Dublin -- There’s a new tea in town at Anantara The Marker Hotel, a novel cultural and culinary experience that combines the literary charms of Ireland with flavors inspired by Irish landscapes and poetry. Crafted under the guidance of Executive Pastry Chef Sebastian Ritzen and his team, “Poetry and Places” afternoon tea guides you on a delightful journey around Ireland where each bite serves as a verse, narrating tales through the flavors of crafted cakes and pastries that depict local scenes with lines of poetry.
The “experience,” a bit like a mini literature/history lesson, is a leisurely (up to 3-hour) afternoon tea that’s as perfect for a visitor eager to learn as much about Ireland as possible as it is for a veteran, like me, who’s been visiting for 40 years. The “concept-driven” tea features the requisite finger sandwiches — Burren Smokehouse salmon with dill crème fraiche, roast beef with Achill Island sea salt, cucumber and chive, and chicken salad — along with scones, tea breads, and 10 unique cakes and pastries inspired by Ireland’s literary and historical sites. Each pastry, which appears on a rotating basis, takes guests from the western Wild Atlantic Way to the east coast’s Guinness brewery and Newgrange. An accompanying souvenir bookmark, a lovely hand-drawn watercolor from illustrator Ciara Coogan, indicates the pastry, the place, and the poem.
Chef Ritzen, a native of Sweden, told me the idea of the tea was two years in the making. “I grew up in Sweden and was inspired by Swedish baking traditions, but I wanted this tea to reflect a totally Irish ethos,” like a traveler following an itinerary through Ireland found in a leather-bound notebook. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in the contemporary setting of The Marker Bar & Lounge — an exciting 16-page menu (also illustrated by Coogan) tucked into a Kildare-made leather binder that leads you not only through the multi-course tea but also around Ireland itself while honoring some of its best classic and modern poets and iconic locations.
Chef Sebastian Ritzen.
The cultural and culinary adventure features six iconic places and six poems from Irish writers. The Ring of Kerry inspires a hazelnut choux bun with Chantilly whipped cream and bitter cocoa, while the rugged mountains and peat bogs of Achill Island inspire a bavarois of sheep’s milk yogurt with heather honey and oat crumble finished with smoked Achill sea salt. An opera cake flavored with chocolate, rye, and dillisk pays tribute to Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, a driving route stretching from Kinsale to Donegal, and a financier glazed with Valentia Island Vermouth and orange cream honors the rugged island located off the southwest coast of Kerry. Homage to Kilkenny Castle comes in the form of an apple cake flavored with treacle, syrup, and balsamic vinegar, all made from apple products from Kilkenny’s Highbank Orchards, and an apple macaroon with shortbread, malt, and cream pays tribute to Newgrange, one of Europe’s best-known prehistoric monuments.
Poetic inspiration comes from six classic and modern works: a blackberry wine-infused tart comes from Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney’s “Blackberry Picking,” and a classic choux swan filled with Coole Swan Cream Liqueur pays homage to one of Yeats’ best loved poems “The Wild Swans at Coole.” Other poems honored in the pastry collection are “The Ballad of Molly Malone,” “Lilac,” “Valpariso,” and “The Lost Heifer.”
The concept is, without question, perfectly executed and a nod to the ethos of the Anantara brand. Executive Chef Gareth Mullins told me, “Guests at Anantara properties (hotels span the globe from Europe and Asia to Africa and the Middle East) expect their stay to be reflective of the place where the hotel is located, so when in Dublin we want guests to celebrate the diverse, indigenous flavors that Ireland provides. We collaborate with artisanal producers nationwide and curate a selection of the finest ingredients that our unique terroir provides.”
To complement the culinary experience, a tea menu offers 16 premium Ronnefeldt blends, including unique flavors like fruity Oolong Peach, flowery Morgenatau, and malty Irish Whiskey Cream; tea is served in traditional trellis-patterned bone china. “Poetry and Places,” launched on Mother’s Day, March 10, is served daily from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm (€65 per person; €85 with Bollinger Champagne). When the weather permits, guests can enjoy it on The Terrace.
Anantara The Marker is located on Grand Canal Square in the exciting Docklands area; themarker.ie.
SIGNATURE CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CAKE
Makes 30 Cakes
The Guinness Storehouse is one of Europe’s most popular attractions and a genuine Dublin landmark. Chef Mullens says, “When you visit the Storehouse, and you absolutely should, they’ll show you how to pour a perfect pint yourself, and now you can taste a mini, sweet version of that famous stout on our afternoon tea plate.” As a tribute to the iconic drink, Chef Ritzen and his team created this mini cake to look like a perfect pint of the “black stuff.” It’s served as part of the Tea Breads course (along with buttermilk scones, a fig pudding loaf, and the famous Marker Battenburg Cake, inspired by the hotel’s geometrical façade). Make the cakes in 2-ounce silicone molds for a pint glass shape; alternately, use a cupcake pan.
For the cakes
1 cup Guinness
8 ounces butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter the molds.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the Guinness and butter until the butter melts. Whisk in the cocoa and sugar until smooth. Remove from heat; let cool.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
4. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sour cream until blended. Add the stout mixture to combine. Beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the prepared molds, filling 1/2 full. Place the silicone pan on a baking sheet.
5. Bake the cakes for 17 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
For the cream cheese icing
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar and cornstarch. Beat in the cream until smooth.
2. Spread the icing over each cake, smoothing the top.
Margaret Johnson’s “Recipes” page now includes “Ireland Hopping: Adventures in Food, Drink, and Travel.” For further details on her work, including how to order her signed cookbooks, visit her website here.
