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 > 0:00:09In celebration of royal food...
0:00:09 > 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 > 0:00:39oysters and turbot dressed in a lobster champagne sauce.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Unbelievable!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43This is Royal Recipes.
0:00:47 > 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 > 0:03:11- That's the one with the squares? - That's it, the ones with the squares built up.
0:03:11 > 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 > 0:03:34And what happens if you do get air trapped in there?
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Well, you know when you see a sponge that's got pockets in it?
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- Oh, yeah.- Just sort of air pockets.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42So that's what that's with.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45If we just get rid of our bowl for that one.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49We're just going to spread that mix right to the edges, like so.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50It's wonderfully gooey, isn't it?
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- It's lovely.- I kind of like that stuff before you cook it.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55I know! Do you know what?
0:03:55 > 0:03:59- It's lovely raw.- Yeah, yeah, it's the kid in me.- Absolutely.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00So, we've got our vanilla mixture in there.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04You know I told you earlier about that scientific way of getting rid of the air?
0:04:04 > 0:04:08- Yeah, very technical, you said. - Very technical, I said, didn't I? Like this!
0:04:08 > 0:04:09Very technical!
0:04:09 > 0:04:10Talking about technical,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14presumably it's important to get the two bits of cake looking the same?
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Absolutely, Michael, and a nice little tip is,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21rather than looking at your eggs by number, look at them by weight.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- So weigh the eggs. - Yeah, they can vary sometimes.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Of course they can vary. You can have small eggs, large eggs.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27So weigh the eggs,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and if you weigh it then you'll get your two sponges exactly the same.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Yeah, yeah, it'll look as if it's been cooked by a professional.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34It will.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35Instead of by you!
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- Thank you. I love you, too, Michael. - Yeah, I know, I know, I know!
0:04:39 > 0:04:41- Do you know why they're called Battenberg cakes?- No.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- No, neither do I, actually. But one theory...- Oh!
0:04:44 > 0:04:47One theory is there was a Prince Louis of Battenberg
0:04:47 > 0:04:50who married Queen Victoria's granddaughter, also called Victoria,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- and that this cake was created for the wedding.- Right.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Actually, the Battenbergs,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58in the First World War when people didn't like German names,
0:04:58 > 0:04:59had to change their name.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It means "Mountbatten" in German. "Berg" means "mountain".
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- And Prince Philip is a Mountbatten through his uncle.- OK.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Gosh, that looks good.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- Go on.- No, no, I'm not going to. - Go on!- No, no, no.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11It looks too tempting.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13So, what I've got here
0:05:13 > 0:05:16is the same sponge mixture, no vanilla, and we've got chocolate.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So we've done cocoa powder,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20just mixed in with milk to make that lovely paste
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and we've folded it in here, to our cake mixture.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Now we're going to do exactly the same,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27this one being just ever so slightly...
0:05:27 > 0:05:31It's smoother, isn't it? It's really gooey, isn't it?
0:05:31 > 0:05:35And it's important, Michael, to make sure it's completely folded in.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37- You can't do this with kids around, can you?- No, you can't.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- Their fingers would be in it. - Because they're going to be all over that.- Yeah.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- So just...- Or the corgis. You've got to keep the corgis at bay. - Yeah, or the corgis!
0:05:45 > 0:05:48So we just move... And same again, right to the corners.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Quite a bit easier to work with, is the chocolate one.- Yeah, yeah.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Right to the corners, like that.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Same procedure.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56A little tap.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00- And if I could give those to you to go put in the oven?- You can.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- I'll be very careful.- Absolutely.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05About 30 minutes at 160, please.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06- Done!- Thank you.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- How are they looking, Michael?- Oh!
0:06:12 > 0:06:14- Fantastic.- Looking terrific.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19They'll take about 30 minutes, 160, gas mark sort of 4, 5.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21They'll rise beautifully.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Great way to check them is just put a nice pastry needle in the middle,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28take it back out, and if it's clean, the mix is beautifully cooked.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29- Top tip.- OK?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- Now we've got some marzipan. - I love marzipan.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I think every kid loves marzipan, don't they? It's fantastic stuff.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37We've just rolled that out in icing sugar, actually.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- Oh, it's not flour? - No, it's not flour,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42because we don't want that horrible taste of raw flour.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45So we've got that lovely icing sugar. So, what I've got here...
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I'll use our vanilla sponge and our chocolate sponge that's been cooked.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Now, just, so it's nice and neat,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54I'm just going to whip off those ends, like that,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58- for you to have a little sneaky taste.- Oh, can I? Yep, yep, yep!
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I can just feel, by running my knife through it,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- just how moist and beautiful it is.- Mm!
0:07:02 > 0:07:04These are the ones I made earlier.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Oh, great.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11So we're just cutting our sponges into these lovely strips.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13So just straight down like that.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15The ones I remember were pink.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Yeah, they were. And the ones I had were pink as well.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21- So, maybe a bit more natural, this one.- Yeah.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I should think this is the one the Queen probably has, because she is
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- particularly fond of chocolate, isn't she?- Yes.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Mmm, that's nice, too.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Another nice little tip you could do as well,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34if there were no kids having it, you could just soak these sponges,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36- or brush them with some alcohol of your choice.- Yeah.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- So now I'm laying them out.- Yeah.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Can you see how they start to come together?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43And, at this point, you want to be quite neat,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46but remember you're going to fold up, you're going to cut those edges off.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- So...- You're lucky they're not breaking.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Isn't that a bit of a danger when you pick them up like that?
