Treat Mom to afternoon tea

This Mother’s Day, let Mom sleep in past brunch.

Use the morning to prepare another type of treat: an elegant and indulgent afternoon tea.

The snack – meal might be more like it – is quintessentially British, but Inland Northwest home cooks can make it their own with local and seasonal staples – such as salmon and huckleberry jam – and still make Mom feel like a member of the upper social classes.

They can also take inspiration from Will Torrent’s new “Afternoon Tea at Home,” which offers everything from recipes to sample menus – and just might make you want to throw some tea parties, for Mom or anyone.

The ritual simply feels fancy.

The menu and presentation – fruited scones and savory finger sandwiches on a cloth-covered table with fine bone china cups, saucers and sugar bowls – make the experience even more special.

Pinkies up

Traditionally served between 4 and 7 p.m., afternoon tea once spared members of the aristocracy from a “sinking” feeling midway between a light luncheon and late dinner. Anna Maria Stanhope Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford and one of Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting, is credited with creating the elegant nosh in the 1840s. Legend has it she asked servants at Belvoir Castle to bring her a pot of tea and a few breadstuffs to tide her over until the evening meal. She began inviting friends, and the practice proved so popular that she continued it upon returning to London.

Queen Victoria was a fan. Throughout her reign – which lasted from 1837 to 1901 – afternoon tea became a beloved tradition in England. One of the queen’s favorite tea cakes, now known as Victoria Cake, was a classic sponge cake with whipped cream and raspberry or strawberry jam sandwiched between the two layers.

Steeped in tradition

Tea remains an institution. At the Ritz Hotel in London, there’s a dress code. At the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, teatime is earlier than in the old days, noon to 3:45 p.m. for the last seating. There’s a dress code there, too, although it’s not as strict as at the Ritz.

The Empress tea blend, according to the hotel’s website, comes from six estates in Kenya, Tanzania, South India, Assam, Sri Lanka and China. Typically, Torrent writes, loose-leaf Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Assam were offered at afternoon tea. Etiquette was important. People dressed for the occasion. They dressed again for dinner, too.

While there are no strict rules these days, especially stateside, menus usually include scones, shortbread cookies, cream and a whole host of bite-size treats – from tartlets and petit fours to meringues, madeleines and mini cakes. It helps if you have a three-tiered cake stand – and dainty, individual dishes for delicacies such as panna cotta, custard and jellied Champagne with fruit.

Torrent, an award-winning chef in England, in his book offers savories such as Crab Mayonnaise Eclairs, Olive and Anchovy Whirls, and Beetroot Cured Salmon with Horseradish Crème Fraiche on Rye Bread. Sweets include Matcha Tea, Lime and Almond Friands; Prosecco, Lime and Mint Jellies; Apricot and Lavender Almondine; and Caramelized Pineapple Upside-down Cakes.

Whatever refreshments you decide upon, you’ll want an assortment. And you’ll need some essentials. These basic condiments can be bought, but “if you really want to go all out,” Torrent suggests making your own lemon curd, strawberry and Champagne jam, cherry compote, chocolate-hazelnut spread and whipped mustard, herb or honeycomb butters. Also required: clotted cream or double or Devonshire cream. Thickly whipped cream would do, too.

In all, Torrent offers 80 recipes for classic afternoon and celebration teas as well as teas for each season. A planner at the back of the book offers menus for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, bridal and baby showers, Thanksgiving, breakfast and more.

Cuppa tea cocktail

Not included – perhaps because it isn’t traditional – are boozy tea drinks.

If Mom isn’t a teetotaler and you want to keep it simple, opt for a pre-made tea mixer such as Owl’s Brew, which offers a line of specialty teas crafted particularly for cocktails.

Or, simply add a bit of bourbon to your Arnold Palmer (lemonade and iced tea), whiskey in your chai or a splash of Pimm’s No. 1 – which is very British – to orange pekoe tea.

Infuse vodka or rum with tea. Or concoct something with green tea liqueur.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

Smoked salmon and cream cheese is one of those match-made-in-heaven combinations and by whipping the cream cheese a bit, the sandwich becomes delightfully light.

10 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 teaspoons juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

10 ounces cream cheese

8 thin slices brown bread

14 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon

Beat the butter until really soft and spreadable, add the lemon zest and juice, season with salt and black pepper and mix in.

In another bowl beat the cream cheese with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until really light, season with black pepper and mix well.

