Another recipe from the amazing Ultra Select Dishes for Afternoon Teas (1913), a collection of recipes from high end Edwardian era chefs. This tea party cakes recipe is from Frank Bock, pastry chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California.
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Original Recipe
Take one pound of the ready dough and work another two ounces of butter well into it. Let prove and scale off in half pound pieces; divide these pieces again in twelve equal parts; mold them round and let raise a while. Shape different formed small rolls of these pieces, bestrew them with either finely hacked blanched almonds, coarse granulated sugar or both almonds and sugar together, or cocoanut. The forms may be oval, round, very long and thin like finger rolls, ovals with pointed ends, “S” shape and others. When they are molded, set on greased pans and let rise; wash them over with an egg wash and bestrew with the sugar or almonds, etc. Some may be only washed and when baked, can be iced with water icing while they are hot. Must prove double its size and be baked in warm oven.
Recipe Card
Tea Party Cakes Recipe from 1913
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ready dough
- 2 oz butter
- almonds, blanched optional
- coarse granulated sugar optional
- cocoanut optional
- egg wash
Instructions
- Take one pound of the ready dough and work another two ounces of butter well into it.
- Let prove and scale off in half pound pieces; divide these pieces again in twelve equal parts; mold them round and let raise a while. Shape different formed small rolls of these pieces, bestrew them with either finely hacked blanched almonds, coarse granulated sugar or both almonds and sugar together, or cocoanut. The forms may be oval, round, very long and thin like finger rolls, ovals with pointed ends, "S" shape and others.
- When they are molded, set on greased pans and let rise; wash them over with an egg wash and bestrew with the sugar or almonds, etc. Some may be only washed and when baked, can be iced with water icing while they are hot.
- Must prove double its size and be baked in warm oven.
Recipe Notes
- I had to look up “ready dough” because I’d never heard of it; I assumed it was just prepared dough from the daily make and then you pull parts of it off to use for this recipe (remember, this book is for hotel restaurant with hundreds of customers a day). And I think it IS that! So just use bread dough?
- I love the word “bestrew.”
- “Egg wash” is egg plus water, beaten until smooth.
- “Water icing” is what we now call “glacé icing.”
- I wish these recipes were more detailed in how long to actually bake things, or that I was more experienced in baking so I could determine it myself! How long are these buns baked for? What temperature? I tried researching but it seems like most people just guess somewhere around 300-350F.
Source
Hoff, A. C. (1913) Ultra Select Dishes for Afternoon Teas. Los Angeles, Cal., International publishing co. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/13025302/.