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Just be very careful. Just hold them just like that, in the middle.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56I see what you mean about them having to be the same height.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- It would look a bit...- Absolutely. - It would look untidy otherwise.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Now, over here I've got some apricot jam on the stove.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05It's great, isn't it? These royal recipes are fantastic.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07I know, I've got my elastic belt on.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Right, now I'm just going to brush that over like so,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13and then we're going tor carry the same procedure
0:08:13 > 0:08:14all the way to the top.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- We want to put a little bit on the marzipan as well.- Yeah.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20OK? And a bit that side. Right.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Next, we're going to swap it over.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25We're going to go vanilla first this time.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27OK.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Here we go, like that.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32More of that lovely, delicious apricot jam.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34And this is to make it stick together?
0:08:34 > 0:08:36That's it. That's your binder, OK?
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Up the sides, like that.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Next one.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43And then we go back and we repeat the process the same as the bottom.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44You're an artist, really, aren't you?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Well, yes, I'd like to think so, Michael. Yes.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52OK, now balance them up like that.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55More of that lovely, delicious apricot jam.
0:08:55 > 0:08:56I mean, look at this.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57It's just lovely, isn't it?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00It's great fun to make as well. Great fun.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Right. We've got that all up there.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05- Now we're going to roll, OK?- Yeah.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07So we're just going to pick that up like that.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- Keep it nice and tight. - Yeah.- All right?
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Get your hands over, under like that. OK?
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- Keep it nice and tight. - Yeah.- All right?
0:09:14 > 0:09:15Don't worry about this stage.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19It may look a bit messy, but it's about keeping it tight, OK?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21And looking at it from this end...
0:09:21 > 0:09:22Wipe your hands!
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- Looking at it from this end, as you do it...- Yeah.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26..it just shows you how...
0:09:26 > 0:09:30I mean, a lot of people say it's nothing to do with German royal families or anything like that.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34It's an old English recipe that used to be called church window cake,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36because of those squares.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Oh, OK. Yeah, I see.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- Pays your money, takes your choice. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- Now, you see I've brushed a bit more jam?- Yeah.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Now I'm going to go right over and I'm just going to push that down,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47like that, and that's our seal.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49- OK?- Yeah.
0:09:49 > 0:09:50Cover our ends.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- Like that, and we do that to not let any air in.- Yeah.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Now, what you do is transfer that onto some grease-proof paper,
0:09:59 > 0:10:00then onto clingfilm.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01Roll it up to keep it nice and tight
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and just let it sit in the fridge for an hour.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- That makes it solid? - Solid. Nice and tight.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- So then... Are you ready?- I am.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12- There we go.- Oh, it's perfect, isn't it?- Look at that!
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Absolutely perfect. Geometric!
0:10:14 > 0:10:16That's just by rolling it in the parchment paper,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18then the clingfilm, and just letting it set,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21then the whole thing just tightens and becomes like that.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23I'm going to cut you a slice. Would you like to pour the tea?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- I'm going to pour you a cup of tea. - Yes!- Here we go.- Fantastic!
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- Do you take it with milk?- I do.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- No sugar.- No sugar!
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Of course, you wouldn't have anything fattening, would you?
0:10:34 > 0:10:35- No, not at all.- Not at all.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39No butter or anything like that all. Or cream. Or cake!
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- There we are.- There we go.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47- Fork?- Fork.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49- For you.- Yeah.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- It's that lovely apricot jam running through.- Yeah, look at it.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56I'm trying to do this with my little finger raised.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58- I'll join you.- There we go.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Oh!
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Oh, man!
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- That is absolutely delicious. - Takes me back to my childhood.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11But the ones I had in my childhood were nothing like as good as this.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- Do you know what? That flavour of childhood is the marzipan.- Yeah!
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- Isn't it? Just straightaway. - You're right.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20A delicious chocolate version of this classic cake.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Perfect for a modern royal afternoon tea.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Do you know, the British habit of taking tea in the afternoon,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- afternoon tea...- Yeah.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34..started in the 17th century, and a lot to do with Audley End here.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- Right, OK.- Because this was owned by Charles II,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39and tea drinking was actually brought to this country,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43at least in part, by his wife, Catherine of Braganza.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44- She was Portuguese.- Yeah.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47She came here from Portugal, had a really rough journey,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49got off the boat and said,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51"I want a cup of tea."
0:11:51 > 0:11:52And all they had was beer, ale.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- Right, OK.- She soon changed that. - And that's where tea came from?
0:11:55 > 0:11:56Yeah, she soon changed that.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58And I suppose the natural step then was cake.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Yeah, because they used to have sugar in their tea.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Everyone had sugar in their tea then.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08And then later, Queen Alexandra, she loved afternoon tea,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- but she thought the poor should have it as well.- Right.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15And she reckoned that was the ideal thing for the poor maids of London.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16Fantastic!
0:12:22 > 0:12:25As afternoon tea was very much an aristocratic affair at the time,
0:12:25 > 0:12:30the then Princess Alexandra decided to play her part in trying to change this
0:12:30 > 0:12:35by arranging a special tea party for some unsuspecting guests.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40Historian Annie Gray is finding out more about this pioneering Royal.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Princess Alexandra was the beautiful and extremely fashionable wife
0:12:44 > 0:12:48of Edward, Prince of Wales, Queen Victoria's eldest son.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51However, married to a prince though she may have been,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54her husband was known as Edward the Caresser.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58So, I think it's fair to say she hadn't exactly drawn a long straw
0:12:58 > 0:13:00when it came to her marriage.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Alexandra turned a blind eye to her husband's many mistresses,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and threw herself into charitable works,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11quickly becoming one of the most popular Royals of the time.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Her other great passion in life was afternoon tea,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21as described by a book written by a member of the Royal household at the time.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25"The teas", the author said, "were held in a charming sitting room.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29"Places were set all around the long table, and there is a seemingly
0:13:29 > 0:13:31"inexhaustible supply of cakes,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35"both hot and cold, sandwiches of all kinds, rolls and jams.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38"But, when the weather was fine and the King and his guests were in the
0:13:38 > 0:13:42"grounds, the Queen extended the hospitality of her beautiful tea room."
