Mugs aplenty

When taking our tea, whether it be in the morning, noon, afternoon or night, it is usually served in a mug or cup.

Royalty may drink from bone china cup and saucer sets, builders from cheap, cheerful and chipped mugs emblazoned with logos or jokes, but everyone has their favourite vessel.

The Queen most likely takes her tea in bone china (Photo: dullhunk | Flickr) but builders and mugs of tea go hand-in-hand (Photo: quinn.anya | Flickr)

And you might be surprised at my current mug of choice; it was cheap (£1), it’s plain and it’s from clothing shop Matalan. I bought it several months ago while queuing to buy clothes.

Not a great story, but it just goes to show a good mug only really needs to be sturdy, have a comfortable handle, have good insulation and most importantly, hold a huge amount of tea. Sometimes, a dainty cup is just not enough.

Excuse the drips!

Bone china might be the daily choice of The Queen but let’s face it, there’s not much better than a huge mug of your favourite Rosy Lee.

What’s your favourite mug or cup? Is it cheap and cheerful or an elegant bone china cup and saucer? I’d love to hear if there’s a story behind your cherished cup.

Victoria Wood takes us on a trip to the Far East to explore our obsession with tea (Photo: MAG | Flickr – used under a CC licence)

When I saw the BBC1 trailer for comedian Victoria Wood’s two-part programme ‘A Nice Cup of Tea’ I was just a little bit excited.

A primetime show all about tea; its history and an exploration of why us Brits love it so much – what could be better for tea lovers? Answers on a postcard please.

Victoria Wood is one of the UK’s most well know comediennes, and she obviously likes her tea. She starts the show by taking us on a trip to Shanghai, China’s national tea museum – surely England needs one of those?! – taking in tea pickers and grumpy elephants on the way. She also visits India and learns how the humble tea leaf brought East and West together.

“It’s fascinating to observe both the art and science of tea from its cultivation to its consumption” Time Out review

In episode two, to be shown on Thursday, Victoria learns some tea etiquette in Harrogate and she visits the home of the teabag – New York – as well as taking tea with singer Morrissey and Irish comedian Graham Norton.

And with the addition of actor Matt Smith from that other British institution Doctor Who, ‘A Nice Cup of Tea’ is set to be a true exploration of our obsession with the camellia sinensis plant.

A Nice Cup of Tea airs at 9pm this Wednesday, on BBC1.

Here’s a taster of the programme, with The Doctor Matt Smith talking about why he loves tea so much:

Will you be watching the programme? Leave a comment below.

I get to put this badge on my site – woohoo!

Some rather amazing news has landed in Tea and Cake’s email inbox.

The great tea company Whittard has nominated Tea and Cake as one of their top ten tea blogs!

I never believed when I started this blog around this time last year that it would be nominated for anything, especially by a company I admire so much.

But T&C also received another nomination before Christmas – for a R.E.A.L.I.T.Y. blog award (read more about that here).

The full time job I began recently has meant I spend far too much time online already, so the blogging has had to take a back seat unfortunately.

But if anything gets me back to reviewing my favourite drink, and baking cakes for the pure sake of it, it’s being recognised by one of my favourite tea shops as a top tea blogger. Thanks Whittard

What other things do you think I should write about on Tea and Cake? Please leave a comment below.

Gingerbread houses: perfect for Christmas. (Photo: Creative Commons | Carrie Stephens)

The last time I blogged it was about Halloween cupcakes. This time, it will be about some of the most amazing gingerbread house craftmanship you’ve ever seen.

Now, when I started Tea and Cake I didn’t intend for it to become a chore, an effort or a weekly task to update, but it’s recently been proving difficult to take on a full-time online job and keep this blog up. Alas, Christmas is fast approaching and there’s not much baking-related I love looking at this time of year more than gingerbread houses.

So when I stumbled upon the awesome BuzzFeed’s list of 25 amazing gingerbread houses, I just had to share them with you. Anyway, here are five of my favourites; you’ll have to click on the link to see the next twenty most incredible gingerbread houses ever seen on the internet.

Here goes…

1) A gingerbread treehouse, complete with ice-like Polos:

Source: marthastewart.com

2) The Eiffel Tower made out of gingerbread: why not?!

Source: toxel.com

3) Not actually made of gingerbread, but pretzel sticks. This looks way too good to eat:

Source: gingerbread-house-heaven.com

4) A fairytale gingerbread castle that just appeals to my inner child. Perfect for a princess…

Source: marthastewart.com

5) Not as impressive as the others, but these mini gingerbread houses on mugs are cute and a lot easier to make!

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com

Here’s that BuzzFeed link again to save you scrolling back up to the top.

