10 ultimate bakes for afternoon tea

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Yummy bakes for afternoon tea is, in our humble opinion, an act of self-love. Plus, everybody loves a list. Here's ours.

1. Coconut-and-jam shortbread

Or, replace the coconut topping with 100 g flaked almonds if you like. You know, go nuts.

Find the coconut and jam shortbread recipe, here.

2. Romany dreams

Fatima Sydow, the author of 'Fatima Sydow Cooks', loved Romany Cream biscuits as a little girl. As an adult, she dreamed up different shapes and fillings and found there's no limit on deliciousness.

Tips: Make the biscuits ahead of time and fill and decorate them the next day, or even a few days later.

Find the Romany dreams recipe, here.

3. Flavourburst™ plum, oat and yoghurt muffins

That is, 'how to sneak a tasty treat before cheat day'. You're welcome.

Cook's note: Serve as is or warm with plain yoghurt and honey.

Find the Flavourburst™ plum, oat and yoghurt muffins recipe, here.

4. Red velvet cupcakes

We know what you're thinking: "Is red velvet cake still a thing?" Yes. And these red velvet cupcakes will never be over. Say it with us: never, ever, never.

Cook's note: Bringing the buttermilk and eggs to room temperature will reduce the chance of the batter curdling. But don't worry – a slightly curdled wet mix will come together as soon as you add the flour.

Find the red velvet cupcakes recipe, here.

5. Tahini chocolate chip cookie bars

Skip the shaping and get these baked nice and fast. Who said cookies need to be round, anyway? The tahini adds a warm nuttiness more subtle than peanut butter.

Tip: Keep a batch resting in the freezer for a cookie emergency.

Find the tahini chocolate chip cookie bars recipe, here.

6. Classic birthday cake

Who doesn't love leftover birthday cake with tea? And no, it doesn't need to be your birthday. As the Mad Hatter (aka the king of tea parties) would say: A very merry unbirthday to you!

Cook's note: "As this is not a layer cake, the fudge frosting doesn’t need to be thick enough to hold a second cake layer. It’s silky and smooth and stays that way, it won’t harden over time."

This is an extract from 'One Tin Bakes' by Edd Kimber.

Find the classic birthday cake recipe, here.

7. Chocolate éclairs with cream

No explanation needed. I mean, just look at them...

Cook’s tip: To check whether the éclairs are cooked through, check the base. Once out of the oven, the éclairs should be golden brown and the base half a shade darker. When you tap them with your finger, they should sound hollow.

Find the chocolate éclairs with cream recipe, here.

8. Chuckles rusks

This recipe was dreamt up by our food director’s son, Matthew Donnelly. It was adapted from Monche Muller’s classic buttermilk rusk recipe by Hannah Lewry. It just goes to show, the Chuckles don't roll too far from the bag.

Cook's note: If you don't have buttermilk, you can use yoghurt, thinned down with a little milk to get to buttermilk consistency.

Find the Chuckles rusks recipe, here.

9. Scones with whipped vanilla butter

Nothing beats a warm scone straight from the oven with butter, jam and a sprinkle of cheese for good measure.

Tip: Don't soften the butter - cold butter helps scones rise – and cut the butter into cubes so that you don't overwork the dough to incorporate it all.

Find the scones with whipped vanilla butter recipe, here.

10. Custard cream sandwich biscuits

When it's too cold for an ice cream sandwich, these babies will do just fine. Plus, they're so cheerful to look at.

Find the custard cream sandwich biscuits recipe, here.

Win a R1000 Twinings tea hamper! Find out more, here. The competition closes on 25 June 2021.