0:13:42 > 0:13:46In 1902, in order to celebrate her husband's coronation,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Alexandra hit upon the bright idea of combining these two important
0:13:50 > 0:13:54elements in her life - tea taking and charitable work.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00She sponsored a whole series of teas for 10,000 maids of all work.
0:14:00 > 0:14:031,000 of them came here to Fulham Palace,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06to have their tea in the Bishop of London's garden.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14At this time, domestic service was the biggest source of employment for women.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Our own Mildred Nicholls was to go into service herself six years later
0:14:18 > 0:14:20at Buckingham Palace.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23These skivvies and grafters at the bottom of the food chain
0:14:23 > 0:14:26were about to be given a taste of the high life.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- Hello, I'm Miranda.- Hello. - Welcome to Fulham Palace.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31I'm Annie. This is... This is fab!
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- Yeah, it is rather special, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Miranda Poliakoff is curator at Fulham Palace,
0:14:37 > 0:14:42home to the Bishop of London, where one of the charitable teas was held.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47So, here we have my goodies that I've got out for you to see.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50So, this invitation is very special to us.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53It was for a Miss Ada Smith,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56to tea at four o'clock on Tuesday July the 29th
0:14:56 > 0:14:59to celebrate the coronation in 1902.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04All the 10,000 maids who attended these teas were each given a brooch.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Ada was obviously a very careful lady,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and she left her brooch on her invitation.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11It's such a remarkable thing to have.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13And so what would the maids have been eating?
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Well, we haven't got an exact description of what was served here,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21but this cutting we have from the Daily Graphic says
0:15:21 > 0:15:25that the tea was a substantial one, and much appreciated.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27And this chap here seems to be serving...
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Well, I imagine it's probably just bread and butter, isn't it?
0:15:29 > 0:15:31But maybe they got white bread.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34After all, that was supposed to be much better for you.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- I'm sure they would have had cake as well.- Yeah.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Sadly, the soon-to-be-crowned queen was unable to attend on the day
0:15:41 > 0:15:43as the king was taken ill.
0:15:43 > 0:15:49So the job of hosting 1,000 maids was left to the newly-appointed bishop.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52He was very disappointed that the Queen actually didn't come on the day,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54but he had his ladies.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56THEY LAUGH
0:15:56 > 0:16:00He had a military band and he had a choir from the Chapel Royal.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03So it really was all singing, all dancing, quite literally,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06for all these sort of belaboured maids.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10He wrote in his memoirs that everything went well,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14except that the 1,000 maids insisted in all kissing the band,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17but the band didn't seem to mind, so that was fine.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21And he actually, also, in addition to the normal tea they were given,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24he also provided grapes from the hothouse here.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26These very special tea parties were a chance
0:16:26 > 0:16:29for some of the lowest-paid workers in society
0:16:29 > 0:16:30to have a rare day off,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32and to toast the new king and queen.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34It must have been very special.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39I mean, even his own butler, by the look of it, standing here with teapots and tea urns.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41It must have been amazing if you were a maid of all work,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43used to being the lowest of the low,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47to be invited here and sit on the lawn and be served by a butler.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Yes, and also, ladies...
0:16:49 > 0:16:52It was like society was turned topsy-turvy,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54because the ladies waited on them.
0:16:54 > 0:17:00Here they were at this very special place that they would never think they would be invited,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04and being waited on by people who would normally be their employers.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05It's a lovely idea, though.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I mean, when you think under royal sponsorship as well,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11to actually go out there and show that you're thinking of some of the poorest
0:17:11 > 0:17:14and, I suppose, most looked- down-upon members of society.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Just 10,000 girls having a really special day.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20That's just something really quite nice.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Two of the classics in the afternoon tea world,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and indeed favourites in the Royal household,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34are scones and chocolate eclairs.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Now, for a really grand, Royal afternoon tea,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43there are certain essential ingredients, aren't there, Paul?
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- Absolutely. Yes.- Scones. Scoh-nes? Scones.- Yes.- Scones.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50And the Queen, I think, likes a particular kind of scone.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53She does, orange, and it's absolutely delicious.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54It really works. Bit different as well.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57So in these, your typical scone recipe,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01and we've got orange blossom water in there, and orange zest.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03So it's quite fragrant.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Really delicious.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06- Would you like to try? - Yeah, come on.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08And what's also nice,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- to carry on that theme with the orange, is the marmalade.- Mm-hmm.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- So...- Now, do you put the marmalade on first, or the cream on first?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Of course, I'm from Cornwall.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- Oh, I see. Is that different? - Absolutely, yeah. Very different.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- They do it the other way round, do they?- Oh, yeah!
0:18:22 > 0:18:24- In their benighted way. - Yes, absolutely.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- So, we're going to go on with our lovely jam first, OK?- Yeah.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- And then... Just a beautiful... - Oh, just a small amount.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Just a small amount, Michael. Like that.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- Oh, this is going to be hell, isn't it?- There you are.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37- Look at that.- OK.- Go for it.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Mmm!