You probably have the urge to make your own gingerbread house now, so here’s a fairly simple recipe from BBC Good Food. I bought this gingerbread house kit from Ikea a week or so ago, so I’ll be attempting my own creation soon. I’m sure I’ll post any results on here.

Have you seen anymore fantastic festive creations on the internet? Have you made a gingerbread house? What tips and hints do you have? Why not leave a comment below, or tweet Tea and Cake.

Ghoulish glow in the dark cupcakes by foodsnots.com

If you’re planning a party for Halloween, some of the most fun you can have is spent baking ghoulishly good cupcakes. Everyone loves a cupcake and they are a perfect recipe idea for Halloween get-togethers; whether you’re baking for a kids’ party or a booze-filled bash.

Take a look at some of the Halloween cupcake (and cookie) ideas I’ve found on good old Pinterest – some might look scary, but I bet they’re devilishly delicious.

I’ve gathered recipes/cupcake photos for different abilities. Click on each image to take you through to the recipe.

Simple

Spider web cupcakes from BBC Good Food…

Friendly ghost meringues…

You’re gonna be buying lots of Smarties/M&Ms for these dotty Halloween cupcakes…

Not strictly Halloween-inspired, but would fit the spooky colour scheme…

Frightfully easy ghost cookies…

Medium

Ghost meringue cupcakes – probably not easy to eat but they look just the part…

Not scary, but a great flavour combo for this time of year. And they look and sound yummy! Apple pie cupcakes…

Monster cupcakes by shawnzrossi on Flickr…

Cute Frankenstein cupcakes…

And cute skeleton cupcakes!

Difficult

Incredible ghoulish glow-in-the-dark cupcakes…

Spooky spider cupcakes…

Glowing green cupcakes…

Colourful monster cupcakes…

And finally, black cat cupcakes:

(And, just because they are cute, white chocolate pretzel and marshmallow bones):

White chocolate covered pretzel bones

Have you seen any other great Halloween cupcake ideas? Leave a link in the comments below. Also, please tweet Tea and Cake with your Halloween creations!

Russian Caravan, English Breakfast and Sencha teas from Whittard

As a huge fan of English breakfast tea blends, my expectations were high with this particular gift from Whittard. But as usual, they didn’t disappoint.

Whittard English Breakfast tea

Whittard English Breakfast loose leaf tea

To start, I’ve got a tea tasting tip for you: If you look at loose tea in your palm, an indicator of quality is the size of the leaves. Forget about tiny particles; all the lovely flavour comes from lumps of dried leaves. That’s why loose tea generally produces a better flavour than tea bags which are full of broken up leaves.

What’s the tea like?

Pouring the tea with my new strainer

Whittard’s loose blend is full of lots of lovely whole dried leaves. The resulting flavour has the right balance of strong Assam and fragrant, slightly citrusy Sri Lankan Ceylon and is just as good with a drop of milk. It stands out as different to other English breakfast blends I’ve tasted and is well worth trying.

Another thing I like about this tea is the pale blue packaging. I’ve always liked the packaging of Whittard’s teas, they are so nice to have in the cupboard!

Verdict

Whittard’s English brekkie tea: Best drunk without milk

English breakfast tea is the perfect blend for any occasion, not just morning. Whittard’s blend is certainly up there in my favourite English breakfast teas.

8/10

Price

A 125g pack of Whittard’s blend is available online for £4.25. I’d suggest paying a visit to a store though; I love whiling away time smelling the little pots of loose leaves.

Many thanks to Whittard for sending me the teas to review. Anyone else with any teas they want to be reviewed, please email me at mariasoleil[at]rocketmail.com

Tea is good for you, didn’t you know? (Credit: CC/Alexandre Dulaunoy)

The health benefits of tea are well publicised in the tea world but don’t really get enough press in wider circles. There tend to be lots of myths too about tea having more caffeine that coffee, but that’s a post for another day.

There are many reasons why tea is good for you, and some of them are less obvious than you’d think. Some of these are backed up by scientific evidence and some of them are just my opinion…

No.1: It’s better for you than water

We couldn’t drink tea without water. It’s pretty important when brewing a pot of your favourite blend. But did you know that the beneficial properties of tea extend far beyond the capabilities of the humble H2O? According to scientists tea leaves contain polyphenol antioxidants, or flavonoids, and have been shown to prevent cell damage. Boffs at Kings College London found that drinking three to four cups a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack. (That’s me sorted then!)

No.2: It’s good for your teeth

Seriously? Well, yes, I was surprised when I read this too. Having heard time after time about how tea and coffee stain your pearly whites, it’s nice to hear that the properties of tea are actually GOOD for your teeth. The reason is this: tea contains fluoride (which is in toothpaste) and tannins which are enemies to evil plaque.

