0:00:02 > 0:00:04The Royal Family are steeped in tradition and, throughout history,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07the Royal tables have showcased culinary excellence.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10In celebration of royal food...
0:00:10 > 0:00:11We know it's the Queen's recipe,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13because we've got it in her own hand.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15..from the present and the past...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17That is proper regal.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..we recreate old family favourites.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Now, the Queen Mother had this really wicked trick with these.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26What a mess!
0:00:26 > 0:00:28We sample Royal eating alfresco...
0:00:28 > 0:00:31- Oh, wow!- That is what you want.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35..and revisit the most extravagant times.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Pheasant, stag, turkey, salmon,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40oysters and turbot dressed in a lobster champagne sauce.
0:00:40 > 0:00:41Unbelievable!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43This is Royal Recipes.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51Hello, I'm Michael Buerk, and welcome to Royal Recipes.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55This is Audley End, one of Britain's finest stately homes.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Built in the style of a royal palace and once owned by a king.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02In the splendour of the gardens,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05halls and kitchen of this grandest of country houses,
0:01:05 > 0:01:10we'll be recreating the food served at the highest royal tables.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And it all starts here, with this gem -
0:01:13 > 0:01:16a royal kitchen maid's cookbook.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20The only surviving recipe book of its kind in the Royal Archive.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23This is an exact copy of the original,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25which is kept at Windsor Castle.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Inside, the recipes of Mildred Nicholls,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32who worked at Buckingham Palace in the early 1900s.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And, for the first time in over 100 years,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38we'll be bringing these recipes back to life.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46This time, we're cooking food served for afternoon tea,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49a favourite in the Royal Family for generations.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53A great British mid-afternoon feast of sandwiches and cakes.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Today, in the Royal Recipes kitchen,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth puts the Queen's favourite twist
0:02:01 > 0:02:03on a classic bake.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06The Queen, I think, likes a particular kind of scone, doesn't she?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08She does. Go for it.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09Mmm!
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Historian Dr Annie Gray discovers how Queen Alexandra
0:02:13 > 0:02:16treated thousands of poor maids in London to a tea party.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19It was like society was turned topsy-turvy,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22because ladies waited on them.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And Mich Turner recreates a miniature masterpiece
0:02:25 > 0:02:26she made for the Queen.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29And that is my afternoon tea crown cake.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31What a perfect cool Britannia!
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Here in this beautiful stately home,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43we start with a quintessential afternoon tea treat -
0:02:43 > 0:02:46a firm favourite of the Royals.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49And we're here in the wonderful old kitchen.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52It's all coppers, and ranges, and history,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54and Michelin-starred chefs, like Paul here.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56- How are you doing, Paul?- Very good.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59- What are you doing? It's afternoon tea today, isn't it? - It's afternoon tea.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Now, widely reported, this is the Queen's favourite meal.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- So, what are you going to do? - I'm going to do Battenberg cake.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08- Oh!- Yeah, a real old favourite. - Yes, I used to have that when I was a kid.- Me, too.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12- That's the one with the squares? - That's it, the ones with the squares built up.- OK.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14So what we've got here is two sponge mixtures, OK?
0:03:14 > 0:03:16This one's vanilla, and this one has no vanilla in it
0:03:16 > 0:03:18because this is going to become chocolate.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- So we're going to go straight in with our vanilla sponge.- Mm-hm.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24And the important thing with this is making sure that we spread it
0:03:24 > 0:03:27right to the edge of our baking tray,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29but also as well that we've got no air trapped in there.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And I'll show you a way of how we can kind of get rid of that.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35If we just get rid of our bowl for that one.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39We're just going to spread that mix right to the edges.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41So, we've got our vanilla mixture in there.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44You know I told you earlier about that scientific way of getting rid of the air?
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- Yeah, very technical, you said. - Very technical, I said, didn't I? Like this!
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Very technical!
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Talking about technical,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54presumably it's important to get the two bits of cake looking the same?
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Absolutely, Michael.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- Do you know why they're called Battenberg cakes?- No.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- No, neither do I, actually. But one theory...- Oh!