0:18:41 > 0:18:43You've got a bad hand.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45- It's lovely in orange. - Nice, aren't they? Delicious.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47I can see what the Queen means now.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49- And the other thing you need to do...- Yes.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50BOTH: Eclairs!
0:18:50 > 0:18:52- Absolutely.- That's what you're going to do now, isn't it?- Yes.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54So, very simple, eclairs.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58They are choux pastry, and we are going to fill them with a lovely...
0:18:58 > 0:19:00What the French call "Creme Chantilly".
0:19:00 > 0:19:04So, basically, a vanilla cream with fresh vanilla and icing sugar.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07So, just get your nozzle right in the end
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and just literally keep filling it with cream
0:19:10 > 0:19:13until it's, like, just bursting out the ends.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17And you can feel it going all the way through, right to the bottom.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19- Really squeezy.- You want them filled.- All the way up.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Filled with cream, absolutely.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25It's extraordinary how many of these dishes that are so familiar
0:19:25 > 0:19:30actually come from the Royal Family, or Royal Family chefs.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- One of the Royal Family's early chefs, a man called Careme in the 1800s.- Yes.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- He was famous, wasn't he? - Yes, almost the first...
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- One of your mob.- My mob! - THEY LAUGH
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Anyway, Monsieur Careme is supposed to be the man who invented the eclair.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Did you know that?
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I didn't know he invented the eclair, but whoever it invented it,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52it's a true triumph because it's absolutely delicious.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Right, so we've just filled these right up with cream.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Just getting it all in so it's literally spurting out the edges.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59- Yeah.- OK.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Now, next, which I'm going to get you to help me with, is the fun bit.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06So here we have chocolate glacage. Shiny, dark chocolate sauce.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11So in there you've got golden syrup with cocoa powder, dark chocolate,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14a little bit of glucose syrup, water, and you just bring those,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and some butter, and you just bring those ingredients to a simmer
0:20:17 > 0:20:19and then just whisk it.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22So you've got the glucose syrup, the butter, the golden syrup -
0:20:22 > 0:20:25that's what gives it that lovely shine.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26And that's the point, isn't it?
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Because "eclair" means "lightning" in French.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- It's got to shine. It's got to sparkle.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35So just dipping it into that sauce.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Like so.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Now that's very clever. So you don't pour it over the top, as I would.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42No, you don't pour it over the top.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44And then just literally...
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Like that, one by one.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49You're being very precious about it, aren't you?
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Just so it's down, and then just come up like that.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57And then just pull it back, just gently over the surface,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- so you've got them like that. - That's really good, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03- Like a go?- Yeah, I would.- Go for it.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Turn it upside down like that and away you go.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09You know I was saying that so many of our familiar dishes seem to come
0:21:09 > 0:21:11from the Royal family? Well, arguably,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15the Royal family were involved in inventing afternoon tea itself
0:21:15 > 0:21:19because it's supposed to be the Duchess of Bedford who was one of
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, or ladies of the bedchamber,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26who invented it in the 1840s, I think, 1850s,
0:21:26 > 0:21:32because dinner was getting later and later and they were getting hungry
0:21:32 > 0:21:35in the afternoons. So she invented afternoon tea.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Or that's what all the dictionaries say, anyway.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39I don't know how true it is.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42I made a bit of a horlicks of that, didn't I?
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Hopefully you didn't see but you obviously have -
0:21:44 > 0:21:46I've moved it over to there so it's not near mine!
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- Can I have another go?- Go for it!
0:21:48 > 0:21:50I've made a complete shambles of that.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- What do you do...? - Just push it down a bit more.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- That's it, push it down a bit more. - Yeah.- That's it.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Now take it and then just drag the excess off.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- Yeah, like that.- That's it, lovely!
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Lovely. Ooh, I like the line you've got going down the middle.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04It's called feathering, that is.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- Is it?- Yes.- It's better than yours! - It is, much better.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Naturally! Right, in we go.
0:22:09 > 0:22:10- Last one.- Yep.
0:22:12 > 0:22:18Now, you could take these to the fridge or you could put them in
0:22:18 > 0:22:21- a sort of a cool place and let them set.- Mmm.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23But do you know what? I think that's...
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- Why would you? - That's an absolute waste of time.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Absolutely.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29- Mmm.- Let's get stuck in.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- Oh, now? - Yeah, let's do it. Let's do it.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- Here we go.- Mm!
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- Warm chocolate, cold cream...- Mmm.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- ..and that lovely choux pastry exterior.- Yeah.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- Yeah!- Oh, hang on.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45Let's have another go.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49- Oh!- How good are they?
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- They're not bad, actually. - They're not, are they?
0:22:53 > 0:22:54They're not bad. PAUL CHUCKLES
0:22:54 > 0:22:59When it comes to afternoon tea, pastry and scones are a must-have.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02There's only one thing missing...jam.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Jam is the unsung hero of any afternoon tea.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13You can't have a scone without a generous dollop
0:23:13 > 0:23:15of your favourite preserve.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Wilkin and Sons have been making jam in the Essex town of Tiptree since
0:23:20 > 0:23:23afternoon tea became popular in the late 19th century.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27To celebrate their 125th anniversary,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29the Queen came for a factory tour.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33The day the Queen came... Oh, it was just out of this world.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Just amazing, really was.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37The whole of the village had come out, literally,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40outside of the factory, to see her. It was amazing.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45In charge of Her Majesty's tour was Walter Scott,
0:23:45 > 0:23:50joint MD of the company and a jam connoisseur for over 30 years.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52She was jolly interested in everything.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54She obviously knew all about the jams and marmalades
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and did actually say
0:23:56 > 0:24:00that she remembers the name Tiptree from the time she was a little girl.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Which was quite a thing really.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08The company has a long association with the Royal family.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It's held a Royal warrant for over 100 years.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14These are given as a mark of recognition for producers who supply
0:24:14 > 0:24:17the household for more than five years.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19This is our Bible of labels, really,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22of the history of the company right from the beginning.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25We've had the warrant since around 1911
0:24:25 > 0:24:27but it changes with every monarch.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29So, only three monarchs in that time.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31We've got one here by appointment to King George V.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34We've gone from King George V there
0:24:34 > 0:24:37to King George VI here and then to...
