The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook (25 page)

Don’t let the texture deceive you; this mousse is actually quite filling, especially when compared to most modern mousses found today. Mousse, named after the French word
mousse
meaning “lather,” or “foam,” is a delicious and unique option for a dinner party and would be quite popular amongst all the daughters of Downton when they had a particular craving for chocolate.

10 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons dark brewed coffee

3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a double-boiler over slightly simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove chocolate-butter mixture from heat and stir in coffee. Set aside.
   
2. Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks together in a small bowl until extremely thick, about 3–5 minutes. Then whisk egg yolks, vanilla extract, and rum into the chocolate mixture.
   
3. In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream with the electric blender until stiff peaks form.
   
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.
   
5. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Transfer to one large serving bowl or into individual bowls.
   

Since the consistency of this mousse is so thick, it would likely be eaten with a fork. In Edwardian England one did not eat anything with a spoon if it could be eaten with a fork.

If anyone really wanted to win the approval of the ever-opinionated Dowager Countess, they would simply have to bring her these chocolates — which only became readily available in Europe in 1902 — as a peace offering. Perhaps the Countess of Grantham would bring these to the Dowager in an attempt to sweeten her up to the idea of breaking the entail. Luckily for the Countess of Grantham, no sweets were needed!

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

10 ounces dark chocolate, melted

10 ounces milk chocolate, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly beat in cream, followed by confectioners’ sugar, until well-blended, then stir in dark and milk chocolates and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate mixture for 1 hour.
   
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a melon-baller or your hands, shape chocolate into 1-inch balls. Refrigerate for another hour, then serve.
   

While the Dowager Countess might appreciate these truffles, she’d be even more impressed with truffles from Prestat, one of London’s oldest and most prestigious chocolate retailers. Prestat was founded in 1902 by Frenchman Antoine Dufour, whose family, in 1895, created the chocolate truffle we all know and love.

The Countess of Grantham requested that Mrs. Patmore bake this “new” dessert for Sir Anthony, but Mrs. Patmore, who was not fond of the recipe, requested that they stick to the original dessert, Raspberry Meringue Pie (see
Chapter 7
). Nonetheless, if Mrs. Patmore had given up her tart, raspberry-eque attitude and been more willing to try new recipes she’d have found this to be one fantastically sweet “ice-box cake.”

2 cups light brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon allspice

5 large, tart apples, pared, cored, sliced thin

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

¹
⁄
₂
cup butter, cold, chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup butter, melted

1 loaf French bread, shredded into crumbs, 1 cup reserved

Butter for topping

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, and allspice. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture to be used for topping.
   
2. In a separate bowl, mix together apple slices, lemon juice, and orange juice.
   
3. Cover the bottom of a medium-sized dutch oven with bread crumbs and bits of the cold butter. Layer with sliced apples and brown-sugar mix, then with another few tabs of butter. Repeat until dutch oven is filled.
   
4. For the top layer, combine reserved bread crumbs,
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cup melted butter, and 1 cup reserved bread crumbs. Top with more butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
   

Legend has it that this dessert, Apple Charlotte, was named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. Others say this dessert is named for Tsar Nicholas I’s wife, Charlotte of Prussia.

This traditional tart would be made available not just to the aristocrats of Downton Abbey but to their servants as well, thanks to its nature as a traditional dessert served in many bakeries. It’s possible that Mrs. Patmore would whip this up for Daisy to thank her for agreeing to marry poor William.

1 cup flour

¹
⁄
₃
cup ground almonds

³
⁄
₄
cup unsalted butter, diced

¹
⁄
₄
cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 teaspoons cold water

1 large egg white

4 tablespoons cherry jam (or raspberry, strawberry)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk

1 cup ground almonds

Zest of 1 clementine (small mandarin orange)

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons almond flakes

Confectioners’ sugar for garnish

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, ground almonds, butter, and sugar. Blend until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Mix in egg yolk, almond extract, and cold water, and blend until mixture just begins to come together.
   
2. Flatten dough into a large disc and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for no more than 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator and roll out pastry on a clean, lightly floured surface so it reaches about
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₈
   -inch thickness. Press down into a medium tart tin, and prick the base with a fork. Chill crust for 15 minutes.
   
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
4. Cover chilled tart crust with parchment paper, then weigh down with pastry weights. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry reaches a pale, golden color. Remove pastry weights, lightly brush tart crust with egg white, then cook for another 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.
   
5. Spread jam in an even layer over tart base.
   
6. Cream together butter and sugar, then gradually add the 3 beaten eggs and 1 egg yolk. Fold in ground almonds and zests of clementine and lemon. Carefully and evenly spoon mixture over the jam, creating an even layer. Bake tart for another 15–20 minutes, then sprinkle with almond flakes and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the tart is both set and golden. Let cool to room temperature, then sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve.