I’ve got a lovely new sponsor here at Swoon Worthy that I’m very exicted to share with you.  Urbanara make the most gorgeous textiles and home accessories and they are sharing their tips today on having an utterly glamorous Jubilee party with a couple of rather lovely looking recipes perfect for your party, whether the weather holds or not!

Best of all,  all the textiles you see in the images below are available on their website and for the month of June, Urbanara is offering readers of Swoon Worthy a £15 discount* off all orders over £50 at www.urbanara.co.uk.  Just use the voucher code: DFGHJ258.

Now that’s what I call an occasion to celebrate.

Take it away, Urbanara…

Whether or not you have openly pledged your allegiance to the Queen, the Diamond Jubilee is undeniably worth celebrating. Let’s be honest, when else do you get the chance to celebrate with friends over a four-day-long weekend?

For those plotting an escape from the busy bunting-lined streets, we suggest a sophisticated dinner party at home to enjoy the big day. Here are a few tips on how to bring creative flair to your festivities.

THE DETAILS

As stormy weather is predicted over the weekend, an outdoor garden party might be out of the question. Bring the garden to you instead by dressing up your dinner table and placing flowers at each table setting.

Lavender and nasturtiums are in season, and both are edible options that can be tied into your menu – we suggest a lavender tea cake or nasturtium salad. Use individual sprigs and blooms as decorations by laying these on each napkin, or attach to personalised place cards to suggest where your friends might like to sit.

Set the mood while guests arrive with some appropriately patriotic tunes. PJ Harvey, Kate Bush and The Clash are all good options – check out your record collection and create your playlist in advance to avoid any music mishaps over the evening. Be sure to add something upbeat to the list too to encourage some dancing after dinner.

THE DRINK

As the evening progresses and it comes time to toast, one can’t go past raising a glass in her Majesty’s honour. Since a garland of roses appear on the personal flag of Queen Elizabeth II, it seems only fitting to toast with a rosewater gin cocktail. Here’s how it’s done…

You will need:

Fine quality gin
Rose water
Elderflower syrup
Crushed ice
Strawberry (to garnish)
Small sprig of mint leaves (to garnish)
Cocktail shaker
Martini glass

What to do:

1. Fill your cocktail shaker hall full with crushed ice, adding one drops of rose water and ten millilitres of elderflower syrup.
2. Swizzle the mixture in the shaker before adding 30 millilitres of gin.
3. Shake the cocktail and pour into a Martini glass.
4. Garnish your royal beverage with a sprig of mint and a fresh strawberry on the side.

We recommend serving on a rose motif tray, with harlequin print straws or diamond shaped ice cubes to boot.

THE DESSERT

Though its origins are disputed, the pavlova is counted among one of the UK’s most loved treasured sweets. With some crafty placement of blueberries and strawberries, you can fashion your pav into an edible Union Jack flag.

You will need:

4 organic egg whites
200 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
¼ vanilla bean pod
300 ml whipped cream
1 punnet strawberries, washed and chopped into halves
1 punnet blueberries, washed
Rectangular baking tray
Baking paper

What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°c. Line a rectangular baking tray with baking paper and set the tray aside.
2. Crack the egg whites into a sparkling clean bowl and whisk with an electric beater until they form glossy peaks. Slowly add in the sugar teaspoon by teaspoon, whisking well between every spoonful.
3. Keep whisking for another five minutes after all sugar is added. The meringue should start to take shape, becoming solid and shiny. When the meringue is able to form peaks in the bowl it is time to pour in the vinegar and sprinkle in the cornflour. Continue whisking until the ingredients are fully combined.
4. Scoop the meringue onto the baking paper, using a spatula to form a rectangle. Once the rectangle shape is formed, use your spatula to form minor indents on top of the meringue in the shape of the Union Jack. These indents will create a space for your blueberries and strawberries to be placed to create the flag, so we suggest following the lines of the cross to mark your indents.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 100 °c. Carefully place the meringue inside the oven, and bake for one hour, or until meringue begins to brown.
6. Once baked, switch oven off with the meringue inside until completely cooled. Once cold and ready to serve, remove from oven and place on a serving dish.
7. Run a knife along the inside of the vanilla bean pod to extract the contents. Mix the vanilla bean with the whipped cream, then spoon the cream onto the meringue.
8. Once the meringue is evenly covered in cream, take your berries and strategically place the blueberries and strawberries in the form of the Union Jack. Remember to leave some white space showing between the crosses so the design really shines!