I went
to London to see the Queen ... I missed her as I got caught swooning over her
Diamond collection ... and then the powers that be decided enough was enough
and off we went for Tea on the Terrace.
 |
| The Palace's mini version of the cake Prince William requested at his wedding. |
Tea was
that chocolate cake!! Jealous
anyone? A golden platter of chocolate
digestive biscuit, topped with a very chocolate mousse, small fragments of
digestive crumbs mixed in, coated in a chocolate ganache, topped with cocoa
powder ...and crowned with a chocolate button, imprinted with a golden crown.
 |
| Buckingham Palace with its Tea Terrace |
It was
delicious, oh! mouth wateringly delicious – I can still feel the taste of that
gooey rich dark chocolate melting in my mouth ... exceedingly rich ... we ‘shared’
three tea-time fancies ... well if you
go for tea with the Queen – you don’t miss out do you! Patience is a virtue – the rest of the day
will come with my Diamond post ... sorreeeee – today is for chocolate lovers.
Now I
go back a few decades ... to chocolates ... when we were children we often
spent evenings playing cards, learning new games and whiling away happy hours
as a family ... our ‘treat’ was a box of Newmans chocolates hovering in the background –
brought out for greedy paws to dip into and savour ...
 |
| Violet petals ready for crystalising |
Newmans
must have been one of the first ‘pick your own selection’ and pay by weight
chocolate shops ... ours was in London and my father would stop off and make
his selection before returning to the Surrey countryside (as it was then).
The
ones I remember that were different to those we tend to get today – were the
quintessentially Victorian treat of rose and violet flavoured fondant creams,
with a sugared rose or violet petal atop them ....
 |
| Rose and Violet Creams |
... do
I eat the petal first, or take the petal off to eat after the chocolate has
melted away ... big decisions for a child – I’m sure I kept the petal to savour
not long afterwards ... as children chocolate doesn’t last does it.
Chocolate childhood cake requests ... certainly would
have soothed my soul ... many memories there ...
The
interesting thing this morning while drafting up this post – I was drinking my
morning coffee – yet my brain was telling me it was chocolate, except the taste
was coffee ... quite disorienting briefly – I’ve never experienced that
sensation before.
This was a blog hop with many bloggers taking part - great fun!
Hilary
Melton-Butcher
Positive
Letters Inspirational Stories
43 comments:
I love those chocolate digestive biscuits, so I know I would have loved that cake. Yes - jealous! :)
I've never had a chocolate digestive biscuit before, but I'd be willing to try them. The cake and chocolates look yummy.
Hi Hilary, during a stage of life, I savoured dark chocolate on a daily basis. I guess I must have outgrown it like a person can outgrow foods or life conditions. Eating chocolate is no longer satisfying to me. Now, I am drawn to other things. Still love your article and your light-hearted comments. The blog hopping you suggest here is a mini marathon!
I developed a fondness for digestive biscuits when we lived in London, so I was sold the moment I saw the photo. That looks yummy.
The rose and violet chocolates grabbed my attention too. I'd love to try one of those.
I'm a huge chocolate digestive fan - so I love that cake! I've used chocolate digestives as a cheesecake base before - it's lovely!
Not sure if I've had a digestive before- but the mousse looks delish
Awwwww sugared rose or violet petals on chocolate! I love details like that - I should really try to cook with flowers one day!!
Take care
x
@ Lynn - digestive biscuits are delicious and I use them as crumb bases - whenever I make that sort of thing .. jealous - sorry!
@ Susanne - you've missed out in life - digestives are one of our main stays .. dark or light (milk) chocolate, or plain - so good to eat!
@ Liara - I've never eaten much chocolate ... but when it's there I guzzle. My tastes certainly change over the years .. I'd rather have savouries ...
@ Shelley - it wouldn't take long to come across a digestive biscuit here in the UK ... those happy childhood memories of playing cards with crystalised violets or roses ... I've hardly ever seen them since - but they might be coming back into fashion ...
@ Annalisa - yes digestives as a cheesecake base is good ... I don't usually do a chocolate one .. though I mix up golden syrup with them and butter to make a fridge biscuit ..
@ BayGirl - it was delicious!! Digestives worth trying when you get a chance ...
@ Old Kitty - they were exquisite to see, eat and just savour looking at them .. I'm definitely not good at sugar confectionery ...
Cheers to all you chocolate lovers ... Hilary
Too bad I no longer eat chocolate!
Out the rose and violet chocolate sound interesting!
Hilary,
You mentioned chocolate digestive biscuits and I suddenly craved them! I haven't thought about them for the 6 years I've been living in Malaysia!
What a perfect day -- diamonds and gooey chocolate cake. I am jealous.
And those candies sound fabulous.
Did you mention CHOCOLATE! Happy blog hopping, Hilary! I'm off to steal chocolate bits from the freezer. Rock hard too, but who's counting.
Me, jealous? OK, yes.
Those chocolates with the pedals on them look yummy!
Oh yum!!!! :)
I think I would REALLY enjoy Tea on the Terrace. :)
I'm not big on chocolate, but your descriptions are almost making me wish I was. :)
Those Rose and Petal Creams look good. I could only imagine what that cake tasted like. Youm!
@ Diane - well all the more for us .. but the Queen stretches to other choices!
@ Holly - they are true Victorian cremes - and I now love those crystalised petals ..
