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Escape to The Country at Woburn Abbey – My TV Appearance

Giggle cake Recipe!… http://thesecludedteapartyshhh.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/giggle-cake.html


http://bit.ly/JY3n1Z   (Cucumber sandwiches) 

Earlier this year, back in June in fact, I was contacted through Facebook from a lovely gent called Mark who was claiming to be the Director of the BBC One Show “Escape to the Country” and he was looking to ask my advice on Afternoon Tea Etiquette specialists after hearing about my (then, upcoming) Etiquette of Afternoon Tea workshop with the fabulous William Hanson. 

So, as requested, I arranged a quick chat with him on the phone in my lunch hour and we ended up nattering for a good half an hour about all things afternoon tea related and I had assumed by the time he had hung up that I had bored him to death with my geekery. 

Well, it turns out that my nattering on about the history of the Victoria Sponge and our more locally rumoured cakey concoction, the Giggle Cake, he had been impressed by my enthisasm for the subject and told me that he wanted to book me for the show instead of the contacts that I had provided him with. I wasn’t sure that he understood the fact that I wasn’t an *Expert* in afternoon tea, however he assured me that he just wanted a passionate geek to stand in front of his camera for a while and waffle about Afternoon Tea. Not just any location either… It was to be filmed at Woburn Abbey, the holy grail of afternoon tea. 




Cucumber Sandwiches – the finger sandwich is the traditional savoury option on an afternoon tea tier.
It can take many forms, but the most important thing to remember is that they must be crust less and dainty & should be capable of being consumed within 2 bites as a general rule.
It could be long and thin, square, triangular or even circular if you fancy showing off… I do like to rebel at my own afternoon tea events.
Bread is traditionally white, especially for a cucumber sandwich, buttered on both sides (So as to protect the bread from getting damp)  with a sprinkle of pepper to season on one side
The filling should also be light & dainty and in proportion with the bread slices. You don’t want too much filling or equally, not enough, but it’s all down to taste.
Although traditionally, the cucumber should be paper thin, I like a bite with mine and I like to make mine in squares or in circles as open top sandwiches with a spread of fresh mint & Cream cheese for added flavour.  
Should be served on dainty china , traditionally enjoyed between 2 to 5pm in the afternoon to *Fill The Gap* between Lunch and Supper.
They have to be made quite soon to being served, so as not to go soggy. This can be an interesting task when catering for over 30 guests at a time… Quite the skill to have ; )
Cucumber Sandwiches have been historically associated with the Victorian Era Upper classes in the UK, where although the ingredients have little nutrition value, they were seen as a show of their wealth and that they could afford such luxuries.
However, the lower working classes preferred a more protein filled sandwich filling to keep them going throughout their working day, usually as a supper substitute in most cases.
Victoria Sponge- named after Queen Victoria who favoured this cake for her very own afternoon tea. It’s a simple sponge cake, typically filled with a  raspberry jam and whipped double cream. 
Her lady in waiting, the Duchess of Bedford soon cottoned onto Afternoon tea and famously continued this most loved British tradition,.
The top is not decorated, however it is dusted with a sprinkle of icing sugar.
However, the WI version is famously known for only having a raspberry jam filling and dusted with caster sugar, not icing sugar.
Battenburg – Originally invented by the chefs of the British Royal household to celebrate Queen Victoria’s daughters’ marriage to Prince Louis of Battenburg.
This style of cake, with the marzipan & bright colours was very typical of the German cake fashion of that time.
Giggle Cake
–          Was a slightly unusual variation of the boiled fruit cake or tea loaf, in that it contained cherries & Pineapple which were luxury ingredients during the Edwardian era…. The fruit was brought to the boil in butter and baked for an hour to produce a sweet tea bread.
Cherries and boiled fruit cakes were typical of an Edwardian afternoon tea.

giggle cake….Boiled fruit cake in Edwardian era…in vogue to have boiled fruits cake…

Anna used to have fine toast, fine as poppy leaf
Soft bread, not rough course bread

Ladies used to eat with gloves so sandwich they used to eat sandwiches rolled like Swiss rolls so as not to make a mess

Women only only later would a man come along, children present was uncial but an older child would serve and pass around

It was always a man world in coffee houses and they stayed later and later so afternoon tea was to fill the gap whilst waiting

Caddy comes from cati – a measuring unit of tea 
They scooped from a shell taken from the seashores so the spoon was designed around

The duchess would have taken the key from her waistband so servants could not steel as theydrank ale then

Servant would serve hot water into teapots and another warm tea pot on the side
Servant would then decant into a sieve like spoon 

Take the pot to the kettle not the kettle tithe pot

Tea used to be serves in a bowl and the ladies would balance the hot bowl with their pinkie
6 I clock with the thumb and 12 with the finger
Milk was poured first ad a coolant against the fine bone china

She believes that may be why gloves were kept on also however not mentioned

Stir from 6-12
Never in a circle!!
They would have commented on it

Tea was taken up in ladies boudoir to start in sneaking the food
Then realising how lovely it was, took it to their lounge and drawing rooms and then to the tea gardens or pleasure gardens outside of London 
1860s onwards
Heated rotanda. And 
Thetraditiom then evolved

They weren’t allowed to touch any of the things on alastairs table

He Said sounds like a social nightmare






It was also important to have etiquette and afternoon tea taught upon them
As important as reading literature etc

They then ventured into gardens to get out of house and do the ritz etc

3 Comments
  1. Cathern Harrison August 11, 2017 at 12:21 pm Reply

    Hello Miss Sue Flay,

    I saw the show you mentioned “Escape to the Country” taped back in 2012, here in Canada yesterday and was curious about Giggle Cake the name especially. And I found you as well as a recipe for the cake which I will try in the fall or winter.

  2. Jocelyn October 29, 2018 at 5:37 am Reply

    Just saw this episode! Thanks for the lovely introduction to Giggle cake. Me and my Dad made one today and it was such a lovely addition to our Sunday tea! Thank you for your interest in Tea! You have enhanced my life!

  3. Christine Piasta June 5, 2021 at 6:17 pm Reply

    Amazingly I just saw this particular episode of Escape to the Country here in Canada all these years later. I’m a huge fan of afternoon tea and when both my husband and I celebrated our 65th birthdays we had a big tea party with all the bells and whistles. I was very curious about your Giggle cake and my search brought me here

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