0:04:00 > 0:04:03One theory is there was a Prince Louis of Battenberg
0:04:03 > 0:04:07who married Queen Victoria's granddaughter, also called Victoria,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- and that this cake was created for the wedding.- OK.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Gosh, that looks good.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- Go on.- No, no, I'm not going to. - Go on!- No, no, no.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- It looks too tempting. - So, what I've got here
0:04:18 > 0:04:22is the same sponge mixture, no vanilla, and we've got chocolate.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23So we've done cocoa powder,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26just mixed in with milk to make that lovely paste
0:04:26 > 0:04:28and we've folded it in here, to our cake mixture.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Now we're going to do exactly the same,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33this one being just ever so slightly...
0:04:33 > 0:04:37It's smoother, isn't it? It's really gooey, isn't it?
0:04:37 > 0:04:40And it's important, Michael, to make sure it's completely folded in.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Quite a bit easier to work with, is the chocolate one.- Yeah, yeah.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Right to the corners, like that.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Same procedure.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48A little tap.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49PAUL LAUGHS
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- And if I could give those to you to go put in the oven?- You can.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- I'll be very careful.- Absolutely.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57About 30 minutes at 160, please.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58- Done!- Thank you.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- How are they looking, Michael?- Oh!
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- Fantastic.- Looking terrific. So far!
0:05:06 > 0:05:09They'll take about 30 minutes and they'll rise beautifully.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- Now we've got some marzipan. - I love marzipan.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14I think every kid loves marzipan, don't they? It's fantastic stuff.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17We've just rolled that out in icing sugar.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19So, what I've got here...
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I'll use our vanilla sponge and our chocolate sponge that's been cooked.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Now, just, so it's nice and neat,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28I'm just going to whip off those ends, like that,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- for you to have a little sneaky taste.- Oh, can I? Yep, yep, yep!
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I can just feel, by running my knife through it,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- just how moist and beautiful it is.- Mm!
0:05:36 > 0:05:37These are the ones I made earlier.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40Oh, great.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45So we're just cutting our sponges into these lovely strips.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47So just straight down like that.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48The ones I remember were pink.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Yeah, they were. And the ones I had were pink as well.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- So, maybe a bit more natural, this one.- Yeah.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- So now I'm laying them out.- Yeah.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Can you see how they start to come together?
0:05:58 > 0:06:01And, at this point, you want to be quite neat,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04but remember, you're going to fold up, you're going to cut those edges off.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06- So...- You're lucky they're not breaking.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Isn't that a bit of a danger when you pick them up like that?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Just be very careful. Just hold them just like that, in the middle.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14I see what you mean about them having to be the same height.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- It would look a bit...- Absolutely. - It would look untidy otherwise.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Now, over here I've got some apricot jam on the stove.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23It's great, isn't it? These royal recipes are fantastic.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25I know, I've got my elastic belt on.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Right, now I'm just going to brush that over like so,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31and then we're going to carry the same procedure
0:06:31 > 0:06:32all the way to the top.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- We want to put a little bit on the marzipan as well.- Yeah.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38OK? And a bit that side. Right.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Next, we're going to swap it over.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43We're going to go vanilla first this time.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45OK.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Here we go, like that.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50More of that lovely, delicious apricot jam.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52And this is to make it stick together?
0:06:52 > 0:06:54That's it. That's your binder, OK?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Up the sides, like that.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57Next one.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00And then we go back and we repeat the process the same as the bottom.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02You're an artist, really, aren't you?
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Well, yes, I'd like to think so, Michael. Yes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08BOTH LAUGH
0:07:08 > 0:07:10OK, now balance them up like that.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13More of that lovely, delicious apricot jam.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14I mean, look at this.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15It's just lovely, isn't it?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18It's great fun to make as well. Great fun.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Right. We've got that all up there.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Now we're going to roll, OK?- Yeah.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24So we're just going to pick that up like that.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- Keep it nice and tight. - Yeah.- All right?
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Get your hands over, under like that. OK?
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- Keep it nice and tight. - Yeah.- All right?
0:07:32 > 0:07:33Don't worry about this stage.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37It may look a bit messy, but it's about keeping it tight, OK?
0:07:37 > 0:07:39And looking at it from this end...
0:07:39 > 0:07:40Wipe your hands!
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- Looking at it from this end, as you do it...- Yeah.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44..it just shows you how...
