From Donuts to Delirium

You know that show they used to have on MTV called My Super Sweet Sixteen? I wonder if as I get older I am turning more and more into one of those spoiled terrors. If I am, it’s all Mr. P’s fault, so please send your complaint letters to him . Oh, your brought me a giant present from Harrods? How kind of you my dear . I knew there was a reason why we are friends.

I had the most fabulous birthday weekend at the Connaught Hotel this past weekend, but the cherry on the top of my birthday cake was when Mr P took me for afternoon tea at the Connaught’s Espelette. I’ve had afternoon tea at some really fab places now. So far, my experience at the Ritz topped them all… until now. Afternoon tea at the Connaught kicked ass!

I must admit, the Espelette does not share the grandeur of the Ritz or Claridge’s. Those two tea rooms are spectacular. The Ritz’s tea room, the Palm Court, is highly ornate and incredibly plush– a room worthy of Marie Antoinette herself, while the Foyer at Claridges is a very grand Art Deco masterpiece. The Espelette is much more subdued. It’s actually a conservatory. On a sunny day (which it happened to be that afternoon) you are bathed in a flood of  golden sunshine. There is a real sense of calm there, almost as if you were in a spa. A spa with cake.

After presenting us with our menus and going though our options with us, the waiter informed us that our finger sandwiches would be a few minutes. All of their sandwiches are freshly prepared, rather than being pre-made. This is quite a departure from most of the places that serve afternoon tea in London, and it really does make a difference.

This was the first time, as part of an afternoon tea, that I could honestly say that the sandwiches were memorable. I often find that tea sandwiches have a tendency to be quite insipid. Even the most basic sandwich, the ubiquitous cucumber sandwich, was special. What was special about it? The freshness. When you bit into it, the paper thin slices of cucumber were refreshing and surprisingly crunchy. There was one particular sandwich, however, that I’ve been thinking of a lot though… cause I’m weird like that: the smoked salmon and wasabi cream tea sandwich. Now that was spectacular. Everybody does a salmon and cream cheese sandwich, but I am telling you, this one was really special. The salmon was of a superb quality, and the cream cheese has that special little something that only a bit of wasabi can give. Like all great afternoon tea places, they keep asking if you want your sandwich plate refilled. I asked for another plate of just the salmon . They gave us 4 more. I allowed Mr. P to enjoy one of them … but only one. It was MY birthday treat, after all.

Next came the warm and delicious scones. Some were plain and some were studded with pieces of apricot. They were lovely (though my favourite scones evvvvvva are from Betty’s in Harrogate). These  are served with a very special selection of artisanal jams from Christine Ferber. There was a delicate melon and vanilla jam, a fruity rasberry and violet jam, a divinely delicious peach jam, and a rose petal jam — my favourite. I couldn’t keep my little spoon out of that pot. I may have to stop by the Connaught next time I’m in London and see if I can pick up a jar. Anyways with a bit of clotted cream (okay, yes, I used more than a bit) the scones and jam were positively dreamy.

Now, if all of this isn’t supremely yummy already, lets move on to desert: a 3 tiered tower of georgous confections.

Hmmm… where did Mr. P go? I think he was afraid I’d stab him with my fork in a fit of desert induced delirium. Maybe he is hiding under the table.

Let’s have a close looksy at these goodies, no?

On the top, there is an upside down baby blueberry cake, a baba in an orange and passion fruit jelly, and a simply adorable poppy and strawberry “choux” (I am not sure why, but it reminds me of a cute little Teletubby).  On the bottom you can see the intensely chocolatey hazelnut dacquoise with chocolate ganache and salty caramel mousse and a raspberry and pistachio tart.

We thought our delicious tea had come to an end, and patted our groaning bellies with amusement when… guess what… MORE! More cake. Wooooo hooo. Yes, I’ve always got room for more dessert. We were given a slice of chocolate cake, that had a really nice crackly chocolate crust on it (much like on a Nestle Crunch bar), and a beautiful piece of rose and raspberry cake. If you look closely, you can actually see how moist these slices are. Oh, what I wouldn’t do to get my hands on the recipes for those (Connaught people, do email me!!!).

Could you imagine a sweeter ending to my best birthday ever (so far)? This was without a doubt the best afternoon tea I’ve had. If I wasn’t spoiled already, I am going to be double trouble now. It was quite befitting a birthday princess!

“Mr P my darling, please come out from under the table. I won’t bite you, I’m too full right now.”