Platinum Jubilee - Are You Street Party Ready?

With the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee right around the corner and a long weekend that’s perfect for baking and celebrating with friends, we thought we’d compile for you the best British bakes that make the perfect addition to your street party!

Starting off savoury. It wouldn't be a British afternoon tea or street party without a finger sandwich. We love the traditional cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese (try mixing in a little chopped dill to the cream cheese for added flavour) and ham and mustard (using a good quality, thick-cut ham makes for the tastiest sandwiches. Or to balance the intensity of the mustard stir through a small amount of honey before spreading on the bread), but you can also make egg and cress, beef and horseradish or coronation chicken. Just don't forget to cut off those crusts and slice them into rectangles for the true British afternoon tea sandwich.

Quiche is another great addition to a street party and is surprisingly simple to make. Quiche is extremely versatile and you can add any flavours that you wish but we’ve chosen something vegetarian to share with you. Don’t fancy making your own pastry, not to worry shop-bought shortcrust pastry works just as well.

1. Lightly grease and line an 18cm round tin. To make the pastry, place the flour and butter into a large bowl. Use your hands to rub the mixture together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the egg yolk and milk and bring the pastry together into a smooth ball, using your hands to knead the dough on a clean surface for 30 seconds or until all the egg yolk has been incorporated. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan/Gas Mark 4. Roll out the pastry to around 3-5 mm thick and wide enough to cover the tin. Transfer the pastry into the tin, then gently press the pastry into the edges. Neaten the edges by trimming the pastry where necessary, leaving an overhang of around 1-2cm around the top of the tin.
3. Prick the bottom of the pastry case all over with a fork, then transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until your pastry is lightly golden. Take the pastry case out of the oven and leave it on a cooling rack. Leave the oven on for later.
4. While the tart is baking, make the filling. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, gradually mix in the cream and ¾ of the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
5. When the tart case is ready, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the base, scatter over the tomatoes and pour over the cream mix. Bake for 20-25 mins until set and golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin and trim the edges of the pastry. Once the quiche is cool, carefully remove it from the tin and serve.

You can flavour your sausage rolls however you like, just add in any additional flavours when you are mixing together the sausage meat. Why not try the pork and Caramelised Onion Sausage Rolls by adding in 2 tbsp of caramelised onion chutney or Cheese and Marmite Sausage Rolls by adding 75g of grated extra mature cheddar and 2 tbsp marmite, finish these ones off with a sprinkling of extra cheddar on top just before baking.

Pork, Lentil and Veg Sausage Rolls - This Tom Kerridge sausage roll recipe is the slightly healthier option, containing a bit less sausage and bulked up with lentils and vegetables. But, what they lack in sausage they do not lack in flavour and are a go-to for family gatherings. Find the recipe here: 

Bakewell Tart has been eaten in Britain for well over 100 years, so it just feels right to add it to the list of bakes for a street party. Back in April 2019, we released our own recipe, with a beautifully light, buttery pastry base, full of sweet raspberry jam and fragrant frangipane. Decorated with a shiny crosshatch of thick white icing, a scattering of flaked almonds and some fresh raspberries, it's a classic bake. If you’re a member of one of our baking clubs you can find our recipe here: 

Pimms. We couldn't not add it to the list of British summer classics, however, this one is just for the adults. Prepare as suggested on the back of the bottle and add in all the extras; chopped strawberries, oranges and cucumber and a few sprigs of mint. Serve with some ice and a sliced strawberry on the side of the glass and you have a winner.

Looking for something non-alcoholic, then still lemonade is the perfect option to serve at your street party, that both kids and adults can enjoy. Into a large jug squeeze the juice of 6 lemons, add in 100g caster sugar and mix to dissolve (add in a little of the water here if the sugar isn’t dissolving). Top up with 1 litre of water, add in some ice and extra slices of lemon and your lemonade is done. To make your glasses of lemonade extra cute, have a selection of red, white and blue straws and some mini union jack flags that you can put into each glass.