The Book of Afternoon Tea (Book of...) (Paperback)

~ Lesley Mackley (Author) "The custom of afternoon tea is thought to have been introduced in England in 1840 by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford..." (more)
Key Phrases: cut off crusts from bread, cover with oiled plastic wrap, cup ground blanched almonds (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Now cooks everywhere can master the time-honored tradition of afternoon tea. Over 100 delicious, illustrated recipes teach the art of preparing traditional tea cakes and sandwiches and offer contemporary alternatives. Mackley tells how to brew the perfect cup of tea, covers the myriad of teas available, and presents menu suggestions. Color photographs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: HP Trade (July 31, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557880468
• ISBN-13: 978-1557880468
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #442,023 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great source of tea-time recipes, July 7, 2000

By	L. Delgado (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book starts with 2 pages of intoduction -- a brief history and instructions on how to brew tea. "Illustrated" is an understatement! The book is full of gorgeous, full-color photographs. It contains one recipe per page, starting with a photo of the finished product arranged on a serving plate and 3 photos next to the recipe showing the steps in preparation. The most "advanced" recipes involve using a pastry bag with a star tip, but that's as complicated as they get.

sandwiches: 12 recipes / savories: 12 recipes / scones & muffins: 6 recipes / yeast breads & quick breads: 10 recipes / cakes: 10 recipes / small cakes: 10 recipes / special cakes: 12 recipes / pastries: 8 recipes / cookies: 12 recipes / preserves: 4 recipes / drinks: 6 recipes

This is a wonderful cookbook and one of my favorite sources of tea-time recipes!

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to traditional afternoon tea recipes., April 14, 2003

By	Themis-Athena (from somewhere between California and Germany) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

In its roughly 50 parts, all written by experienced cooks and cook book writers, HP Books' "The Book of ... Cooking" series takes you to the cuisines of various regions of the U.S. and around the world; all in easy to follow, well-explained recipes.

This installment, the Book of Afternoon Tea, starts with a brief introduction into the basics of traditional afternoon tea, and then presents recipe suggestions for all major types of tea snacks, from sandwiches and savories to cookies and preserves. Special chapters are dedicated to scones, muffins, yeast breads, quick breads, cakes and pastries. The book ends with a small section on afternoon drinks and a few suggestions for afternoon snack platters. Classics such as assorted sandwiches, shortcakes, muffins and meringues, apple butter, chocolate brownies, chocolate marble cake, Dundee cake, Florentines, lemon curd, Linzer hearts, mini quiches, lemonade, scones, smoked salmon croutes and spiced tea appear next to unique recipes such as coconut and cherry cake, crab and ginger triangles, grapefruit barley water, lemon and currant brioches, lemon mousse gateau, raspberry eclairs and rose petal jam.

From almond macaroons to Welsh rabbit fingers, this collection of recipes, while not all-encompassing, is a great introduction to the endless variations of snacks you can serve with afternoon tea - and at a relative bargain price, to boot. Also recommended: this series' installments on chocolates and petits fours, ice creams and sorbets, preserves, and cookies.

Also recommended:
Around the World Cookbook
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant (Cookery)
Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (4th Edition) Textbook only
Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Afternoon Tea Winner, January 10, 2000

By A Customer

This is one of the best afternoon tea books ever written. The recipies are easy, and delightful. There are items for a simple tea, as well as more sophisticated delicacies. The pictures and instructions are outstanding. It's almost as good as having an instructional video tape.