The Afternoon Tea Files: Jesmond Dene House

Afternoon Tea is one of the greatest pleasures in life. There isn't anything better than settling yourself down in a beautiful location only to know you're going to be spending a good few hours chatting, nibbling and relaxing. It's the perfect way to spend a rainy day (or sunny day, or any day really), which is exactly what we did recently at Jesmond Dene House.

 

I've been to Jesmond Dene House for afternoon tea a number of times but have never featured it on my blog, I've always been too busy chattering on and drinking champagne to even think about breaking the spell and picking my camera up.  So, when JDH contacted me and asked me to review their new Easter themed Afternoon Tea I was thrilled. Armed with my camera and trusty sidekick, Kris we jumped in the car and off to Jesmond we went.

I couldn't believe my eyes when our waiter placed the cake stand in front of us. The cakes were some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, delicate yet vibrant I couldn't wait to dig in.  Priced at £25pp I honestly think you'd struggle to find such quality patisserie at this price point, they've really pulled something special out of the bag here.

We, of course, started off with the savoury tier. This consisted of a cheese savoury and a ham, wholegrain mustard and tomato sandwich each. We were then delighted to discover a few cheeky characters lurking amongst the sandwiches, a cheese and butternut squash quiche and a bloody sausage roll! Any afternoon tea that features a sausage roll has instantly won me over. I mean, you can take the lass out of Newcastle and all that... 

Shimmying up a tier, it was scone time. A cheese scone which I slathered in butter, standard. I have to admit, it was pretty damn delicious, once of the best I've tasted. Next was a plain scone served with clotted cream and a choice of raspberry or strawberry jam (cream then jam, I'll fight anyone that says otherwise) then another festive addition, a fresh baked hot crossed bun. Hawt damn, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. May I add, the little nuggets of sugar on top were a revelation. Can all hot crossed buns have these in future? I'll start a campaign.

And now the part we've all been waiting for. The pièce de résistance, the cake tier *angelic music plays*. Ahh man, I can't even to begin to describe how delicious these little babes were.  I was faced with a dilemma, I knew I could only manage two at best relegating the other two to a box for later that evening. In the end I chose to eat the lime and raspberry macaron and the coconut and mango posset while saving the rhubarb crumble tart and chocolate mousse sable for when I got home and changed into my stretchy pants.

Sadly it just started raining again as we left, scuppering any plans I had of rambling through the beautiful dene but trust me when I say, it's an incredible place for an afternoon stroll. 

As always, Jesmond Dene House have knocked it out of the park, I've never had anything less than a wonderful experience whenever I've dined with them and this was no exception.  In the infamous words of Arnie, I'll be back.

Jesmond Dene House
Jesmond Dene Road
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE2 2EY
(0191) 212 3000

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Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake

Moist, zingy and bright. This grapefruit olive oil cake is a delicious slice of sunshine on a plate.  Dip any left over candied grapefruit slices in chocolate for a delicious snack.

Can you believe it's finally Spring here in the UK. Although you can be forgiven for doubting it; it's still too cold to venture outside without a scarf and there's more snow warnings on the horizon, but it's gotta be over soon. Right?!  Even a staunch Winter lover like me is so over the chill, I'm ready for denim jackets, floaty dresses and dare I say, ditching the tights for bare legs. Oh me, oh my!

Growing up in my house, grapefruit was always considered a breakfast food. I used to love sitting down to half a grapefruit, sprinkled liberally with sugar. I even had a dedicated, serrated grapefruit spoon. I was a cool kid, what can I say. This means, in my eyes, grapefruit olive oil cake is perfectly acceptable as a breakfast food.  Cake for breakfast guys, I found a loophole!

Since the weather is refusing to play ball I thought I'd create a little slice of sunshine right here in my kitchen.  It's hard to be sad when you're oven is pumping out the warm, citrus scents of this grapefruit olive oil cake.  Plus you get to feel like a real life Willy Wonker candying up some grapefruit slices, just make sure you're careful and don't let any kids in the kitchen, sugar gets real hot y'all.

Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients:

• For the Candied Grapefruit :
• 1 small grapefruit, sliced into rounds
• 150g caster sugar
• 150ml water


• For the Cake:
• 200g caster sugar
• 225g self raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 175ml olive oil
• 55g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 grapefruit, zested and juiced
• 4 large, free range eggs
• 250ml soured cream


• For the Glaze:
• 300g icing sugar
• 2-3tbsp of the grapefruit juice from above

Cooking Directions:

1. First make your candied grapefruit. Fill a large bowl with cold water and a handful of ice cubes and set aside. Fill a large saucepan 3/4 with water and bring to the boil. Once at a rolling boil lower in the grapefruit slices and simmer for 1 minute. Remove the slices to the ice water to cool down.


2. In the same (empty) pan add the 150ml water and sugar and bring to a simmer, stir until the sugar has dissolved. Place the boiled grapefruit slices into the sugar water and simmer for 1 hour. Place each slice on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and allow to cool completely.


3. Preheat the oven to 175C and grease and line a loaf tin.


4. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the sugar and grapefruit zest, mix until fragrant. While the motor is still running on the lowest speed add in the melted butter, olive oil, eggs and soured cream. Add in the flour and baking powder and mix until combined.


5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin before removing to a wire rack with a sheet of baking paper underneath.


6. To make the glaze combine the icing sugar with the grapefruit juice in a large bowl. Add the juice a little at a time until you get a thick, pourable consistency. If it's too thick, add a little more juice. If it's too thin, add a little more icing sugar.


7. Pour the glaze over the cake, allow to set for 10 minutes then decorate with the candied grapefruit slices.

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Blue Cheese and Chilli Stuffed Chicken Thighs

These blue cheese and chilli stuffed chicken thighs are the ultimate weekend lunch dish. This one pan recipe is super simple to throw together without scrimping on taste.  Serve with some roasted new potatoes for a decadent treat.

Aren't one pan meals the best! You just throw everything in a pan, shove it in the oven and hey presto, you've got yourself a meal. OK, I'm over simplifying here, this recipe does involve a little bit of hands on action but it's so quick you'd hardly even notice you're doing it. Just pop on some music and enjoy stuffing those thighs. Singing at the top of your lungs is a bonus for you, and your neighbours. 

I love to serve this dish with roasted new potatoes but it would be equally delicious alongside a crisp green salad. Just make sure you save those cooking juices for drizzling, that's some good flavour right there. 

Blue Cheese and Chilli Stuffed Chicken Thighs


Ingredients:

• 150g mascarpone
• 50g soft blue cheese
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1tsp thyme leaves, chopped
• 4 free range, skin on chicken thighs
• 50ml dry white wine
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 150g tenderstem broccoli

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. In a large bowl mash the mascarpone, blue cheese, chilli, garlic and thyme together with a fork. Season and set aside.
2. Using your fingers, very gently separate the chicken skin from the meat then fill these little pockets with a heaping tablespoon of the cheesy stuffing. Press it into all the nooks and crannies before filling the remaining thighs. Place the stuffed thighs into a small baking dish, skin side up and pour in the wine. Drizzle the thighs with the olive oil and give them a little rub. Season the top of the chicken and roast for 30 minutes then place the tenderstem broccoli around the thighs before roasting for a further 20 minutes until the skins are crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
3. Serve with roasted new potatoes or a crisp, green salad and drizzled with the cooking juices.

(adapted from Delicious Magazine)

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Persian Love Cake

Persian Love Cake is a beautifully scented, rich and delicious cake. Filled with exotic the flavours of cardamon, saffron and rose water this cake is truly a slice of luxury.  Loaded with ground almonds and creamy yogurt then drizzled with a sticky citrus syrup, this cake will keep perfectly for a few days while still retaining the moist texture. 

Isn't the name of this cake just beautiful, Persian Love Cake. I feel like a fairytale princess whenever I make it. Legend has it that a Persian woman concocted this cake and filled it with love magic in order to make a handsome Prince fall in love with her. Nobody can agree on whether the tale has a happy ending or not, but I like to think the Prince fell head over heels for the woman and they lived happily ever after. I mean, who could deny the loving powers of this cake.