0:24:37 > 0:24:40this one is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Oh, it's a really important thing for us.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44We're so proud to have it.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51A passion for preserve kept the company going through two world wars
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and tough economic times and their traditional methods are at the heart
0:24:55 > 0:24:57of production.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00This is where all the fruit, from whichever source, is sorted.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04It comes from our own farms, it comes from abroad.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Copper boiling pans are used which heat the fruit up faster,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10allowing the sugars to caramelise.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13This ensures a perfect, jammy flavour.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17We've got 14 boiling pans, each producing about 70 kilos of jam or
0:25:17 > 0:25:22marmalade every 10-15 minutes.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25As much of the fruit as possible is grown on-site,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28where the company have been farming for 300 years.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Today, farm director Chris Newenham blends old methods with new.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38We are a very traditional business and we cling on to the best of those
0:25:38 > 0:25:41traditions. You know, something like Little Scarlet strawberries,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45it's a strawberry variety that we've grown for 120 years and there is
0:25:45 > 0:25:47nothing to beat it, so when we have a situation like that,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- we'll carry on with it.- But the way they grow fruit is changing.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55The company has increased the number of plants by filling their tunnels
0:25:55 > 0:25:57with rotating tiers.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00It's a great way of coping with the local weather as well.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Well, one of the great challenges that we face in this part of
0:26:03 > 0:26:06the world is that we're farming in the driest part of the driest county
0:26:06 > 0:26:12so water is a real issue for us and it's a great limitation on growth.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16One of the beauties of a system like this is that we've got gutters on
0:26:16 > 0:26:18the roofs so we are able to harvest all the rainwater
0:26:18 > 0:26:20that falls on the tunnels.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23This is a brand-new system and it's already leading to a huge increase
0:26:23 > 0:26:25in fruit production.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28And that's just as well as these jam makers have noticed
0:26:28 > 0:26:32that afternoon tea is becoming more and more popular.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35We export a good proportion of our production,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38probably more than any other UK food company.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40You're proud of the whole thing, you're proud of the name,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43but what's inside the pot is important to me and afternoon tea
0:26:43 > 0:26:46seems to be coming back. There's a bit of a resurgence.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50With scones and cream and Little Scarlet jam on top.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02One organisation that knows more about afternoon tea than most
0:27:02 > 0:27:03is the Women's Institute.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12And I'm here in the Grand Library of the house with Yvonne Brown, who's
0:27:12 > 0:27:17chairwoman of the Sandringham WI and has had afternoon tea with the Queen
0:27:17 > 0:27:19- loads of times.- I have, yes.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I've been a member for 25 years and the Queen's been coming to every
0:27:22 > 0:27:24meeting since 1943.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28So, I've enjoyed many a nice afternoon tea with her.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31The branch was actually started by Queen Mary, wasn't it,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- after the First World War? - It was started by Queen Mary, yes.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36- And she used to come along every year.- She did.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- She was the first president. - And she really joined in?- She did.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Yes, she used to like to take tea with the ladies and they even
0:27:42 > 0:27:45played musical chairs.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47But, I have to say, we don't do that now.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51The present Queen has been coming since 1943, you say?
0:27:51 > 0:27:53She became a member in 1943.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56She came with her mother and Princess Margaret.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57And how often does she come now?
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Once a year to the January meeting and that coincides with the Queen's
0:28:01 > 0:28:03- break at Sandringham. - So, you know she's coming...
0:28:03 > 0:28:06- Yes.- What preparations do you make?
0:28:06 > 0:28:07Well, we, you know,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10get out the best china and the best tablecloths and the floral
0:28:10 > 0:28:13arrangements to make the room look pretty
0:28:13 > 0:28:18and we make - I make lots of different cakes and things.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19Is that different from the normal meeting?
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Well, normally we just have a tea and a biscuit.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25So, how does it work?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Well, the Queen arrives, usually at three o'clock,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30and we sing the national anthem.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32We sing Jerusalem.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- And she joins in?- She does, yes.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37And then the Queen'll give us a short resume of what she's been
0:28:37 > 0:28:42doing over the past year and then she takes tea with three ladies.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44- So, she doesn't sit with all of you? - No, no, no, no. No.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45- It wouldn't work. - The same three ladies?
0:28:45 > 0:28:48No, not at all. No, this is done in strict rotation.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51How many years you've been a member and how many attendances you've had
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- through the year. - Oh, it's an incentive scheme? - Oh, absolutely, yes.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- And what do you serve her?- We serve a selection of cheese scones and
0:28:57 > 0:29:00assorted sponge cakes and eclairs and things.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02And this year, because it was the Queen's 90th birthday,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06I made a very special fruitcake for her, which I know she likes,
0:29:06 > 0:29:08and we were one of the first people...
0:29:08 > 0:29:10I think we were THE first people
0:29:10 > 0:29:12to actually serve the Queen with a birthday cake.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14And I've actually brought you one.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17- Oh, that's...!- I thought, you know, you might like to sample one.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Better not in the library here.