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I mean, a lot of people say it's nothing to do with German royal families or anything like that.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52It's an old English recipe that used to be called church window cake,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54because of those squares.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Oh, OK. Yeah, I see.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- Pays your money, takes your choice. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- Now, you see I've brushed a bit more jam?- Yeah.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Now I'm going to go right over and I'm just going to push that down,
0:08:03 > 0:08:04like that, and that's our seal.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- OK?- Yeah.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Cover our ends.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- Like that, and we do that to not let any air in.- Yeah.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Now, what you do is transfer that onto some grease-proof paper,
0:08:16 > 0:08:17then onto clingfilm.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Roll it up to keep it nice and tight
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and just let it set in the fridge for an hour.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- That makes it solid? - Solid. Nice and tight.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- So then... Are you ready?- I am.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- There we go.- Oh, it's perfect, isn't it?- Look at that!
0:08:30 > 0:08:31Absolutely perfect.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33I'm going to cut you a slice. Would you like to pour the tea?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- I'm going to pour you a cup of tea. - Yes!- Here we go.- Fantastic!
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- Do you take it with milk?- I do.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39No sugar.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- There we are.- There we go.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- Fork?- Fork.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- For you.- Yeah.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- There's that lovely apricot jam running through.- Yeah, look at it.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55I'm trying to do this with my little finger raised.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- I'll join you.- There we go.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Oh, wow!
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Oh, man!
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- That is absolutely delicious. - Takes me back to my childhood.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11But the ones I had in my childhood were nothing like as good as this.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- Do you know what? That flavour of childhood is the marzipan.- Yeah!
0:09:14 > 0:09:16- Isn't it? Just straightaway. - You're right.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20A delicious chocolate version of this classic cake.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Perfect for a modern royal afternoon tea.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Do you know, the British habit of taking tea in the afternoon,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- afternoon tea...- Yeah.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34..started in the 17th century, and a lot to do with Audley End here.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- Right, OK.- Because this was owned by Charles II,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39and tea drinking was actually brought to this country,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42at least in part, by his wife, Catherine of Braganza.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- She was Portuguese.- Yeah.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47She came here from Portugal, had a really rough journey,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49got off the boat and said,
0:09:49 > 0:09:50"I want a cup of tea."
0:09:50 > 0:09:52And all they had was beer, ale.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- Right, OK.- She soon changed that. - And that's where tea came from?
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Yeah, she soon changed that.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58And I suppose the natural step then was cake.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Yeah, because they used to have sugar in their tea.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Everyone had sugar in their tea then.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07And then later, Queen Alexandra, she loved afternoon tea,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- but she thought the poor should have it as well.- Right.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15And she reckoned that was the ideal thing for the poor maids of London.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23Historian Annie Gray is finding out more about this pioneering Royal.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Princess Alexandra was the beautiful and extremely fashionable wife
0:10:27 > 0:10:32of Edward, Prince of Wales, Queen Victoria's eldest son.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34However, married to a prince though she may have been,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38her husband was known as Edward the Caresser.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41So, I think it's fair to say she hadn't exactly drawn a long straw
0:10:41 > 0:10:44when it came to her marriage.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Alexandra turned a blind eye to her husband's many mistresses,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and threw herself into charitable works.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Her other great passion in life was afternoon tea,
0:10:55 > 0:11:00as described in a book written by a member of the Royal household at the time.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04"The teas", the author said, "were held in a charming sitting room.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07"Places were set all around the long table, and there is a seemingly
0:11:07 > 0:11:09"inexhaustible supply of cakes,
0:11:09 > 0:11:14"both hot and cold, sandwiches of all kinds, rolls and jams."
0:11:14 > 0:11:18In 1902, in order to celebrate her husband's coronation,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Alexandra hit upon the bright idea of combining these two important
0:11:22 > 0:11:26elements in her life - tea taking and charitable work.
0:11:26 > 0:11:32She sponsored a whole series of teas for 10,000 maids of all work.
0:11:32 > 0:11:351,000 of them came here to Fulham Palace,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38to have their tea in the Bishop of London's garden.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46At this time, domestic service was the biggest source of employment for women.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49These skivvies and grafters at the bottom of the food chain
0:11:49 > 0:11:52were about to be given a taste of the high life.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- Hello, I'm Miranda.- Hello. - Welcome to Fulham Palace.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Miranda Poliakoff is curator at Fulham Palace.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02So, here we have my goodies that I've got out for you to see.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05So, this invitation is very special to us.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08It was for a Miss Ada Smith,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11to tea at four o'clock on Tuesday July the 29th
0:12:11 > 0:12:14to celebrate the coronation in 1902.