Lay the bread out on the work surface and spread with a thin layer of the lemon butter. Spread half of the slices with the whipped cream cheese and lay the smoked salmon on the remaining buttered slices of bread. Sandwich the two together and using a serrated knife trim off the crusts. Cut each sandwich into dainty bite-sized rectangles or triangles to serve.

Yield: 24 finger sandwiches

Fruited Scones

Executive chef John Williams and his team at the Ritz make an incredible 1,200 scones every day, and these popular scones have never left the menu.

3 cups strong bread flour

scant 1/3 cup caster/granulated sugar

3 tablespoons baking powder

Small pinch of salt

1/2 stick butter

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup (dark) raisins

1 beaten egg, for glazing

Good-quality jam/jelly of your choosing, for serving

Clotted cream, for serving

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix together with your fingertips to the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Add the buttermilk and gently stir to combine until a dough forms.

Add the raisins and knead lightly to spread them throughout the dough. Don’t overwork the dough – the less you work it the more light and fluffy the scones will be. Cover the bowl and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

This allows the dough to relax to avoid toughness. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a thickness of 3/8-inch. Stamp out rounds using the cookie cutter, turn them over and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bring any scraps of dough together, re-roll and stamp out as many rounds as you can.

Brush the tops of each round with a little beaten egg to glaze. Cover the sheets with a clean kitchen cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise and proof for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the scones in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Serve warm or cold with jam/jelly and clotted cream on the side.

Yield: about 24 scones

Caramelized Pineapple ‘Upside-down’ Cakes

Will Torrent says he has fond memories of school dinners, and pineapple upside-down cake was on the menu nearly every week, with canned pineapple and glacé cherries on top. He’s ditched the canned pineapple and caramelized some fresh pineapple with bourbon and pink peppercorns, and drizzled boozy spiced caramel on top with a grating of fresh lime zest to give these cakes a more grown-up appeal.

For the topping

2 1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple (about 1 pineapple)

4 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 tablespoons dark brown sugar

6 1/2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons bourbon or dark rum

Good pinch of smoked sea salt flakes

Good pinch of lightly crushed pink peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Zest of 1 lime, to decorate

For the cakes

1/3 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted

1/2 generous cup plain/all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

10 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup caster/granulated sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup desiccated/shredded coconut

2 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the topping first. Cut the pineapple into 3/8-inch dice. Put the brown sugars and the butter into a large frying pan/skillet. Set over a low heat to melt the butter and dissolve the sugars. Simmer for 30 seconds and remove half of the buttery caramel from the pan and set aside. Add the diced pineapple to the pan and cook over a medium heat until the pineapple is tender and just starting to caramelize. Add half of the bourbon or rum, the sea salt flakes, pink peppercorns and vanilla bean paste, and cook for a further 30 seconds. Divide the pineapple and pan juices between the buttered holes of a muffin tin and set aside to cool while you prepare the cake mixture. Add the remaining bourbon or rum to the reserved caramel and set aside until the cakes are cooked and cooled.

Whiz the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor until very finely chopped. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and whiz again until combined.

Cream the butter with the caster/granulated sugar until pale and light, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition.

Add the flour and hazelnut mixture along with the coconut and buttermilk or sour cream, and mix again until thoroughly combined.

Divide the cake batter between the muffin holes and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until well-risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out with a moist crumb attached.

Run a palette knife around the inside edge of each cake to release it from the pan and turn the pan upside down onto a baking sheet to release the cakes. Leave the cakes to cool to room temperature.

Heat the reserved rum caramel in a small pan over a low heat and spoon over the top of the cakes. Sprinkle with lime zest to serve.

Yield: 12 cakes

Fig and Ricotta with Pistachios, Mint and Pomegranate Molasses

6 ripe figs

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

8 ounces ricotta cheese

24 round Scandinavian-style crisp breads

1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the grill/broiler to high.

Cut the figs in half through the stalks and arrange cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with a little oil and 1 tablespoon of the pomegranate molasses.

Place the dressed figs under the grill/broiler until juicy and bubbling. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Mix the ricotta with another tablespoon of the pomegranate molasses and season with salt and black pepper.

Lay the crispbreads on the work surface or on a serving tray and divide the ricotta between them, spreading it almost to the edges. Cut each fig half in half again so that you have bite-sized quarters and arrange on top of the ricotta-spread crispbreads. Scatter with pistachios, sprinkle with roughly chopped herbs and serve immediately.

Yield: 24 crisp breads