Traditionally a Persian Love Cake is decorated with dried rose petals and chopped pistachios. Unfortunately I was unable to find dried rose petals... okay okay, I couldn't be bothered to look for them, you got me, so chopped pistachios and live roses will have to do. I still think it looks rather enchanting.

Persian Love Cake

Ingredients:

• 6 cardamom pods
• 100ml full fat milk
• pinch of saffron strands
• 6 large free range eggs
• 250g caster sugar
• 250ml full fat greek yogurt
• 200g ground almonds
• 100g plain flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 2tsp rose water
• 75g pistachios, chopped
• 1 orange, zested (reserve juice for syrup)
• 1 lemon, zested (reserve juice for syrup)


• For the syrup:
• lemon juice from zested lemon
• orange juice from zested orange
• 50ml water
• 125g caster sugar
• 2tsp rosewater

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 175C and grease and line a 22cm cake tin.
2. Remove the cardamom seeds from their pods and lightly crush with a pestle and mortar.
3. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until warm (do not allow to boil) and add in the saffron strands, set aside while you make the cake.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer mix the eggs and sugar together till thick and creamy. Fold in the almonds, flour, baking powder and yogurt. Add the orange and lemon zest and the chopped pistachios and cardamon and gently fold through until just combined. Stir in the milk and rosewater.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
6. While the cake is baking, make the syrup. In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan combine the orange and lemon juice, water, sugar and rosewater and simmer over a medium low heat until the liquid has reduced by half. Around 10 minutes. Brush onto the warm cake and allow to cool in the tin.
7. Decorate with rose petals and more chopped pistachios and dust with icing sugar.

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Raspberry Nutella Pancakes

Happy World Nutella Day everyone! Who knew we needed a day to celebrate Nutella?  I mean, it should be celebrated, it's bloody delicious.  There's hardly a day goes by where I don't help myself to a heaping spoonful straight from the jar.  As yummy as it is scraped out of the tub and shoved directly into my mouth, Nutella is one of my very favourite ingredients to bake with.  Warm and sticky, swirled into a banana bread or brownies, there really is little in the world that can make me happier. That was until I made these raspberry Nutella pancakes.

I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone with this one, not only is it World Nutella Day today, but Pancake Day is fast approaching. Is it even Pancake Day if there's not a jar of Nutella on the table?

What is your favourite pancake filling? Are you a Nutella fiend or do you prefer a sprinkle of sugar and squeeze of lemon? As long as I have a jar of Nutella and a tin of Golden Syrup, I'm a happy camper.

If you fancy a bit more Nutella in your baking repertoire check out these recipes: Nutella Swirl Cookies / Nutella Melting Middle Cookies / Nutella Stuffed French Toast / Nutella and Raspberry Fondants 

Raspberry Nutella Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 150ml whole milk
• 4tbsp Nutella
• 2tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large, free range egg
• 3tbsp caster sugar
• 100g plain flour
• 2tbsp cocoa powder
• 1tsp baking powder
• 100g raspberries, roughly chopped
• 1 jar of Nutella to serve
• 1 jar of good quality raspberry jam to serve
• 100g raspberries to serve

Cooking Directions:

1. In a small saucepan heat the milk and Nutella, constantly stirring until the Nutella has melted into the milk. Allow to cool slightly then mix in the melted butter, egg and sugar.
2. Slowly add the flour, cocoa and baking powder to the dry ingredients, mixing all the time to make a smooth batter. Stir in the raspberries.
3. Heat a large frying pan and generously wipe with butter, turn the heat down to medium low. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the batter per pancake into the hot pan. Cook until bubbles start to appear on the surface of the pancake, flip over and cook for another minute before transferring to a plate. Keep the finished pancakes in a warm oven while you make the rest.
4. To serve stack the pancakes and spread alternate layers with 1tbsp of Nutella and 1tbsp of raspberry jam. Decorate with fresh raspberries and serve.

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