Forget the tea-bag plopped into a mug for the after lunch, pre dinner pick-me-up. Sit down to a proper afternoon tea and pamper yourself with tradition and indulgence. For nothing is more quintessentially British than tea poured out of a pot and served with tiny sandwiches, scones and cakes. It needn't be extravagant or fussy - simple pleasures are always the best.

In 1861, the famous cook and writer Mrs Beeton remarked 'There is tea and tea'. By this she was referring to the difference between High Tea and Afternoon Tea. Both became established as meals in the mid 19th century and both feature the drink tea as a beverage, but that's where the similarities end. High Tea is a meal with meat as a main feature, hot or cold. Savoury pies, salads, pickles, crumpets, muffins, jams and preserves, fruit and sponge cakes also would have been considered suitable. In today's world, High Tea is usually thought of as a children's tea, a meal served to young children who eat earlier and more simply than their parents.

But Afternoon Tea has more or less remained the same in definition over the years. The tradition is thought to have been started by the Duchess of Bedford and consists of 'fine china, good manners and polite conversation', tea, the drink, poured from a china pot and served with cucumber sandwiches, crusts removed, of course, and little cakes or tea breads. In Devon and Cornwall, the tradition is Cream Tea served with scones and a big dollop of luscious, rich clotted cream, a speciality of the region.

First, the tea we drink. Thought to have existed as a drink since the first century AD, tea has a rich history about which volumes have been written. It was discovered in China and for hundreds of years, this is where most of the tea drunk in the western world came from. Its cultivation spread, however, and it is now grown in India, Africa, Japan, Sri Lanka, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tibet and North and South America. There are three categories of tea: green, oolong and black, though all come from the same plant, camellia sinensis. Slight variations in climate and region, however, can make for numerous subtle differences in flavour and aroma. Many teas are blends, especially those in bags and 'builder's tea'. But for a special occasion like Afternoon Tea, you may want to try something different.

Darjeeling - From the Darjeeling region of India, it has a delicate flavour with hints of muscatel.

Earl Grey - A blend of teas scented with oil of bergamot.

Lady Grey - Also a blend, more delicate and scented with orange and lemon peel as well as bergamot.

Ceylon - A rich-tasting, golden coloured tea, with a pure flavour.

Lapsang Souchong - A black tea with a strong, smoky flavour.

Assam - A strong, amber-coloured tea with a malty flavour.

And now to the bes bit - the cakes! It's nice to offer a selection of different cakes, sandwiches, tea breads and scones, each in small portions so you and your guests can sample a few or even all. These days we ladies aren't quite so delicate as in the 19th century but a well-made and nicely presented tea and cake selection still makes the occasion.

Cucumber and Mint Sandwiches

What afternoon tea would be without them?
Serves 4

4 slices fresh white bread
2 tbsp light cream cheese
6 leaves fresh mint, finely chopped
12 thin slices of cucumber, skin peeled

Spoon the cream cheese into a small bowl and mix in the mint leaves. Spread all four slices of bread with a thin layer of the minty cream cheese and lay six cucumber slices on two of the pieces. Cover with the remaining bread and cut off the crusts. Cut each sandwich into four triangles. Cover with cling film until ready to serve.

Oaty Cheese and Apple Scones

These scones are a little more special than the plain and sultana types. It's nice to make them in a smaller, more dainty size for the afternoon tea plate. The mix of sweet and savoury flavours contrasts beautifully with cakes and sandwiches. They also freeze well or can be made in the larger size for elevensies.
Makes 30 x 4cm / 1 1/2 inch scones

Preheat the oven to 200C. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, then stir through the oatmeal and sugar. Stir in the cheese and apple pieces followed by the buttermilk. Bring the dough together with your hands and pat into a round disc on a floured surface.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 2cm/ 3/4 inch. Use a 4cm/1 1/2inch pastry cutter to cut out round scones (or you can just make little square ones using a knife). Reform the trimmings to make more and lay on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with the extra buttermilk and bake for 15 minutes until risen and nicely browned.

Fruity Rock Cakes

Softer than the usual hard rock cakes, these take only minutes to whip up from start to finish.
Makes 12

225g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
115g soft margarine
50g caster sugar
1 large egg, beaten
2 tbsp milk
115g luxury mixed dried fruits
3 tbsp Demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 200C and line a bun tin with paper cases. Sift the flour and cinnamon into a bowl, rub in the margarine with your fingertips, then mix in the sugar. Mix the egg with the milk and quickly blend into the mixture along with the dried fruit. Divide among the paper cases and sprinkle with the Demerara sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden brown. Cool on a rack before serving.

Seed Cake

An old-fashioned favourite with caraway seeds as the main flavouring.
Makes 1 x 1kg/2lb loaf

225g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
150g butter, softened, plus a little extra for greasing
125g golden caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp caraway seeds

Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter a 1kg / 2lb loaf tin, (preferably non-stick).

Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then whisk in the eggs a little at a time. Whisk in the milk and vanilla, then gently fold in the flour mixture and caraway seeds, mixing until all the ingredients are just combined.

Spoon into the loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Divide into slices and serve with butter. Mmmmm, delicious!

Will keep in an air-tight container for several days or can be frozen.

Madeira Cake

This simple and light cake gets its name from the Portuguese wine that was traditionally served with it. This recipe uses ground almonds for extra richness and fresh lemon zest instead of the usual candied lemon peel.
Makes a 20cm/8 inch round cake or you can make it in a 900g/2lb loaf tin

175g unsalted butter, softened
175g caster sugar
granted zest and juice of 1 large lemon
3 eggs, beaten
115g self-raising flour
50g ground almonds

Butter a 20cm/8 inch cake tin or 900g/2 lb loaf tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 170C.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy then whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a time, adding a teaspoon of flour after each addition.

Using a large metal basting spoon, fold in the lemon zest and juice, the remaining flour and ground almonds. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Dust with icing sugar just before serving and cut into thin wedges.

Vanilla, Cinnamon and Pecan Cake

This moist cake uses soured cream to give it a rich texture and contrasts beautifully with the toasted pecans. You can substitute walnuts if you prefer.
Makes a 20cm/8 inch round cake

100g pecans
50g dark brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
150g butter, softened
150g caster sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature and beaten
200g self-raising flour
200ml soured cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Grease the sides and line the bottom of a 20cm/ 8 inch springform or loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Chop the pecans and mix with the brown sugar and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, whisk together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the eggs. Fold in the flour, soured cream and vanilla.

Spoon half of the cake batter into the tin, then sprinkle over half of the pecan and sugar mixture. Spoon in the rest of the batter and spread gently with a knife to cover the filling. Sprinkle the remaining pecan mixture on top. Bake for 55minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before carefully turning out to finish cooling on a wire rack, keeping the cake right-side up.