0:29:20 > 0:29:21- No, no, no.- Afterwards, certainly.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24- Yeah.- So, what do you talk about?
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Um...the Queen, when she's sat with the three ladies,
0:29:27 > 0:29:29she talks about almost anything, you know,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31obviously there's a lot of horses and things at Sandringham
0:29:31 > 0:29:33and she talks about the horses.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35She'll talk to people about their families,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37especially some of the people that she's known a long time
0:29:37 > 0:29:41because bearing in mind she has been coming such a long time
0:29:41 > 0:29:43and so have a lot of the ladies so she does...
0:29:43 > 0:29:46- She probably knows them of old. - Yes, yes, she does.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48Gosh! What do you think she gets out of it?
0:29:48 > 0:29:51I think she gets a really nice, relaxing afternoon.
0:29:51 > 0:29:57It's something completely different from her everyday life,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01where she's sort of taken round and visiting different places,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03where she can come there and completely relax.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05A chance to be ordinary, perhaps?
0:30:05 > 0:30:07- Yes. Yeah. - Or as far as the Queen can be.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09As far as the Queen can be ordinary, yes.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10And what about you ladies?
0:30:10 > 0:30:12- What do you get out of it? - Well, we get enormous...
0:30:12 > 0:30:15I mean, we're so honoured and privileged that the Queen
0:30:15 > 0:30:17is our president.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19It's just a wonderful day.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21The highlight of our year, it has to be said.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23And then next week it's back to tea and biscuits.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- Absolutely, yeah. - THEY CHUCKLE
0:30:28 > 0:30:32The Queen must be something of a connoisseur of fruitcake.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35So much so that Royal cake-makers would go to extreme lengths
0:30:35 > 0:30:40to create the perfect cake for a regal afternoon tea.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Baker Mich Turner knows exactly what to do.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Mich Turner has created cakes for many A-list celebrations.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54Often described as the queen of couture cakes,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57she's also baked for numerous members of the Royal family.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59In 2010, Mich
0:30:59 > 0:31:02was awarded an MBE for services to the catering industry.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05The recipe I'm going to show you this afternoon is exactly the same
0:31:05 > 0:31:08as the cake that I made for a larger celebration cake
0:31:08 > 0:31:09for Her Majesty the Queen.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12But today, we're going to make it as an afternoon tea cake.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16For me, afternoon tea wouldn't be afternoon tea without a traditional,
0:31:16 > 0:31:17rich fruitcake.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22I'm starting with melted butter and sugar and I'm going to add a big
0:31:22 > 0:31:24tablespoon of treacle.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26People often ask me - do I feel under pressure,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29having baked for members of the Royal family?
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Having the opportunity to celebrate cakes with
0:31:31 > 0:31:34members of the Royal family has been wonderful.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36You know, I've made a cake for Prince Charles for his birthday.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40We painted his coat of arms on the side of the cake and we wrote in
0:31:40 > 0:31:44English and in Welsh "Happy birthday, Prince of Wales"
0:31:44 > 0:31:46and for Her Majesty the Queen I've made a number of
0:31:46 > 0:31:49cakes, but particularly most memorable for me was
0:31:49 > 0:31:52the diamond wedding anniversary cake that I made for a private Royal
0:31:52 > 0:31:54family Christmas lunch.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57And then Queen took the top tier with her to Sandringham to enjoy
0:31:57 > 0:32:01over Christmas. So this fruitcake really has stood the test of time.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Mich now stirs in eggs and vanilla extract, then sieves flour,
0:32:06 > 0:32:10adds a raising agent and a combination of spices.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14I was really honoured to receive an MBE in 2010 for my services to the
0:32:14 > 0:32:18catering industry. It's one of those most truly wonderful accolades that
0:32:18 > 0:32:22you can't apply for, enter for, even know that it's going to happen.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25I was truly, truly overcome.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27It was a fabulous day to go to Buckingham Palace
0:32:27 > 0:32:28and receive my MBE.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33I do wear it with pride and the main benefits are that my children and my
0:32:33 > 0:32:37grandchildren can be married and christened in St Paul's Cathedral,
0:32:37 > 0:32:38which is pretty lovely.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Mich combines the batter with sultanas, currants,
0:32:41 > 0:32:43raisins, glace cherries and ginger,
0:32:43 > 0:32:47which have all been soaked in brandy for 48 hours.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Quite often you can have a fruitcake that has a lot of cake with very
0:32:50 > 0:32:52little fruit in it, whereas mine's the alternative.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56It's a lot of fruit that's wrapped up in a little bit of cake.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Mich transfers the batter to a lined tin and pops it in the oven.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02And then, after two and three quarters hours,
0:33:02 > 0:33:06the cake is ready to mould into afternoon-tea-sized portions.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08The cake is baked and it's cooled.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10So, starting right at the edge of the cake,
0:33:10 > 0:33:12I'm going to take that cutter
0:33:12 > 0:33:14and press really evenly all the way down.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18The top tip for cutting these out is to ensure that your cutter is nice
0:33:18 > 0:33:21and clean. If it starts to stick a little bit, you can dip it in some
0:33:21 > 0:33:23icing sugar. But if the cake is chilled beforehand,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25that will really, really help.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29Once divided, Mich brushes her cake with apricot jam
0:33:29 > 0:33:32and is ready to apply a base layer of marzipan.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Lay that over the surface.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37The marzipan itself will help to lock in all the moisture inside the
0:33:37 > 0:33:41cake. Cup it all the way around, down to the base.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45Cut that out, pop it through
0:33:45 > 0:33:48and that is the fruitcake ready to have its top coat of icing.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Brushing the cake with brandy before icing will not only add flavour,
0:33:54 > 0:33:57it'll also create an antiseptic barrier that will help preserve the
0:33:57 > 0:34:02- cake.- So, that's brushed, lift the icing up
0:34:02 > 0:34:04over the surface
0:34:04 > 0:34:07and once I get right the way down to the base,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10take the larger-sized cutter, press down.