@ Duncan - sorry to remind you - they are good aren't they ... a digestive morning, noon or night - whatever our fancy!
@ Mary - it was a perfect day - lots of sun too ... and the cakes were delicious, the diamonds exquisite .. and remembering childhood memories always good.
@ Joylene - those rock hard bits sound extra good - take a little longer to melt in the mouth!
@ Tim - sorree, but the day was lovely, cakes delicious and we had fun before we went our separate ways ...
@ Heather - the crystalised petals are delicious .. as are the taste of the violet or rose creams - not too often!
@ Lynn - it was very yummy!
@ Brinda - Tea on the Terrace was a truly British experience! Very genteel ..
@ Golden Eagle - well glad the description almost makes you wish for some chocolate!!
@ Ciara - those were the days of long ago .. chocolates and cards and trying new things .. the cake was bliss!
Cheers everyone - the chocolate fest seems to have set everyone alight ... have great days - the weather has turned here ... Autumn is on its way .... Hilary
I love digestive biscuits! Plus they give me the delusion that I'm being more healthy ;)
What a wonderful chocfest entry, Hilary.
I like the sound of that royal cake and the dilemma with the flowery chocs! I imagine I'd probably pop the whole thing in my mouth at once!
@ Trisha - you've hit the challenge with digestive biscuits on the head - healthy, but so moorish! and perhaps therefore not so good for us ..
@ Madeleine - going to the Palace gave me an easy entree .. and made the violet and rose creams an additional memory. Different from others' chocolate thoughts ..
Cheers to you both .. Hilary
so original and delectible!! mmmmm!
What a fun idea for a blogfest! I've never had violet creams before, must try them!
So jealous of that chocolate cake, looks divine.
I still have trouble deciding whether to eat the flower first or save it, it's a very difficult decision. :D
You made my mouth water with this post, Hilary!
@ Tara - delighted you enjoyed the post .. delectible = a good word ..
@ Deniz - I have to say I thought I could cope with a chocolate blogfest! Violet creams are very violetty ... but still very interesting as a flavour ...
@ Julie - that chocolate cake was delicious .. I probably should have run round the garden five times .. not sure I could walk round the 30 acres five times! Big garden ..
Thankfully I always leave the goodie bit til last .. so chocolate cream first, crystalised petals later ...
Thankfully I'm not thinking of chocolate just now - last week must have satisfied my taste buds as far as chocolate is concerned .. didn't even feel a need to have any in London today! Hope you resisted your mouth-watering chocolate needs ... ?!
Cheers Tara, Deniz and Julie .. great to see you - Hilary
Hi Hilary,
Ah yes, chocolate, real chocolate and not that glorified wax they pass off as chocolate on the other side of the pond!
All the best with the blog hop. Something I wish well of others but would never do myself :)
Take care and happy chocolate.
Gary
OMG! Chocolate overload. Yum, yum. When you first said tea at the Palace I thought you were talking about a restaurant, not the actual Palace! So cool, that you can have tea with the queen.
Okay, I am now drooling! And hoping that I, too, can mistake my coffee for chocolate.
Your posts, no matter what subject, always have a wonderful worldly flavour. I enjoyed reading your chocolate contribution!
@ Gary - the linky tool thing went very quickly .. so I didn't do too well .. a chocolate blog hop I thought I could do ... it brought back other memories from being a kid - but having been to see The Queen I thought I'd drop that in!
@ Bish - well I think she's still on holiday ... but we did see the State Rooms, the Diamonds and then tea on the Terrace - rather fun ..
@ Talli - it was a strange thought getting my brain round the chocolate tasting coffee ... I hope you can emulate that feeling ... junior might enjoy the sensation!
@ Alex - many thanks .. I enjoyed writing it up - easy with that cake to show everyone!
Cheers Hilary
That's something I really miss about England - tea time. And chocolate with your tea? Wonderful! Thanks for joining the blogfest. :)
I've had that cake at Buckingham Palace. It was exceptional!
@ Laura - a good old fashioned tea after a long walk at the weekend - lots of tea, crumpets and fruitcake ... I agree such a good tradition! Couldn't resist William and Catherine's special recipe cake ..
Pleasure - I've enjoyed the blog fest ..
@ Sharon - is that what you had when you visited The Queen - delicious isn't it - exceptional is a good word!!
Cheers Laura and Sharon .. Hilary
wow... ur chocolate stories trump any of mine! lol
ur mention of choclate tea made me think of a chocolate float... chocolate ice cream and coke! yum
i meant "chocolate cake with tea!"
@ Jeremy .. no worries re mix-up with words .. I got your drift - chocolate ice cream cake is good too!!
Cheers Hilary
I've never heard of "digestive chocolate." Your description has my mouth watering. I come from a long line of chocolate lovers. :)
You describe things so well that I can picture the chocolate in front of me. I'd love to have a taste of these treats.
@ Susan - you are missing something truly delicious! Plain ones are really good, then you can tempt your waistline with a milk chocolate, or dark chocolate one ... slightly richer and more yummy! These are standard fare here ...
@ Medeia - Buckingham Palace is open during the early Summer to late Summer months ... ? So always ready for a visit and taste!!
Thanks Susan and Medeia for visiting .. cheers Hilary
I would love to have tried the cake, very mouthwatering....
Hi Amanda - the cakes are at Buckingham Palace awaiting you whenever you feel like visiting! It was delicious ...
Cheers Hilary
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