Devonshire Splits | The Little White Horse
Plum cake. Saffron cake. Cherry cake. iced fairy cakes. Eclairs. Gingerbread. Meringues. Syllabub. Almond fingers. Rock cakes. Chocolate drops. Parkin. Cream horns. Devonshire splits. Cornish pasty. Jam sandwiches. Lemon-curd sandwiches. Lettuce sandwiches. Cinnamon toast. Honey toast...
The Little White Horse
Elizabeth Goudge
I went to my first proper high tea recently, killing time in Sydney after the Mardi Gras parade and waiting till we could head back to the airport. Our group headed to a quite fancy looking tea room, that just so happened to offer vegan options with all their menu items. We spent two hours drinking endless cups of earl grey, eating delicate sandwiches and gorging ourselves on scones with coconut cream and jam. Though I do quite earnestly defend Melbourne as a much more liveable city than Sydney, I do have to admit the inclusion of a vegan high tea and an entirely vegan yum cha restaurant did win me over slightly. Unfortunately there is no vegan yum cha that I've found yet in Melbourne, but there appears to be at least a a few places that offer a vegan high tea.
I had just finished a re-read of Elizabeth Goudge's, when my mind started wondering back to the thought of high teas, but, mainly that tiny sandwiches are close to the best food in the world. The afternoon tea that Marmaduke Scarlet dreams of, before making a reality, is one of every child's (and probably some adults) dreams. Only one item made me wonder though and do a subsequent Google search. Devonshire Splits, something I had never heard of or seen before. After having made them - yum. I see why they could be a favourite during a high tea.
*Note: I used whipped coconut cream for this. If you want to d the same, make sure you use full fat coconut cream and chill the can in the fridge for at least 12 hours before hand, scooping off the solidified cream on the top to whip up, making sure you don't get any of the liquid mixed in.
Devonshire Splits
Makes approx. 15 buns
IngredientsBuns
530g of plain flour
50g of raw caster sugar
2 tsp dry yeast
85g of butter
180ml milk + 1 tbsp extra for glazing
180ml warm water
Pinch of sea salt
Filling
Jam, you can use store bought or if you want to make your own my recipe is here
Whipped cream *see note
Icing sugar, to serve
Combine the butter, milk and water together in a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted, place to the side and leave until it cools. It should still be warm, but not too hot.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt and add in the warm butter and milk mixture, stirring together until a sticky dough has formed.
On a lightly floured surface knead the dough until smooth, it will take about 10 minutes or so. You don't want to add too much flour into the dough and ruin it during this time, I recommend flouring your hands lightly as well to stop the dough sticking. when the dough is smooth and elastic-like, shape it into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling wrap or a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for around an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
When the dough has risen, deflate it by pressing into the middle. Turn it out onto the counter and divide it into 15 equal pieces. Using a clawed hand, roll each piece of dough on the bench beneath your fingers to form a smooth ball.
Place all the shaped buns into a baking tray lined with baking paper and cover again with cling wrap or a clean tea towel, leave to rise again for around another hour.
While the dough is on its second rise, pre-heat the oven to 190C.
Bake the buns for around 15 - 20 minutes each, but keep an eye on them so that they don't overcook. You want them to be golden brown on top, with a hollow sound when lightly tapped. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Slice the buns about 2/3rds of the way through, placing a generous spoonful of jam into each bun, along with a good serving of whipped cream. Dust with some icing sugar to serve and enjoy with a cup of tea!