0:34:13 > 0:34:14And that's the cake.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19You use smoothers around the edge and on the top to ensure that you've
0:34:19 > 0:34:21got the perfect finish.
0:34:21 > 0:34:22And then, at this stage,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26I'm going to put it straight on to a little disc before decoration.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Now for the intricate process of decorating the teacakes.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36I've made these little afternoon tea cool Britannias
0:34:36 > 0:34:41for Her Majesty the Queen. As you can see, a labour of love,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43but certainly worth the effort
0:34:43 > 0:34:47to show that you've really thought about making that person feel
0:34:47 > 0:34:48super special.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Making these individual crown cakes is so labour-intensive
0:34:52 > 0:34:56that it can take Mich up to three days to produce 100.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59I'm going to use this to pipe three leaves.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01As I start piping the leaf,
0:35:01 > 0:35:03I can give it a little wiggle to bring in the texture.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08Release and lift up and that creates the first leaf.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12Turn to pipe the second and then the third one here.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16And what this will do is create three beautiful leaves
0:35:16 > 0:35:19that cover where the candy stripes started.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21But, most importantly,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24give me the anchor so that I can bring my red rose into position
0:35:24 > 0:35:30on to the top of the cake. And that is my afternoon tea crown cake.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32The rich fruitcake I made for Her Majesty the Queen
0:35:32 > 0:35:34on a perfect cool Britannia.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44Fruitcake can be rich and sometimes a plainer bun goes down better in
0:35:44 > 0:35:48the afternoon. At the time of Buckingham Palace kitchen maid
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Mildred Nicholls, the Queen sent down a request to the kitchen.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54It was a recipe for Bath buns.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59100 years and more ago, our kitchen maid,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02our Buckingham Palace kitchen maid, Mildred Nicholls,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05seemed to spend most of her time doing puddings and desserts
0:36:05 > 0:36:07if her recipe book is anything to go by.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10And look at this, Paul. This is really fascinating because
0:36:10 > 0:36:14a loose leaf in the recipe book is a recipe actually sent down
0:36:14 > 0:36:16by the Queen to the kitchens -
0:36:16 > 0:36:19- a recipe for Bath buns. - So, the Queen sent this recipe down?
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- Yep, to her.- Wow! - She's got it in here.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23- Yeah.- There's a recipe, though, for Bath buns.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26It's a very simple recipe and actually, no disrespect,
0:36:26 > 0:36:28quite a plain thing, a Bath bun.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30It is a very simple recipe, as you've pointed out,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32but what makes its special is this here.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35And this is what we now know as a ferment, a starter,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38when you're making bread. They would call it a sponge and in there,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42Michael, is fresh yeast, milk, warmed - not to kill the yeast,
0:36:42 > 0:36:46just warmed - sugar and flour and that there's like a really sour,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49yoghurty kind of like... It's just fermenting.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51It's really delicious.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54And this is Mildred's recipe on the instructions from the Queen.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Absolutely. Absolutely, which is brilliant.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01- It's quite a thought.- So we've got our sugar, our eggs and some butter.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04This is simply known as creaming.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08So we're just going to pop that down there and start it off nice and
0:37:08 > 0:37:12slowly. Once it starts coming together, we can just take
0:37:12 > 0:37:14that speed up slightly.
0:37:14 > 0:37:15It's taking off.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Mildred, presumably, would've done this with elbow power.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22- Yeah, absolutely. - Would it have taken a lot longer?
0:37:22 > 0:37:24- Yes. - THEY LAUGH
0:37:26 > 0:37:28- OK. Next bit...- Yeah.
0:37:28 > 0:37:34We are now just going to change our paddle for a dough hook
0:37:34 > 0:37:36cos now we don't want to beat air into it, Michael,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- we just want to form a dough. - Mm-hmm.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41So I'm just going to pop that in there like that.
0:37:41 > 0:37:42- In with our flour.- Yeah.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45OK? So just plain flour.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48- Yeah.- Now we're going to very gently...
0:37:48 > 0:37:51You see it's just rising and rising in the basin?
0:37:51 > 0:37:54- I'm just going to pop that in there and it's important to get all of this in.- Mmm.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57- Get all of that in.- Yeah.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59I don't know if you can smell it, it smells like beer.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Yeah, it does actually. Quite exciting.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04OK, down... And this bit just gently...
0:38:04 > 0:38:06What this is going to do now is knead.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Yeah.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11That'll take a couple of minutes,
0:38:11 > 0:38:14but what it will also do is work the gluten in the flour cos we don't
0:38:14 > 0:38:18want to just bind it together, we now need to kind of slowly
0:38:18 > 0:38:21knock it, what we call knocking it. We work that gluten.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24It's quite interesting, the social history of all this
0:38:24 > 0:38:29because this recipe came at a time when the Royal family
0:38:29 > 0:38:31were getting a bit more austere, you know.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35Some of the extravagance was being put behind them.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38- Right.- And Queen Mary, in particular,
0:38:38 > 0:38:43she was a real stickler and she would measure out the tea leaves
0:38:43 > 0:38:45for the cups of tea for her afternoon tea
0:38:45 > 0:38:47and she'd insist on doing it herself.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48Right.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53And that, Michael, is our dough.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54As Mildred would've made it.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56- Absolutely.- She must have spent, you know,
0:38:56 > 0:39:00most of her working life doing afternoon tea for Queen Mary,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02the wife of King George V.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04She wasn't always appreciative, you know?
