Part 19 (1/2)

A cla.s.sic British dessert that most of the staff at Downton Abbey would be well acquainted with, ”treacle tart” is c.o.c.kney slang for ”sweetheart.” Perhaps even the Ladies Crawley would give this dessert a try, though it's just as likely the traditional Earl of Grantham might turn his nose up at a supposedly lower-cla.s.s sweet. Nonetheless, this dessert would be well-known to the staff and all their family, many of whom likely originated from working-cla.s.s London, where c.o.c.kney slang and all its a.s.sociations originated.

YIELDS 68 SERVINGS For Pastry 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 212 teaspoons sugar 1 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter, chilled and cut into 12-inch cubes 6 tablespoons ice water For Filling 112 teaspoons lemon zest 12 cup rolled oats 12 teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup golden syrup (1 part sugar to 1 part water) 2 tablespoons lemon juice For Topping Whip cream for garnish For pastry: Thoroughly mix together flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add b.u.t.ter, and mix until mixture resembles coa.r.s.e meal. (You might need a blender to do this, otherwise use your hands.) Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture just begins to clump together. Make sure the dough holds together when pinched.

Place dough on a clean surface. Gently shape the dough mixture into two discs. Work the dough just enough to form the discs but do not overknead. Sprinkle a little flour around each of the discs, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 90 minutes.

Remove one disc from the refrigerator. Let soften for 10 minutes in order to help with rolling. Then, with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, roll out disc to a 12-inch circle about 18-inch thick. Carefully place on a 9-inch pie plate, gently pressing pie dough down so it lines up with bottom and sides of pie dish.

Preheat oven to 400F.

For filling: In a large bowl, mix together the lemon zest, oats, and ginger. Place half of it into the pastry, then pour golden syrup and lemon juice on top of the pie. Cover with rest of oat mixture.

Roll out the second disc following previous directions. Cut into strips to lay a trellis over the tart.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, then serve hot or cold with whipped cream.

Suggested Pairings No treacle tart would be complete without a hearty serving of Clotted Cream (see recipe in Chapter 8)!

Tweeny's Tipsy Cake

Similar to the English trifle, Tipsy Cake, the name given to an old-fas.h.i.+oned English sweet dessert cake, was originally made by soaking sponge cake in high-quality sherry and brandy. This soul-warming alcoholic cake would certainly be enjoyed by the Downton Abbey staff and by the ”tweeny,” or kitchen maid - in this case, Daisy - most of all, as it would serve as a delicious snack after a hard night of scrubbing dishes.

YIELDS 2 CAKES, OR 810 SERVINGS 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares, preferably Guittard 14 cup instant espresso powder, such as Megdalia d'Oro or Cafe Bustelo 14 cup boiling water 114 cups cold water 34 cup whiskey 1 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter 112 teaspoons vanilla extract 214 cups sugar 3 eggs 2 cups self-rising flour Preheat your oven to 350F.

Melt chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently.

Dissolve espresso in boiling water. Once dissolved, stir in cold water and whiskey, then set aside.

Cream together b.u.t.ter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate.

Alternately add flour and espresso/whiskey mixture. The mixture will be incredibly runny and thin, but do not be alarmed.

Pour batter into two 69-inch loaf pans.

Place pans into preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in cakes comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when serving (optional).

Etiquette Lessons Dessert is served to your guests in the same order as dinner was presented. Though you might crave it, black coffee is never served at a truly fas.h.i.+onable dinner table until after dessert is finished and cleared away. Should a lady wish for a second gla.s.s of wine at this time, the gentleman nearest her may serve it - she may not serve herself. However, please note that it is considered unseemly for a lady to require another gla.s.s of wine with dessert, so drink responsibly. Not that Lady Mary would pay any attention to such rules, much to her parents' chagrin and the servants' amus.e.m.e.nt.

Mr. Bates's Bread and b.u.t.ter Pudding

It's likely that when Mr. Bates's lovely wife, Anna, dreams of his prison release, part of that dream involves baking Mr. Bates a celebratory dinner. This homey and cla.s.sic British pudding dish, while not nearly as sweet as Anna, would nonetheless be on the list of desserts to serve Mr. Bates after his diet of prison food!

YIELDS 46 SERVINGS 1 large baguette 12 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter, melted 34 cup whole milk 2 cups heavy cream 4 large eggs, beaten 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 cup sugar 212 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350F.

Cut enough of the baguette into 1-inch cubes to measure 4 cups.

In an 8-inch square pan, toast cubed bread in the middle of the oven until bread is crisp but not golden, about 57 minutes. Mix melted b.u.t.ter in with bread, tossing to coat bread completely.

In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly whisk together milk, cream, eggs, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Pour over bread, stirring to coat. Cover and chill pudding for at least 112 hours.

Bake pudding in the middle of oven until it just sets but still trembles slightly, about 5055 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Times Gone By Most bread-and-b.u.t.ter pudding dishes include raisins, so it would be historically accurate to add 121 cup raisins to this dish. The earliest bread-and-b.u.t.ter puddings were called ”whitepot,” and either bone marrow (yikes!) or b.u.t.ter could be used. They could also be made with rice instead of bread, which led to the rise of rice puddings such as Cla.s.sic Vanilla Rice Pudding (see recipe in this chapter). At any rate, a bread pudding such as this one or the Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce (see Chapter 7) is an excellent way to make use of stale bread!

William's Bilberry Pie

This pie, a particular favorite of those residing in Northern England, would likely be greatly appreciated by William on his last days. Whether he is well enough to enjoy this sweet concoction of bilberries - found in North and West England and also known as European blueberries - is unlikely, but perhaps Daisy would appreciate the comfort food.

YIELDS 1 PIE, OR 68 SERVINGS For Pastry 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 12 cup shortening 12 cup lard 13 cup water 1 large egg yolk 112 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar For Filling 12 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely grated white sugar 1 pound tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, and quartered 23 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter 114 cups bilberries (or blueberries for American chefs) 1 large egg, lightly beaten In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening and lard until mixture resembles coa.r.s.e bread crumbs.

In a small bowl, whisk together water, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and white vinegar. Slowly pour into dry ingredients, then knead dough briefly until just smooth. Allow to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Divide dough in half, then roll out one-half of the pastry dough into a circle to line a 9-inch pie dish. Place in pie dish, then cover and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out other pastry dough half so it is large enough to cover pie dish. Set aside.

To make filling, place 12 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Thinly slice apple quarters and add to sugar. Mix apples and sugar together well.

In a large saucepan over medium-heat, melt b.u.t.ter. Add the sugar-apple mixture and cook for 57 minutes, then stir in bilberries and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Fill pie dish with bilberry mixture. Lay the pastry circle on top of bilberry pie and seal by crimping edges together. Cut a tiny circle in the center of pie to let steam escape.

Brush pastry with lightly beaten egg, then sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake pie for 2025 minutes or until pie top is golden brown and the fruit tender.