Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends, we hope you're feeling tea-riffic today.
Today is a special post as we are talking about Marie Curie's Blooming Great Tea Party campaign which takes place in June in order to raise awareness and funds for the amazing work that Marie Curie nurses do. Marie Curie holds a special place in our hearts, as Lorna and I have experienced first hand the care and support that their nurses provide to families.
We cannot thank enough the nurses who helped us when our Dad passed away six years ago. The care they provided overnight to our Dad meant we could rest a little easier at night time, but they also supported each of us too, being a shoulder to cry on and just making sure we were ok. They really helped us in a particularly dark time.
Marie Curie needs funds to keep providing this service though, and that's why the Blooming Great Tea Party campaign is really important. All you need to do is hold a tea party - however big or small - and collect donations while enjoying a spot of tea and cake with friends, family, colleagues, neighbours....or anyone who loves cake! It doesn't matter how much you raise, all donations are important....
£20 pays for…an hour of nursing care for a person living with a terminal illness in their own home
£180 pays for…a Marie Curie Nurse to look after someone with a terminal illness for a full nine-hour shift through the night.
Lorna and I have enjoyed holding Blooming Great Tea Parties with our friends and family - our favourite was a vintage themed party. We had lots of fun, ate cake and raised money - what a great afternoon!
So why not get your friends together between 23rd - 25th June and throw a Blooming Great Tea Party. All the information you need, including how to get a fund raising pack can be found on the Marie Curie website.... if you fancy baking some scrummy goodies read on for some of our favourite recipes.
Lorna's Scrumptious Scones
225g self-raising flour, plus a little extra for dusting
pinch of salt
75g butter, cold (using cold butter helps the fluffiness of your scones)
40g caster sugar
pinch of salt
75g butter, cold (using cold butter helps the fluffiness of your scones)
40g caster sugar
150ml milk
1 egg, beaten
1 egg, beaten
- Preheat the oven to 220C and lightly grease a baking sheet
- Mix together the flour, salt and butter - rubbing the butter into the mixture until you have "breadcrumbs"
- Add the sugar and milk to the mixture and bring together into a dough
- Roll the dough into a circle at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
- Carefully cut the scones out using a cutter - press about three-quarters of the way through your dough and then tear the rest. It sounds a bit weird, but if you press the cutters all the way down, you seal the sides of your scones….and this hampers the rising! Also try not to twist your cutter!
- Place the scones on the baking tray, brush them lightly with the beaten egg
Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they are well risen and golden brown - Remove from the oven and leave to cool
- Enjoy with lashings of clotted cream and jam
Top tip alert -
Handle the dough as little as possible. You don’t want gluten to develop in your dough and remember.....you want the butter to stay cold before baking – so stop touching the dough!
Rachel's Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake - be warned this makes quite a big cake, perfect for sharing!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
128g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
113g butter, room temperature
50g caster sugar
110g brown sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
100g mini chocolate chips
Cake Layer
4 eggs
226g butter, room temperature
226g flour
226g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
200g mini chocolate chips
Lots of chocolate butter cream - make with butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder
To make the cookie layer:
- Line an 8" or 9" cake tin with parchment paper
- Preheat the oven to 170c
- Cream the butter with both sugars
- Add the egg and mix
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt
- Add the chocolate chips and mix until everything is combined
- Spread the dough into the cake tin. The dough should be approx 1/2" thick
- Bake for approx. 15 mins.
- Cool completely in the tin
- Set aside at room temperature until ready to assemble the cake
To make the cake layer:
- Line an 8" or 9" cake tin with parchment paper
- Preheat the oven to 170c
- Cream the butter with both sugars
- Beat the eggs into the mixture
- Carefully add the flour, baking soda and salt
- Add the chocolate chips and mix until combined
- Put into cake tin and bake in the oven for about 45mins
- Allow to cool completely before assembly
Assembly:
- Once cooled, cut the cake in half horizontally
- On your serving plate place the cookie layer at the bottom and top with a layer of chocolate buttercream
- Next place a cake layer on top of the buttercream and add another layer of buttercream
- Add your top layer of cake
- Now cover the whole cake in buttercream, top and sides - this is the messy bit!
- You can then decorate the top - I used chocolate sprinkles and edible gold sprinkles
- Serve with a cup of tea and enjoy
We hope you've enjoyed our recipes and they inspire you to get baking. If you'd like to find out more about the Marie Curie Blooming Great Tea Party campaign pop by their website. If you hold a tea party this June we would love to see your photos!
Finally we'd like to thank all the wonderful Marie Curie nurses out there - you do such an amazing job and provide comfort to so many people.
In memory of Dad
Thank you for popping by today,
Rachel & Lorna
