Afternoon Tea: Chocolate Bonbons, Plum & Ginger Roll, Strawberry Jam, Scones, and Yuzu Meringue
A complete look behind the scenes at England's oldest hotel afternoon tea service at The Langham, London. This comprehensive selection features artisanal chocolate bonbons, a delicate white plum and ginger roll cake, homemade strawberry preserves, freshly baked classic and raisin scones, traditional finger sandwiches, chocolate bear amenities, and a bright yuzu and lime meringue pavlova.
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🍳 Cooking Flow
【Bonbons】Enrobe infused Earl Grey ganache squares in tempered dark chocolate and top with cornflower petals. → 【Roll Cake】Bake white tuile-backed ginger sponge, roll with ginger mascarpone and frozen plum compote core, then slice. → 【Jam】Boil fresh chopped strawberries with sugar syrup to 62° Brix, jar hot, and steam sterilize. → 【Scones】Mix and hand-knead dough, sheet, chill, cut, and bake until tall and tender. → 【Sandwiches & Desserts】Assemble layered finger sandwiches, cast chocolate amenities, and plate yuzu meringue with sorbet.
Cooking Steps
Brief Cooking Order
【Bonbons】Enrobe infused Earl Grey ganache squares in tempered dark chocolate and top with cornflower petals. → 【Roll Cake】Bake white tuile-backed ginger sponge, roll with ginger mascarpone and frozen plum compote core, then slice. → 【Jam】Boil fresh chopped strawberries with sugar syrup to 62° Brix, jar hot, and steam sterilize. → 【Scones】Mix and hand-knead dough, sheet, chill, cut, and bake until tall and tender. → 【Sandwiches & Desserts】Assemble layered finger sandwiches, cast chocolate amenities, and plate yuzu meringue with sorbet.
Introduction
A complete look behind the scenes at England's oldest hotel afternoon tea service at The Langham, London. This comprehensive selection features artisanal chocolate bonbons, a delicate white plum and ginger roll cake, homemade strawberry preserves, freshly baked classic and raisin scones, traditional finger sandwiches, chocolate bear amenities, and a bright yuzu and lime meringue pavlova.
Step 1
【Earl Grey Chocolate Bonbons】Temper the Madagascan Manjari dark chocolate by melting it above 50°C and cooling it down through the enrobing machine to approximately 31°C to realign the cocoa butter crystals. Send the infused Earl Grey ganache squares along the conveyor belt through the chocolate waterfall to enrobe evenly, blow off excess chocolate with the air fan, and garnish each piece with dried blue cornflower petals before setting.
Step 2
【Plum and Ginger Roll】Prepare the tuile paste (langue de chat) by mixing melted butter, icing sugar, flour, and egg whites, then spread evenly onto a silicone baking mat and freeze. Whisk egg whites into an elastic meringue; separately whisk egg yolks, inverted sugar, and oil. Fold the dry ingredients (cornflour and ginger) and yolk base into the meringue. Spread 230g of sponge batter evenly over the frozen tuile base and bake at 160°C for 8 minutes.
Step 3
【Plum and Ginger Roll】Simmer plum puree with freshly chopped watermelon plums in a saucepan, then incorporate the sugar-pectin mixture to thicken into a jelly-like compote. Pipe into cylindrical tube molds and freeze at -30°C. Once the baked sponge is cool, brush with ginger syrup, spread a thin layer of ginger mascarpone cream, place the frozen plum compote core in the center, tightly roll using parchment paper, freeze, slice into individual portions, and top with fresh plum slices.
Step 4
【Strawberry Jam】Chop fresh Kent strawberries in the processor. In a large industrial bratt pan heated to 160°C, dissolve glucose and sugar in water to form a base syrup. Add the chopped strawberries, bring to a rapid boil, and cook until the refractometer reads 62° Brix (62g sugar per 100g). Add citric acid and pectin, cook briefly, then ladle hot jam directly into sterilized warm jars (heated to 120°C). Seal with lids and steam in the oven for 20 minutes.
Step 5
【Afternoon Tea Scones】In a commercial spiral mixer, combine the dry crumble base with the liquid ingredients, working the dough firmly to develop gluten elasticity. Turn out onto the work table and knead by hand until smooth and springy. Roll out through the pastry sheeter to an even thickness, chill the dough sheet in the refrigerator to firm up the butter, cut into small rounds, and bake until golden brown on top and fluffy inside.
Ingredients List
Important Notes
Chocolate Tempering: Controlling exact temperature thresholds (cooling down to 28-31°C depending on chocolate type) ensures proper crystallization of cocoa butter, providing shine and crisp snap.
Brix Measurement: A refractometer is essential when making commercial jam to verify sugar concentration reaches exactly 62° Brix for proper set and shelf stability.
Dough Sheeting & Handling: Hand kneading combined with mechanical rolling ensures scones rise evenly and maintain an airy, cake-like crumb instead of a tough bread texture.
Sandwich Freshness: Layered sandwich assemblies must be protected under damp cloths throughout prep to prevent bread edges from drying out before service.
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