Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Abbey Tea Rooms Port Townsend, London Fog Tea Cake

Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea on a stormy week here in the Pacific Northwest.

Despite the weather being typical November Pacific Northwest grey, damp and chilly, we headed the 30 miles or 45 minutes to the Victorian seaport town of Port Townsend, WA... a favorite place for a day out.

Our destination was the Abbey Tea Room, a new venture of the Jane Dough Gourmet Shortbread shop...the tea room only opened on October 18th, and this photo was from just after that on a sunny day...very different on Thursday!

Sorry for quality on these 2 photos...downloaded them wrong size from my phone then deleted and discovered too late...

The room is very small...we were a small group of 16, and it was a bit tight...with 2 other small tables for 2 right against the front window, in the front of the shop with the Shortbread display cases, while the group was in the back room. There was a series of screens separating the 2 areas.

Tea was served course by course, really item by item, no tea towers or assortment plates, and because you didn't know what or how much was coming, a bit difficult to gauge eating....especially as it turned out there were plenty of things!
We started with tea in vintage bone china teacups...at our table, Royal Albert Celebration pattern.

There was no choice of tea, just their proprietary Abbey blend, made for them, which was a nice brisk English black tea

The first food course was scones...a choice of Black Currant or Lemon with cream and a choice of strawberry or mixed berry jam...I had lemon, my husband had the currant, and the scones were really outstandingly good...

The next course was a salad course...mixed greens, crumbled goat cheese, cranberries, walnuts and a raspberry vinegarette...very nice...we had been talking and enjoying everything, and I almost forgot to take a photo until too late...

The sandwich course was next, and was difficult to photograph because they came out individually with one type, served all the tables, then back for another...but we didn't know how many or waht, and if we had waited it would have been about half an hour before all were served...BUT they were absolutly delicious!

My husband's plate after 2 samdwiches have come round...
cucumber dilled cream cheese on light wheat
smoked salmon on baguette with capers

Not being a fish lover, my plate had the cucumber and the best Curried Chicken on croissant I have ever had ata tea room...redolent of curry with white chicken chunks, cranberries and walnuts with a light dressing the I think included some sour cream....

That was followed out...I was half way through my cucumber with a very nice egg salad with chives on a wheat flat bread. They came around a bit lated with Tuna Salad on toast points, but by that time we were reaching capacity...

The dessert course started...although we didn't know what else was coming...with grapes, ripe cantaloupe and white chocolate covered strawberries.  And then I totally blew it...we got talking again, and I didn't photo the last course. That was a chocolate mousse parfait with fudge layer, cream and raspberry paired wirg a chocolate drizzled coconut macaroon and shortbread heart.
I know, missed the best part to photograph!!!!
This is the shortbread display in the front of the shop/tea room...

The food was really delicious, but I hope they change their delivery routine. It may be because we were one group that it was served this way...not sure.

This was what the day was like in the National Historic Register Victorian Seaport town...November, without a doubt...

So when I saw this recipe for London Fog Tea cake, it seemed a perfect recipe to share!

London Fog Tea Cake:

(makes one 9-inch square cake)

• 3 Earl Grey tea bags
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 5 large eggs, divided into 5 egg yolks and 5 egg whites
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided into 2 tablespoons and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons portions
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/3 cup cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the Vanilla Whipped Cream Topping:

(makes enough to top a 9-inch cake)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• orange zest, to taste

Recipe

For the London Fog Tea Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 (F). Prepare a 9-inch square pan by spraying with cooking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper; spray the parchment paper with cooking spray as well.


2. Steep 2 Earl Grey tea bags in 3/4 cup boiling water. Allow to cool to room temperature completely. Remove the bags, squeezing out as much liquid as possible before discarding.


3. In a large bowl, whisk together 5 large egg yolks and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until thick and pale. Slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup vegetable oil and continue to whisk until completely incorporated. Pour in the cooled tea (from the 2nd step), tea leaves from the remaining bag of Earl Grey tea, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Sprinkle 1 1/3 cup cake flour and 3/4 teaspoon baking powder over the mixture, before using rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERMIX — at this point, it's okay to have one or two flour streaks left in the mixture. Set aside.


4. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the remaining 5 egg whites on medium-high speed until the eggs begin to foam, before thickening and stiffening. Once the egg whites have started to stiffen, add the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar slowly, one teaspoon at a time, while still beating at medium-high speed. Continue beating until stiff, glossy and shiny peaks form — at this point, the mixture should have tripled in size. In this step, you're basically making a stiff meringue.


5. Once you've made a perfectly stiff meringue, turn off the mixer. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the flour mixture (from the 3rd step) in thirds. Pour the batter into the pan and lightly tap it on your counter top one or two times to remove any errant air bubbles.


6. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven or until the top of the cake bounces back when gently poked and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow to cool completely in its pan.

For the Vanilla Whipped Cream:

1. In the bowl of an electri mixer with whisk attachment, combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, before transferring to the top of the cake and sprinkling with orange zest.

Recipe from 

http://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/

Thanks do much for joining me for tea!
Just a reminder that my 15% THANKFUL sale at Antiques And Teacups ends on Friday, November 18th...

I will be having a giveaway that I will post later in the week, so look for that!

I will be joining:

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

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