0:12:14 > 0:12:20All the 10,000 maids who attended these teas were each given a brooch.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21Ada was obviously a very careful lady,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and she left her brooch on her invitation.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26It's such a remarkable thing to have.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28And so what would the maids have been eating?
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Well, we haven't got an exact description of what was served here,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36but this cutting we have from the Daily Graphic says
0:12:36 > 0:12:40that the tea was a substantial one, and much appreciated.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45Sadly, the soon-to-be-crowned queen was unable to attend on the day
0:12:45 > 0:12:47as the king was taken ill.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52So the job of hosting 1,000 maids was left to the newly-appointed bishop.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55He was very disappointed that the Queen actually didn't come on the day,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58but he had his ladies.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59THEY LAUGH
0:12:59 > 0:13:04He had a military band and he had a choir from the Chapel Royal.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07So it really was all singing, all dancing, quite literally,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09for all these sort of belaboured maids.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14He wrote in his memoirs that everything went well,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18except that the 1,000 maids insisted in all kissing the band,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21but the band didn't seem to mind, so that was fine.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25And he actually, also, in addition to the normal tea they were given,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28he also provided grapes from the hothouse here.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29It must have been very special.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34I mean, even his own butler, by the look of it, standing here with teapots and tea urns.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Yes, and also, ladies...
0:13:36 > 0:13:38It was like society was turned topsy-turvy,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41because the ladies waited on them.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46Here they were at this very special place that they would never think they would be invited,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50and being waited on by people who would normally be their employers.
0:13:50 > 0:13:5410,000 girls having a really special day.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56That's just something really quite nice.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Two of the classics in the afternoon tea world,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07and indeed favourites in the Royal household,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10are scones and chocolate eclairs.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Now, for a really grand, Royal afternoon tea,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19there are certain essential ingredients, aren't there, Paul?
0:14:19 > 0:14:23- Absolutely. Yes.- Scones. Scoh-nes? Scones.- Yes.- Scones.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26And the Queen, I think, likes a particular kind of scone.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29She does, orange, and it's absolutely delicious.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31It really works. Bit different as well.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33So in these, your typical scone recipe,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37and we've got orange blossom water in there, and orange zest.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39So it's quite fragrant.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40Really delicious.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42- Would you like to try? - Yeah, come on.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44And what's also nice,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48- to carry on that theme with the orange, is the marmalade.- Mm-hmm.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- So...- Now, do you put the marmalade on first, or the cream on first?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Of course, I'm from Cornwall.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56- Oh, I see. Is that different? - Absolutely, yeah. Very different.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- They do it the other way round, do they?- Oh, yeah!
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- In their benighted way. - Yes, absolutely.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- So, we're going to go on with our lovely jam first, OK?- Yeah.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- And then... Just a beautiful... - Oh, just a small amount.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Just a small amount, Michael. Like that.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11- Oh, this is going to be hell, isn't it?- There you are.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13- Look at that.- OK.- Go for it.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Mmm!
0:15:17 > 0:15:19You've got a bad hand.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- It's lovely in orange. - Nice, aren't they? Delicious.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23I can see what the Queen means now.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25- And the other thing you need to do...- Yes.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26BOTH: Eclairs!
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- Absolutely.- That's what you're going to do now, isn't it?- Yes.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31So, very simple, eclairs.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35They are choux pastry, and we are going to fill them with a lovely...
0:15:35 > 0:15:36What the French call "Creme Chantilly".
0:15:36 > 0:15:40So, basically, a vanilla cream with fresh vanilla and icing sugar.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43So, just get your nozzle right in the end
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and just literally keep filling it with cream
0:15:46 > 0:15:49until it's, like, just bursting out the ends.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54It's extraordinary how many of these dishes that are so familiar
0:15:54 > 0:15:58actually come from the Royal Family, or Royal Family chefs.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- One of the Royal Family's early chefs, a man called Careme in the 1800s.- Yes.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- He was famous, wasn't he? - Yes, almost the first...
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- One of your mob.- My mob! - THEY LAUGH
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Anyway, Monsieur Careme is supposed to be the man who invented the eclair.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Right, so we've just filled these right up with cream.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Just getting it all in so it's literally spurting out the edges.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- Yeah.- OK.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Now, next, which I'm going to get you to help me with, is the fun bit.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25So here we have chocolate glacage. Shiny, dark chocolate sauce.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30So in there you've got golden syrup with cocoa powder, dark chocolate,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33a little bit of glucose syrup, water, and you just bring those...
