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Sunday, July 26, 2015

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, 1930s Tea, Royal Albert History, Eccles Cakes

Hi and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea! Well, the heat has passed for the moment and we are back to normal tems in the 60s and 70s with occasional rain...what a relief!  

I thought I'd have a simple tea in the sunroom today, with a sort of 1930s theme....and I am starting with a favorite tea quote....



I had found this lovely 1930s hand colored and enameled on grey transfer tea cup a few weeks ago...love at first sight! So planned this tea around it...




As usual, I am using my sunroom tea table and a family embroidered tea table cloth. The jar is an oh-so-1930s art deco ceramic flower vase with flower frog in the top, that I dearly love...from family as well, and made by New Hall Pottery. 



You will notice...no flowers! I have had emails asking why I don't add in flowers to my teas and the answer is...I am allergic to most of them, and can't have them in the house. I have one Hoya Carnos plant...with plenty of charcoal on the top of the soil because I am allergic to molds, and one African Violet. When we have been given flowers by friends, they immediately go to the neighbors and are hopefully stopped at the front door! But I do love flowers! Sigh...



Isn't this Royal Albert Crown China, England tea cup a beauty? If you have followed my blog, you know I have a soft spot for these hand colored on transfer beauties...each is different, because of the artist's input on the design. This has raised red enamel added to the design.  


Royal Albert Crown China dropped the Crown from the name in 1935, and there was supposedly a reason...rumour has it that there was a row over a china design with a royal personage that ended with their retaining the Royal because of royal patronage, but dropped the Crown from the name. Royal Albert was a trade name used by Thomas Wild & Sons, Co which started in 1896. They were acquired by the Pearson Group in the 1960s, Royal Doulton group in 1972, sliced and diced again in 1992 in to the WWRD...or Wedgwood, Waterford, Royal Doulton group LTD, and ceased manufacturing in the UK in 2002 and considered defunct by pottery enthusiasts. 




HOWEVER Royal Albert still manufacturers it's wares...with lesser quality, in Indonesia and Thailland . And, WWRD ltd...you remember... Wedgwood, Waterford, Royal Doulton group LTD...was acquired by Fiskars of Finland a bit earlier this month....the scissors makers? really? Fiskars is positioning itself to be a major table top designs firm to diversify from cutlery...hopefully they will bring manufacturing back to the UK or Finland perhaps...I am waiting to see what happens...


Back to my tea! I used a Wedgwood, England plate in the molded cream ware or Queens ware shape called Patrician in the Bognor pattern from the 194os. Wedgwood is now owned by Fiskars as part of the WWRD purchase mentioned above, but has still had some manufacturing done in the UK during the years, mostly presentation pieces and specialty items...and the new Wedgwood Museum and Visitor's Center in Barlaston...a district of Stoke-on-Trent opened last week.....for more on that, see the link below at the end of the post.



For tea it was filled with cookies!


I didn't have time this week to bake, but I decided to try the local Seattle Shortbread Company's cut gluten free cookies...





They are quite good, and I thought their flower, ladybug and butterfly designs very cute...and organic too!



Lastly...the tea! I always have this on hand...a favorite! Tazo Organic Darjeeling. Darjeeling is my favorite black tea, so It's always gotta be in the tea cupboard!  I thought you might be interested in these great traditional cookies called Eccles Cakes that I dearly love, and are difficult to find in the USA. I mail order some from England, and occasionally find them at a British food store.  They are named for Eccles near Manchester, and are sometimes locally called Squashed Fly cakes...teehee...and have been in English cookery books in one form or another since the 18th century...I think I have 6 versions in mine. But this recipe comes from ChristinaCucina blog, and for a visual tutorial, check the link at the end of the recipe. They are delicious!

Eccles Cakes

Ingredients

puff pastry or flaky pastry 
Filling
1 tbsp good quality butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup  currants
zest of an organic orange, which has been washed
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
2 pinches of allspice
1 egg white, beaten
sugar, for sprinkling on top of cakes
Preheat oven to 400°F 
Place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until just melted, then remove from heat and add the rest of the filling ingredients, stir to combine and set aside to cool. Roll out the dough to a rectangle measuring about 6″ x 15″ (16cm x 40cm), cut lengthwise in half, then cut into 10 equal sized pieces.

Place a spoonful of filling onto the center of each square, using all of it evenly between the 10 pieces, then wet the edges of one of the squares, using your finger. Now, hold the pastry in one hand and close the edges together to seal the filling inside, forming it into a round shape when finished. Place the pastry on a lined baking sheet, with the pinched side down and press down slightly.

Repeat with the remaining 9 pastries, then make three slits on top with a very sharp knife or razor blade, brush with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. 

Pop into the preheated oven, on a lower shelf for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, place the tray in the middle of the oven for a further 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from tray and place on cooling rack.