0:39:04 > 0:39:09She was that stickler and we've actually got a note from her sent
0:39:09 > 0:39:11down to the kitchens, not necessarily to Mildred,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13and about Bath buns.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17She says here, "The Bath buns were very good when sent to Windsor last
0:39:17 > 0:39:22"Friday, but yesterday they were, again, not good.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25"They tasted too much of brioche, not bread."
0:39:25 > 0:39:29In other words, too fancy French and not enough plain English,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33do you think? Not a very nice note for Mildred to get if it was aimed
0:39:33 > 0:39:36- at her.- No, absolutely.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Well, do you know what? I think it probably does resemble more towards
0:39:39 > 0:39:41a brioche then it does a bread anyway.
0:39:41 > 0:39:42You'd have got the same sort of note, would you?
0:39:42 > 0:39:45I would've got the same note. I'm with Mildred.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Right, here we go. So we've got this.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50So, we're just going to knead it now, just gently knead it,
0:39:50 > 0:39:51like that, like so.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53- Do that for about a couple of minutes.- Yeah.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55Into a nice circle.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59- Straight into our bowl.- Yeah.
0:39:59 > 0:40:00And, over here...
0:40:01 > 0:40:03- Tea towel or clingfilm over the top. - Yeah.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05And over here,
0:40:05 > 0:40:06it's now doubled in size.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09- It's risen.- Absolutely.- And how long does it take you to do that?
0:40:09 > 0:40:11That will take about half an hour.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13So you've just got this kind of
0:40:13 > 0:40:15beautiful dough that's increased in size.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19What we do is pull it out gently onto the board like that, OK?
0:40:20 > 0:40:23And again, we knock it, what we call knocking it back, again.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25What's that for? What are you biffing it around for?
0:40:25 > 0:40:28You're taking the air out so it's basically rising
0:40:28 > 0:40:29again, rising again.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33OK? Now, if you just grab about that much...
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- Yeah.- ..and then roll that into a little...
0:40:35 > 0:40:37- Like this?- Absolutely.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Just perfectly like that, just nice and round.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Keep it nice and tight in your palm.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Queen Mary would like mine.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Not sure about yours. Oh, look!
0:40:46 > 0:40:47She wasn't that fussy, was she?
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Look, mine's so much better than yours.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51- Right.- You put them on here? - Pop them onto the tray.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53- There we go.- OK.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56No, a bit more space apart because they're going to prove again.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- Oh, they're going to expand. - And the reason we do that, Michael,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02is so that the dough isn't chewy.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06OK. So this will go into the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08- Quite hot.- Quite a hot heat so they bake quickly.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Yep.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14- Oh, wow!- Then...you have these.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16- Look at those! - Look how they've puffed up.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Light, sweet, delicious.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22- They're ready to serve now? - No, we just need to glaze them now.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25So over here we have some golden syrup that we've just let down
0:41:25 > 0:41:27with a little bit of water.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29It's a Mildred recipe! THEY CHUCKLE
0:41:29 > 0:41:33- So, literally, Michael, just dab it over...- Just dab it on the top.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36Absolutely, yeah. All over our buns, like so.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39- Bit of shine on the top of the thing.- Absolutely.- And it also...
0:41:39 > 0:41:41I was about to say spice up,
0:41:41 > 0:41:45but sweetens up what is otherwise a relatively plain...
0:41:45 > 0:41:47It is quite plain but, like I say,
0:41:47 > 0:41:51the secret is in that lovely ferment that's in these buns and that...
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Almost that kind of sweet-sour note with the yeast.
0:41:55 > 0:41:56Delicious.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Really good for a lighter afternoon tea.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01I think, like you say, it's interesting, isn't it,
0:42:01 > 0:42:05how the tastes kind of almost got simpler or not so extravagant
0:42:05 > 0:42:07- as time went on.- Yeah.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- So we've got out last one here. - There we go.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12- They look rather marvellous, don't they?- They do, don't they?
0:42:12 > 0:42:14They look absolutely gorgeous.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16- Right.- So what's next?- Pearl sugar.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19- Basically like little crunchy icing sugar.- Mm-hmm.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20And then straight on like that.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23- Don't they look fabulous?- They do.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26Also gives a nice texture because you've got that nice soft bun...
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Yes, because everything else is soft and this'll be a crispy crust to it.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Absolutely. That lovely sticky glaze.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34- Mmm. Yeah.- All right?- Lovely!
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Right, can we now...
0:42:36 > 0:42:38- Look at those! - ..have an afternoon nibble?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40- Yes.- Go for it. Get stuck in.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42- No, after you this time. - Go on, then.
0:42:42 > 0:42:43All right. Which one? This one here?
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- Yeah, OK, I'll take this one to keep it neat.- Look at that.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48- There we go.- Oh, yes!
0:42:50 > 0:42:52I'm going to...
0:42:52 > 0:42:53Mmm!
0:42:55 > 0:43:00- MICHAEL CHUCKLES - How good are those?
0:43:00 > 0:43:01Hang on, you've got a moustache!
0:43:04 > 0:43:11Thank you, Paul. Another fine mess you've got me into.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15That's all from our celebration of afternoon tea.
0:43:15 > 0:43:16See you next time.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19I'm going to have another go.