0:16:33 > 0:16:37And some butter. And you just bring those ingredients to a simmer and then just whisk it.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- That gives it that lovely shine. - And that's the point, isn't it?
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Because "eclair" means "lightning" in French.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46- It's got to shine. It's got to sparkle.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49So just dipping it into that sauce.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Like so.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Now that's very clever. So you don't pour it over the top, as I would.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57No, you don't pour it over the top.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59And then just literally...
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Like that, one by one.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03You're being very precious about it, aren't you?
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Just... It's down, and then just come up like that.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10And then just pull it back, just gently over the surface...
0:17:10 > 0:17:14- so you've got them like that. - That's really good, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- Like a go?- Yeah, I would.- Go for it.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Turn it upside down like that and away you go.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23You know I was saying that so many of our familiar dishes seem to come
0:17:23 > 0:17:25from the Royal family? Well, arguably,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29the Royal family were involved in inventing afternoon tea itself
0:17:29 > 0:17:33because it's supposed to be the Duchess of Bedford who was one of
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, or ladies of the bedchamber,
0:17:37 > 0:17:41who invented it in the 1840s, I think, 1850s,
0:17:41 > 0:17:46because dinner was getting later and later and they were getting hungry
0:17:46 > 0:17:49in the afternoons. So she invented afternoon tea.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Or that's what all the dictionaries say, anyway.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I don't know how true it is.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56I made a bit of a horlicks of that, didn't I?
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Hopefully you didn't see but you obviously have -
0:17:58 > 0:18:00I've moved it over to there so it's not near mine!
0:18:00 > 0:18:02- Can I have another go?- Go for it!
0:18:02 > 0:18:04I've made a complete shambles of that.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- What do you do...? - Just push it down a bit more.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- That's it, push it down a bit more. - Yeah.- That's it.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Now take it and then just drag the excess off.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- Yeah, like that.- That's it, lovely!
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Lovely. Ooh, I like the line you've got going down the middle.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18It's called feathering, that is.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- Is it?- Yes.- It's better than yours! - It is, much better.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22Naturally!
0:18:22 > 0:18:24- Mmm.- Let's get stuck in.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26- Oh, now?! - Yeah, let's do it. Let's do it.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- Here we go.- Mmm!
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- Warm chocolate, cold cream...- Mmm.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- ..and that lovely choux pastry exterior.- Yeah.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38- Yeah!- Oh, hang on.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Let's have another go.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44- Oh!- How good are they?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47- They're not bad, actually. - They're all right, aren't they?
0:18:47 > 0:18:49They're not bad. PAUL CHUCKLES
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Mich Turner has created cakes for many A-list celebrations.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Often described as the queen of couture cakes,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03she's also baked for numerous members of the Royal family.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05The recipe I'm going to show you this afternoon is exactly the same
0:19:05 > 0:19:08as the cake that I made for a larger celebration cake
0:19:08 > 0:19:09for Her Majesty the Queen.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12But today, we're going to make it as an afternoon tea cake.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17For me, afternoon tea wouldn't be afternoon tea without a traditional, rich fruitcake.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I'm starting with melted butter and sugar and I'm going to add a big
0:19:22 > 0:19:24tablespoon of treacle.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26People often ask me - do I feel under pressure,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29having baked for members of the Royal family?
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Having the opportunity to celebrate cakes with
0:19:31 > 0:19:34members of the Royal family has been wonderful.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37You know, I've made a cake for Prince Charles for his birthday.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40We painted his coat of arms on the side of the cake and we wrote in
0:19:40 > 0:19:43English and in Welsh, "Happy birthday, Prince of Wales".
0:19:43 > 0:19:46And for Her Majesty the Queen I've made a number of cakes,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49but particularly and most memorable for me was
0:19:49 > 0:19:52the diamond wedding anniversary cake that I made for a private Royal
0:19:52 > 0:19:54family Christmas lunch.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57And then Queen took the top tier with her to Sandringham to enjoy
0:19:57 > 0:20:01over Christmas. So this fruitcake really has stood the test of time.
