The Victorian Tea Trifecta

Now and then, I am lucky enough to be able to take a project from my schooling, or an item from my work life, and utilize it for service to my friends and acquaintances—or my happy customers, in this case.

You've seen, I hope, my Earl Grey Panna Cotta. This is a dessert that builds on it, and with wild success. Plated desserts are made up of three main components: A main piece, a sauce, and a garnish. Chef Roger Holden, CEPC, would tell you that there's a fourth component: Crunch. It's important to have a variety of colors, flavors, and temperatures on a plate, to create something with visual and gustatory interest.

The Victorian Tea Trifecta
Photograph by Anthony Horger

The Victorian Tea Trifecta is made up of Earl Gray Panna Cotta, set with a Rose Tea Gelée top; that piece is set atop an Olive Oil Sponge Cake. Beside it, there is an Orange-Blossom scented Tuile Cookie, with a quenelle of Lavender Honey Ice Cream. It is garnished with Rosemary Chocolate Sauce, Orange Suprêmes soaked in Earl Gray tea, and Mint leaves.

At the feast on the 25th, I served a slightly simplified version of this dessert, as pictured above: It was the panna cotta piece, the sauce, and the lavender honey ice cream. I therefore present to you the recipes for these items, and the olive oil sponge cake (mostly for academic interest.)

Rose Tea Gelée
50.0 grams rose tea, brewed
8 grams sugar
1 gram lemon juice
1 gelatin sheet, silver-grade

1. Steep 1 cup of rose tea (1 cup boiling water, 1 tsp leaves) for 3 minutes. Measure out 50 grams for use. Consume the rest.

2. Bring all ingredients but gelatin to a boil in a nonreactive pot. Soak gelatin in ample cold water.

3. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin. Pour into moulds, allow to set up in fridge, freezer, blast chiller, or cold porch.

Makes enough for 4 molds.

Rosemary Chocolate Sauce
2 1/4 oz (65 g) dark chocolate, 65%
3/8 cup (90 ml) heavy cream
2 1/4 (11.25 ml) teaspoons fresh rosemary
half-and-half, to thin

1. Combine cream and rosemary in a small pot. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until adequate rosemary flavor develops.

2. Cool, then strain the cream into the top of a double boiler, add chocolate, and place on the heat. Over low heat, stir constantly until the two ingredients come together.

3. Add half-and-half as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. Use immediately, or store to re-heat later.

Lavender Honey Ice Cream
22 oz (625 g) milk
1 1/2 oz (43 g) milk powder
2/3 oz (19 g) sucrose
2/3 oz (19 g) glucose powder
2 1/2 oz (71 g) butter, 82%/plugra
2 1/2 oz (71 g) egg yolks
5 1/2 oz (156 g) lavender honey
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) ice cream stabilizer

1. Mix stabilizer with sucrose.

2. Mix milk and milk powder, heat.

3. At 25°C, mix in glucose.

4. At 35°C, mix in butter.

5. At 37°C, temper in egg yolks.

6. At 40°C, add honey.

7. At 45°C, add sucrose and stabilizer.

8. Continue cooking to 85°C, and then for two minutes. Do not allow to go over 100°C.

9. Cool in ice bath.

10. Let mature 4-12 hours.

11. Strain and homogenize with immersion blender.

12. Spin and freeze.

Makes about 1 quart of ice cream.

Olive Oil Sponge Cake
76 grams egg
138.67 grams sugar
94.67 grams goat's milk
160 grams cake flour
5.33 grams baking powder
76 grams olive oil
1/3 orange, zest
3 grams cinnamon

1. Whip eggs and sugar to ribbons.

2. Slowly add milk.

3. Sift flour and baking powder, and add to mixture.

4. Add olive oil. Fold in orange zest and cinnamon.

5. Pour into pan, smooth. Bake until done.

Makes 1/4 sheet pan.