The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook (24 page)

A French and, according to Edwardian society thus fancy, dessert, this is a savory choux pastry (also known as French cheese puff) filled with upscale cheeses such as Gruyère or Comté that is an aristocratic response to more plebian puff pastries such as Yorkshire Pudding (see
Chapter 10
). The Countess of Grantham would gladly offer this pastry at any cocktail or garden party.

³
⁄
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cup whole milk

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

1 pinch white sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

³
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cup grated Gruyère cheese, plus some for topping

¹
⁄
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cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese

1 pinch white pepper

1 pinch nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. Combine milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, then add flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough forms, then lower heat and stir dough until it dries and pulls away from the pan, about 3–5 minutes.
   
3. Scrape dough into a medium-sized bowl and allow it to cool for 2 minutes. Beat eggs into dough one at a time, being careful to beat thoroughly between each addition. Add cheeses, a pinch of white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
   
4. Transfer dough to a pastry bag with a
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   -inch round tip and pipe tablespoon-sized mounds onto the baking sheet. Keep mounds at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with extra Gruyère and bake for 25 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Serve hot.
   

While this dish might appear perfect for a tea party — it is, after all, a finger food — savory dishes were considered improper for a tea, where the food is required to be sweet unless it’s a sandwich.

With the advent of
Service à la Russe
, ice cream and wafers became the standard nonfruit dessert, while a “hot sweet” dessert, otherwise known as a dessert served warm, was offered beforehand. Mrs. Patmore may have served this decadent dessert on those warmer nights, when tempers at dinner were really “steaming” up and in need of a good cooling down.

¹
⁄
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cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons bourbon vanilla extract

1
¹
⁄
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cups all-purpose flour

³
⁄
₄
teaspoon baking powder

¹
⁄
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teaspoon kosher salt

3 egg yolks

²
⁄
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cup white sugar

¹
⁄
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cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract

2 cups heavy cream

²
⁄
₃
cup half-and-half

¹
⁄
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cup high-quality semisweet chocolate chips

1. For wafers:
   Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Gradually beat in egg and bourbon vanilla extract.
   
3. In another medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients in small batches and mix well.
   
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2–3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Flatten cookie drops with the back of a spoon, then bake in preheated oven for 10–12 minutes until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.
   
5. For ice cream:
   In a small bowl, beat egg yolks for 2–3 minutes until they are light and fluffy. Set aside.
   
6. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and bourbon vanilla extract. Pour in beaten egg yolks and thoroughly blend using an electric mixer. Add cream and half-and-half a little at a time, beating after each addition. Chill mixture in refrigerator for 2–3 hours.
   
7. While cream mixture chills in refrigerator, grate chocolate chips using a blender or food processor. Stir into cream mixture, then freeze mixture in the canister of an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
   

After dinner, the women at Downton Abbey and their guests would excuse themselves after the fruit course (or the last dessert course) and head to the dining room. The men would stay in the dining room and have their coffee, Cognac, or liquor of choice.

It’s a well-known stereotype that women love to eat chocolate when under stress — and this cake fits the bill. Perhaps Lady Mary would indulge in this delicious chocolate cake while considering Matthew’s first marriage proposal.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1
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⁄
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cups white sugar

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cup light brown sugar

1 cup fine-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Scharffen Berger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon Bourbon vanilla extract

1 cup cold brewed coffee

1 cup buttermilk

¹
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cup vegetable oil

2 cups (1-pound) butter (no substitutes), softened

9 cups confectioners’ sugar

2
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cups fine-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon Bourbon vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch pan.
   
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, vanilla, coffee, buttermilk, and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth; batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pan.
   
3. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 45 minutes.
   
4. As cake cools, prepare the icing. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Reduce speed to low and add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add milk as needed until frosting reaches preferred spreading consistency. (For thicker frosting, add less than a cup of milk. To thin out your frosting, add more milk.)
   
5. Once cake has thoroughly cooled, spread icing over the top.
   

When people think of chocolate and England, they often think of Cadbury chocolates. In 1905, Cadbury introduced its Dairy Milk bars to the world, which became its bestselling product by 1913. Many of the workers in the Cadbury factory would go on to join Matthew Crawley in fighting for their country during World War I.