So there you have Tuesday Cuppa Tea for this week! For the BBC link to the opening of the Wedgwood Center click HERE



And it's Christmas In July for Antiques And Teacups in conjunction with Shabby Cottage Shops...click on the banner to see our CIJ section with 25% off until July 28th!

Oh! I forgot! I am announcing a giveaway next week...for my birthday month of August! Come visit and find out about it!


Below is the list of some of the blog parties I will be part of and there is the linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there! And I love to read your comments, and can find you to visit!

18 comments:

  1. Good morning, Ruth! Your new teacup is so pretty, and I enjoyed seeing your painted family heirloom jar, and also your tea plate. Who needs flowers when you can enjoy them on your china pieces? How very interesting about Fiskars! I guess we will see how that works out. Thank you for sharing the Eccles recipe with us. What a lovely tea treat they would make!

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  2. Hi Ruth,
    You found a very pretty teacup. Those Eccles cakes look so good and I am going to try making those one of these days. I almost shared Royal Albert's history today too but my post would have been too long. Glad you shared.
    Our weather has been lousy ever since Hubby started his vacation. Cold and rainy every day so no beach weather. We are very disappointed so far and we're hoping it will warm up later this week. Thank you for hosting and have a wonderful week.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  3. "Squashed Flies"! Too funny! Thank you for the recipe. I would like to try it. I have a very similar table cloth only mine is a small square. Even the edging looks the same.

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  4. Hi Ruth,
    Your teacup is so very pretty! I love the wedgwood cake plate too. What yummy and cute shortbread ~ I must visit Seattle soon to get some. My daughter was down for the baseball game this weekend against the Blue Jays and had a fabulous time. I am so sorry to hear that you are allergic to most flowers. Maybe articificial ones could work. Lol. Happy Tea Day Dear Friend and Thank you for hosting! Karen

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  5. It's always so interesting to learn more about the different histories of English potteries. Great information! I had to re-read your sentence twice about Fiskars acquiring WWRD. Wow! Your Royal Albert Crown is quite pretty and I like the tiny spots of red throughout the cup. Thank you for your eccles cake recipe. I've never had them before. Have a great week!

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  6. My favorites are blue and white, but I do love this blue and yellow on your cups..a second favorite!

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  7. Lovely yellow and gray teacup. I love English pottery and thanks for sharing your information on a subject I prefer always.
    Your RACrown is gorgeous indeed.
    Thank you for hosting and for the recipe dear Ruth.
    Have a lovely week.
    FABBY

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  8. Hi Ruth: I do want to thank you for your encouraging words. They have been a blessing to me during these very hard times. As always your history lesson are wonderful. You are a very kind lady. Blessings, Martha

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  9. I love learning so much about the history of china through your wonderful blog.

    Your sweets look so yummy, I may need to do some baking today! You have inspired me!

    Thanks for hosting, nice to be able to share in the fun a little bit.

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  10. Glad to hear that you're back to your regular summer temperatures. We're currently under a heat alert in Ontario; our furnace-like temperatures are expected to last throughout the week.

    Your teacup and cookies are very cute! Thanks for sharing the interesting news about Fiskars' acquisition of WWRD.

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  11. You are right, hand tinted tea cups in this style make me think of you! 2002 was the year. I never really knew the exact one. Fiskars? That I had no idea about. Christmas in July how fun! I did not realize we had the same birth month. So much news in one blog post.

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  12. Hey Ruth ... Your 1930's teaset is delightful...The shape is so lovely..Thos gluten -free cookies are so darn adorable and I'm glad to hear that they taste good...You've inspired me to look for them ( Ha Ha) Your wedge wood plate displays beautifully ...I love all the filigree textures....now I shall have to get baking some of those delicious eccles cakes... Thanks for sharing the recipe ..Enjoy your week...Hugs

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  13. Hi Ruth! That is a lovely teacup. I'm sorry to hear your allergic to flowers, but at least you can enjoy them on china! That is a lovely vase :)

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  14. Hi Ruth, your new find is gorgeous! Love the colors! The cookies are so cute. Sorry to hear that you are allergic to flowers. That would be no fun at all! Happy to be joining your party today!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  15. Hi Ruth! Thanks for hosting, lovely teacup.

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  16. I love blue and yellow together and your teacup reminded me of a spot in my garden I see every morning when I open my blinds with blue and yellow flowers. That being said ....Happy Pink Saturday!

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  17. Oh how pretty. I love your lovley tea set and all these different tea cups shared for your blog party. Happy Pink Saturday.

    PS I'm having a giveaway now - for just a comment.

    Kaye
    http://www.sandwichinkrealestateinfo.com/water

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  18. What a beautiful new Royal Albert teacup you found! And I had no ideas Fiskars, of all things, owns Wedgwood now. These acquisitions make my head spin!

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