The Official Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook: Teatime Drinks, Scones, Savories & Sweets (Downton Abbey Cookery)

I just received the Downton Afternoon Tea book today. I haven't had time to try any recipes but I've leafed through it. It has vivid and beautiful photos of confections as well as stills of various cast members of Downton Abbey (in character). The pages are glossy so you can wipe it off easy enough while baking. Most of the recipes look simple. I bake on a regular basis and have most ingredients in my pantry. Theres nothing you have to order from Zimbabwe or anything. I will update my review after trying some recipes and reading the various stories within. The only thing I wish is if a protective book jacket was included to keep it safe from being soiled in the kitchen.

Beautiful little book. Bound in cloth, embossed in silver metallic. Photos are works of art of original set. Recipes are all the wonderful with goodies and sandwiches seen on the show. This book is a work of art and now that Maggie Smith has passed on, will appreciate in value. This book exceeds anything that would be made here in America. With the price, they are giving it away. I thought that when I bought the first ones and think so even more today. I could say a lot more. If I could buy the entire stock, I would and sell them at 50.00 to 65.00 a book.

This really isn't what I thought it was going to be (a book on tea recipes) but I love it anyway. It is a book about the practice of tea in Britain. The books fabric cover is something I haven't seen in years and makes this book even more special.It contain recipes for food normally served at tea, small cakes, pie and sandwiches. I haven't made any of them yet but the scones are going to be first on my list as I cook my way thru the book.

The book came quickly and was in perfect condition. I would buy from them again.

I bought this for a gift for my DIL. When I received it, I wished I could have kept it for myself! The book is an easy read, with beautiful photos and scrumptious recipes. It has all the knowledge within it to make a perfect tea for yourself and those friends of yours who would enjoy something a little fancy and out of the ordinary.

What's good about this book:1. Most of the famous English tea cakes and savories are represented. If you're going to do some classic English manorhouse tea party, you can't go very wrong here.2. Nice pictures and pretty text. Quotes from the Downton series characters. Can we ever get enough of Dowager Countess Violet?3. Downton Abbey photos for fanbois and fangurls (that is, nearly everybody) and nice pictures of the food.Not so good:1. The recipe for Caneles; you'll not get far with this one, and there's no picture of the finished cakelet, so you have no idea that it's made in a small, more tall than wide fluted mold rather like a baba mold, and the traditional lining of the mold includes beeswax with the butter to get a thick crust of caramelization with release. (Butter alone would absorb more and make less of a crust.) My suggestion, if you're determined to make these, find a true French recipe, get the molds and don't attempt these in muffin cups. You'll be disappointed. The molds are available here!2. No seed cake. This cake, flavored with caraway seeds, was a constant companion to tea tables.3. The Dacquoise: you're better off using Juila Child's monumental production (which is detailed) if you want a good result. It's a challenging cake (so worth it) so don't waste time here.4. The sandwich section is thin. No tomato, no cress. It's ok, but if you are a fan of the more savory portion of the tea table, this is a bit limited.5. Surprisingly sketchy about tea. Nothing for you on selecting and brewing tea. You're going to pop in a bag of PG Tips, right? Tea has so much more than that: a good Darjeeling (loose leave) or Assam or Keemun is available many places and brewed properly, is nothing like bag tea. I make "real tea" for friends who stop by and they never get over the fact it tastes and refreshes like nothing else. Use filtered water, please. The tea in bags, btw is dust called "fannings" left over from tea production and lately it's even worse than before, many tea drinkers have noticed how the flavor and strength of their favorite "builder's tea" (dark brown brew lashed with milk and sugar) is now not very satisfying.6. Table of contents is sketchy. I like more detail and page numbers.Summary: good recipes for the classic British cakes and tarts and puddings, Missing some key things. Gift worthy for tea and Downton lovers.

Enjoyed reading the recipes. Looking forward to preparing the. I like the fact that it's a hardbound book too.

Liked the elegant recipes. Didn’t care for the excessive Downton Abbey photographs. Would prefer fewer, or at least, grouped in the back of the book. Scattered throughout as they are, these full page photographs of the actors on the set are a bit distracting.I love the attached ribbon placeholder as found in the nicer reference books.It’s a gift for my daughter, the family’s true gourmet chef; and I look forward to her versions of this fascinating fare!