0:20:01 > 0:20:07Mich now stirs in eggs and vanilla extract, then sieves flour,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10adds a raising agent and a combination of spices.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Mich combines the batter with sultanas, currants,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15raisins, glace cherries and ginger,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19which have all been soaked in brandy for 48 hours.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Quite often you can have a fruitcake that has a lot of cake with very
0:20:22 > 0:20:24little fruit in it, whereas mine's the alternative.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28It's a lot of fruit that's wrapped up in a little bit of cake.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Mich transfers the batter to a lined tin and pops it in the oven.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34And then, after two and three quarter hours,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37the cake is ready to mould into afternoon-tea-sized portions.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40The cake is baked and it's cooled.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42So, starting right at the edge of the cake,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44I'm going to take that cutter
0:20:44 > 0:20:47and press really evenly all the way down.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Once divided, Mich brushes her cake with apricot jam
0:20:50 > 0:20:53and is ready to apply a base layer of marzipan.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Lay that over the surface.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57The marzipan itself will help to lock in
0:20:57 > 0:20:59all the moisture inside the cake.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Cup it all the way around,
0:21:01 > 0:21:02down to the base.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Cut that out, pop it through...
0:21:06 > 0:21:10and that is the fruitcake ready to have its top coat of icing.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Brushing the cake with brandy before icing will not only add flavour,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16it'll also create an antiseptic
0:21:16 > 0:21:19barrier that will help preserve the cake.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23So, that's brushed, lift the icing up
0:21:23 > 0:21:25over the surface
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and once I get right the way down to the base,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32take the larger-sized cutter, press down...
0:21:34 > 0:21:35..and that's the cake.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40You use smoothers around the edge and on the top to ensure that you've
0:21:40 > 0:21:43got the perfect finish.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44And then, at this stage,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47I'm going to put it straight on to a little disc before decoration.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Now for the intricate process of decorating the teacakes.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58I've made these little afternoon tea cool Britannias
0:21:58 > 0:21:59for Her Majesty the Queen.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02As you can see, a labour of love,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04but certainly worth the effort
0:22:04 > 0:22:09to show that you've really thought about making that person feel
0:22:09 > 0:22:10super special.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Making these individual crown cakes is so labour-intensive
0:22:13 > 0:22:17that it can take Mich up to three days to produce 100.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I'm going to use this to pipe three leaves.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22As I start piping the leaf,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I can give it a little wiggle to bring in the texture.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Release and lift up, and that creates the first leaf.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34Turn to pipe the second and then the third one here...
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And what this will do is create three beautiful leaves
0:22:37 > 0:22:40that cover where the candy stripes started,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42but, most importantly,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46give me the anchor so that I can bring my red rose into position
0:22:46 > 0:22:51on to the top of the cake. And that is my afternoon tea crown cake.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54The rich fruitcake I made for Her Majesty the Queen
0:22:54 > 0:22:56on a perfect cool Britannia.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05100 years and more ago, our kitchen maid,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07our Buckingham Palace kitchen maid, Mildred Nicholls,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10seemed to spend most of her time doing puddings and desserts
0:23:10 > 0:23:13if her recipe book is anything to go by.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15And look at this, Paul. This is really fascinating because
0:23:15 > 0:23:19a loose leaf in the recipe book is a recipe actually sent down
0:23:19 > 0:23:21by the Queen to the kitchens -
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- a recipe for Bath buns. - So, the Queen sent this recipe down?
0:23:24 > 0:23:26- Yep, to her.- Wow! - She's got it in here.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- Yeah.- There's a recipe, though, for Bath buns.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32It's a very simple recipe and actually, no disrespect,
0:23:32 > 0:23:33quite a plain thing, a Bath bun.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35It is a very simple recipe, as you've pointed out,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38but what makes its special is this here.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40And this is what we now know as a ferment, a starter,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43when you're making bread. They would call it a sponge and in there,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Michael, is fresh yeast, milk, warmed - not to kill the yeast,
0:23:47 > 0:23:52just warmed - sugar and flour, and that there's like a really sour,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54yoghurty kind of like... It's just fermenting.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56It's really delicious.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59And this is Mildred's recipe on the instructions from the Queen.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Absolutely. Absolutely, which is brilliant.
0:24:01 > 0:24:07- It's quite a thought.- So we've got our sugar, our eggs and some butter.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09This is simply known as creaming.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14So we're just going to pop that down there and start it off nice and
0:24:14 > 0:24:17slowly. Once it starts coming together, we can just take
0:24:17 > 0:24:18that speed up slightly.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20It's taking off.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26- OK. Next bit...- Yeah.
0:24:26 > 0:24:32We are now just going to change our paddle for a dough hook...
0:24:32 > 0:24:34cos now we don't want to beat air into it, Michael,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- we just want to form a dough. - Mm-hmm.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39So I'm just going to pop that in there like that...
0:24:39 > 0:24:40- In with our flour.- Yeah.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43OK? So just plain flour.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- Yeah.- Now we're going to very gently...
0:24:46 > 0:24:49You see it's just rising and rising in the basin?
0:24:49 > 0:24:52- I'm just going to pop that in there and it's important to get all of this in.- Mmm.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54- Get all of that in.- Yeah.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56I don't know if you can smell it, it smells like beer.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Yeah, it does actually. Quite exciting.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02OK, down... And this bit, just gently...
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- What this is going to do now is knead.- Yeah.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08That'll take a couple of minutes,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12but what it will also do is work the gluten in the flour, cos we don't
0:25:12 > 0:25:15want to just bind it together, we now need to kind of slowly
0:25:15 > 0:25:19knock it, what we call knocking it. We work that gluten.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24And that, Michael, is our dough.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26As Mildred would've made it.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Right, here we go. So we've got this.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30So, we're just going to knead it now, just gently knead it,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32like that, like so.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- Do that for about a couple of minutes.- Yeah.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36Into a nice circle.
0:25:38 > 0:25:39- Straight into our bowl.- Yeah.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40And, over here...
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- Tea towel or clingfilm over the top. - Yeah.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45And over here...
0:25:45 > 0:25:47it's now doubled in size.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- It's risen.- Absolutely.- And how long does it take you to do that?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51That will take about half an hour.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54So you've just got this kind of
0:25:54 > 0:25:56beautiful dough that's increased in size.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00What we do is pull it out gently onto the board like that, OK?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03And again, we knock it, what we call knocking it back, again.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06What's that for? What are you biffing it around for?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09You're taking the air out so it's basically rising
0:26:09 > 0:26:10again, rising again.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14OK? Now, if you just grab about that much...
0:26:14 > 0:26:16- Yeah.- ..and then roll that into a little...
0:26:16 > 0:26:17- Like this?- Absolutely.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Just perfectly like that, just nice and round.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Keep it nice and tight in your palm.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- Right.- You put them on here? - Pop them onto the tray.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26- There we go.- OK.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29No, a bit more space apart because they're going to prove again.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- Oh, they're going to expand. - And the reason we do that, Michael,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35is so that the dough isn't chewy.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39OK. So this will go into the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- Quite hot.- Quite a hot heat so they bake quickly.- Yep.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- Oh, wow!- Then...you have these.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- Look at those! - Look how they've puffed up.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Light, sweet, delicious.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- They're ready to serve now? - No, we just need to glaze them now.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58So over here we have some golden syrup that we've just let down
0:26:58 > 0:27:00with a little bit of water.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02It's a Mildred recipe! THEY CHUCKLE
0:27:02 > 0:27:06- So, literally, Michael, just dab it over...- Just dab it on the top.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Absolutely, yeah. All over our buns, like so.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- Bit of shine on the top of the thing.- Absolutely.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Really good for a lighter afternoon tea.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17- So we've got our last one here. - There we go.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19- Right.- So what's next?- Pearl sugar.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- Basically like little crunchy icing sugar.- Mm-hmm.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23And then straight on like that.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- Don't they look fabulous?- They do.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Also gives a nice texture.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29- Right, can we now...- There we are.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- Look at those! - ..have an afternoon-tea nibble?
0:27:31 > 0:27:33- Yeah!- Yes. Go for it. Get stuck in.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35- No, after you this time. - Go on, then.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37All right. Which one? This one here?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- Yeah, OK, I'll take this one to keep it neat.- Look at that.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- There we go.- Oh, yes!
0:27:43 > 0:27:45I'm going to...
0:27:45 > 0:27:46Mmm!
0:27:48 > 0:27:52- MICHAEL CHUCKLES - How good are those?
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Hang on, you've got a moustache!
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Thank you, Paul. Another fine mess you've got me into.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08That's all from our celebration of afternoon tea.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09See you next time.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12I'm going to have another go.