves a cup of tea… …and cut a slice of Pumpkin Roll to go with it. Would you fellows like to join us? You’ve done a wonderful...

Raspberry and White Chocolate Scones

by Helen Kain | Feb 9, 2022 | Bread & Scones, Desserts, Mother's Day, Tea, Valentine's Day, Winter Recipes

Raspberries are intensely flavourful, but their fragility makes them a tricky fruit to employ in baking scones, Too often they shatter into seeds, and the oozing juice leaves a stained mess. In this recipe, the dough is rolled into a rectangle, then fresh berries and...

Red Currant Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches

by Helen Kain | Feb 9, 2022 | Bread & Scones, Tea, Valentine's Day, Winter Recipes

Boston Brown bread is the traditional accompaniment to baked beans, but it’s equally delicious with smoked salmon or tangy cream cheese. We’ve made Valentine’s Day Tea sandwiches with heart cut-outs featuring red-currant flavoured cream cheese. ...

Hearts and Flowers for a Valentine’s Day Tea

by Helen Kain | Feb 9, 2022 | Tea, Valentine's Day, Winter Tablescapes

This table started with the Victorian Valentine Tea Cakes, for which I take no credit; they’re available from Ginger Lily Sweets on Etsy. Aren’t they lovely? Made from Springerle moulds, the little cakes are coated with a thin layer of crisp frosting,...

Edith Holden—Illustrator, Naturalist and Edwardian Lady

by Helen Kain | Jan 31, 2022 | Books, Recent, Tea, Vintage china, Winter Tablescapes

Best known in her own time as an illustrator of children’s books, Edith Holden was a keen observer of nature in all its beauty. The publication Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady is Edith Holden’s journal for 1905. Throughout the year, she jotted down her...