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Tea and Jam: Celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee for Holiday Recipe Club

By Eliot, on June 5th, 2012

It seems like Holiday Recipe Club is coming quicker and quicker.    That may be because of the international holidays that are now included like the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.    In honor of Her Royal Majesty, the secret ingredients this month are tea, jam, and Worcestershire.     (I wonder if anyone will try all three?)

I (as many Americans) have always been fascinated by English royalty.   I remember being quite small and my grandparents handing me a Canadian dollar bill.  (They traveled a bit and also brought back pesos for us.)   I was amazed. Not only did the the color and texture of the money catch me off guard, but also the picture on it.   There was a woman in a crown on it!   Who was she?

Ever since then, I have been a lay historian when it comes to English royal history.   When I was teaching English literature, I made my students memorize the lineage of the kings from Henry VII onward.   (For some macabre reason, I also made them memorize the wives of Henry VIII, using the mnemonic device “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived”).   I was an avid viewer of The Tudors, have seen all the films (Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Madness of King George, Mrs. Brown,  and The Queen).   I have read almost all of Antonia Fraser’s books.   (I also am fascinated by Mary, Queen of Scots.     If anyone knows where I can get my hands on the 1971 movie, please let me know.  I loved it and my VHS bit the dust a few years back.)

Anywhoo, my fascination with British monarchy does include Elizabeth II.    What an amazing woman—to think what she has seen throughout her life and reign.   It is mind boggling to see images of her as a young woman doing her part during WWII…

Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishmonarchy/4656200339/

…to seeing her in her regal glory today.

Source: http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222_20567519,00.html

In honor of her Her Majesty the Queen and her hallmark anniversary I present Lady Grey Gelato with Strawberry Jam Topping.

Lady Grey Gelato with Strawberry Jam
based on my Pomegranate Green Tea Gelato

2 bags of Lady Grey tea
1 1/2 c. hot water 
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup 2% milk
juice of half a lemon

Steep one tea bag in the hot water.     Remove tea bag and set aside to cool.

I have only seen this type of tea from Twinings.

In a small mixing bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Pour cream and milk into a 2 quart sauce pan and whisk in dry ingredients.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking often.  When the mixture boils, reduce the heat to a lively simmer and cook, whisking constantly,  for two minutes.

Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl and add the  tea.  Whisk to combine thoroughly.  At this point, add the remaining tea bag and let it steep in the milk mixture while it chills.

Chill the mixture for at least two hours in refrigerator.

Freeze in ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  As mixer starts, pour in the lemon juice.  This will help keep it from curdling.

Almost ready to pull from the freezer.

Ready for the deep freeze to finish.

To serve, top with strawberry freezer jam.   (Freezer jam is so easy to make, contains less sugar,  tastes fresher than conventional jam and can really be stored almost indefinitely in the freezer.   I used some strawberry freezer jam we made early last month.   To make just follow the directions on the pectin box.  Really–super easy—we put up a flat and a half in less than an hour.)

The last of this jar.

Fit for a queen.

But in all honesty, and in true Yankee cheeky fashion, I was tempted to make Hasenpfeffer for the queen.   (If you are of a certain age and American, you will get this joke.)

I really could have made  Hasenpfeffer for this post.   Hasenpfeffer does have Worcestershire in it—or at least according to Yosemite Sam it does.

Please check out HRC for yourself.  It is a fun and creative way to celebrate!  The next holiday is obviously Independence Day!  (I say with my cheeky Yankee persona again.)     The “must use” ingredients to choose from are blueberries, barbecue sauce, and/or whipped cream.



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29 comments to Tea and Jam: Celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee for Holiday Recipe Club

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