There is one caveat to this however; tea with added sugar loses all its beneficial teeth properties, and probably all its other health benefits too.

No.3: It’s a low fat, low calorie beverage

What more could you ask than a refreshing drink with ZERO* calories?!

*Unless you add milk or sugar, of course.

No.4: It can help you lose weight

Well, that title is a bit misleading but let me explain. Green tea is well known for its metabolism-boosting properties. It is said to stimulate fat oxidation and boost the metabolic rate 4%, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This is due to the catechins (or polyphenols) present in the unfermented green tea leaves, as well as their natural caffeine content.

No.5: It relaxes you

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I take five minutes to boil the kettle and prepare the tea, it gives me a little bit of time to take stock of the day and have a breather. And I find there is nothing better than to sit with a large steaming mug of tea and chat with family and friends about the latest goings on. Use the time when you’re making tea to focus solely on the task at hand and momentarily forget all your worries. Then comes the best bit – enjoying your brew!

Want to know more reasons why tea is good for you? Click here to read gb times’ article.

Are there any other reasons you know why tea is good for you? Leave a comment below, or tweet me @teacaketweets.

Gorgeous. That’s the first word I thought of when I laid my eyes upon this blue chintz tea set from Whittards.  Unfortunately the teacups and saucers are sold out but there are still tea plates, tea tidies, mugs and teapots – a bit pricey at £32 – up for grabs. I can imagine laying out a decadent afternoon tea with this set. (Just look at the colour contrast with those yummy-looking scones!) Or even just pretending to be posh lifting my pinky during a quick afternoon cuppa. This traditional style set with a classic design is timeless.

Blue chintz range at Whittards, from £6

Afternoon tea at Claridge’s (Credit: CC/chantalboogers)

Due to a manic week last week, I completely missed the fact that it was National Afternoon Tea Week. Probably the best ‘National (insert noun) Week’ all year and I missed it. Oops.

I thought I’d make up for this complete fail and direct you to some amazing afternoon tea offers currently running in London as part of National Afternoon Tea Week, thanks to the awesome site that is AfternoonTea.co.uk. I really recommend you visit their site, it is an encyclopedia of everything you need or want to know about the best English tradition there is.

Anyway, here is my top five pick of the best afternoon tea offers available right now:

1. £9.50 afternoon tea, The Marylebone Hotel London

The Marylebone Hotel lobby (Credit: The Doyle Collection)

Er, I don’t really need to sell this, look at the price! £9.50 per person and you get a great selection of sandwiches, scones, cakes and of course tea (or coffee).

2. £17.65 afternoon tea, The Waldorf Hilton, London.

The Waldorf Hilton (Credit: Hilton Hotels)

This famous hotel couldn’t have had a more illustrious history of guests. Liz Taylor, Pavarotti and Dame Judi Dench have all stayed here. The offer runs until October 17th.

3. £21 afternoon tea, Royal Horseguards Hotel, London.

Royal Horseguards Hotel (Credit: guoman.com)

The most expensive on the list, but for good reason. This hotel is in a magnificent location, on Victoria Embankment overlooking the Thames. Charing Cross, Trafalgar Square, the namesake Horseguards Parade and Buckingham Palace are all within walking distance. I recommend this afternoon tea for London newbies.

4. £17 afternoon tea, Le Meridien, Piccadilly, London.

Le Meridien Piccadilly (Credit: CC/ukcountryhousehotelsandspas)

Afternoon tea in the heart of the West End. Snap this one up quick, the offer is only available until 31st August.

5. £10 afternoon tea, Kensington Close Hotel, London.

Kensington High Street (Credit: CC/Oliver Bruchez)

This refurbished hotel just off High Street Kensington is offering all the usual afternoon tea trimmings for only a tenner. Champagne afternoon tea is also a bargainous £16!

See where the hotels are on the map below:

For the full list of afternoon tea offers available in London and elsewhere, click here.

Please comment or tweet me, I’d especially love to hear from you if you’ve had afternoon tea at any of these places. Tea and Cake is on Facebook too! If I get enough likes I’ll post details of exclusive competitions…

Most people love a picnic, and personally I think they are one of the best ways to while away a hazy summer’s afternoon. This luxury picnic hamper made of willow, leather and linen is just the ticket. I especially love the mini salt and pepper shakers. Pack into it your mini Victoria sponges, scones and other homemade treats. It’s big enough for several flasks of your chosen afternoon tea blend too.

The info

Luxury puritan hamper for four people, £145, from John Lewis