| |
While afternoon tea originated in England around the mid 1800’s, it
didn’t become vogue in the United States until the past year few years.
Women are now celebrating wedding showers, baby showers, birthdays
and Mother’s Day and hosting events, fundraisers,
and friendly get-togethers with high tea.
Guests and Invitations
 When planning an afternoon tea party, the first
step is to create a guest list and send out invitations. A lot of
preparation can go into an afternoon tea party, so you may want to
start with eight to ten guests. Choose an invitation that reflects
the theme of your party. For example, if you are throwing a baby
shower send invitations with a pink or blue bow. If you are hosting
a poetry reading, you can theme invitations like a book or scroll.
Most tea parties begin anytime from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and last two to
three hours. Invitations are best sent one month beforehand, or six
weeks prior in the summer. As a rule of thumb, you can expect half
to 2/3 of the guests you invite to arrive.
Theme and Decor
The theme and level of formality will determine
whether you use fine china or casual ware. You will need one tea pot
per guest and a tea leaf strainer. Each guest will also need a place
setting with a plate, knife, fork, spoon, and linen. Tables will
need a themed tablecloth and centerpiece. Centerpieces can range
from a beautiful bouquet of flowers to candle arrangements or fresh
fruit displays. Other necessities include a sugar bowl, creamer, and
butter knives. The music selection will range should enhance the
atmosphere of the party rather than take guests interest away from
each other. I would recommend classical or light jazz or something
else relaxing.
The Tea
It is important to have a wide range of tea for
your guests. I recommend offering at least six varieties. Perfect
tea starts with a high quality product. Darjeeling tea is considered
ideal for afternoon teas. This teas is grown in India at an
elevation of 750 - 2000 meters on 86 tea gardens. It can take up to
ten years before the leaves are ready to be plucked, so the yield is
low, 10 million kilos a year. To help guests find their favorite,
have a menu describing the flavor and origin of each tea.
How to Make The Perfect Cup
Start with fresh, cold water, because it’s
fully oxygenated. If your tap water doesn’t taste good, use filtered
or bottled.
 Measure tea into a preheated pot – one teaspoon
per 6-8 oz. cup. If you prefer stronger tea, add an extra teaspoon
to the pot. (To preheat the pot, pour a little of the boiling water
from the kettle into the pot and then pour this water off into the
drinking cups to warm them.)
For Black or Oolong tea, pour boiling water
over tea immediately. However, if you’re making Green or White tea,
allow the water to cool slightly for a minute or so. Boiling water
can burn these delicate teas and create a bitter flavor.
Allow tea to steep. This is a bit tricky
because the tea needs to steep long enough to release the full
flavor, but over-steeping can make it bitter. Try tasting a spoonful
every minute as it steeps to see if it’s reached the flavor you want
– and if you like stronger tea, it’s better to add more leaves
rather than to steep too long.
|
Steeping Guidelines: |
-
Green Tea: 1-3 minutes
-
Black Tea: 3-5 minutes
|
-
Oolong Tea: 4-5 minutes
-
White Tea: 5-6 minutes
|
If you would like to add milk, place it in the
bottom of the cup before you pour the tea. It maintains flavor and
dissolves into the tea more effectively. Cream or high-fat milk
doesn’t deliver the best flavor results, so use low-fat milk. To
sweeten, use white sugar as opposed to honey or brown sugar. Also
add lemon, if you wish.
The Food
If you are to follow tradition, a high tea
party historically serves Welsh rabbit,
shepherd's pie, steak, bread, butter, potatoes, pickles, cheese and
tea. You will have a hard time finding that cuisine at an afternoon
tea party in the U.S.! Afternoon tea parties typically
serve finger foods and sweets, such as Cucumber Tea
Sandwiches with Mint, Shrimp Toast, Capers and Salmon Sandwiches,
Cinnamon Scones, Almond Popovers, Banbury Cakes, Butter Tarts,
Clotted Cream, and Devonshire Cream. These delicious recipes are
easy to make.
|
Cucumber Sandwiches
You can't get more
refreshing than a mix of cucumber slices and fresh mint. A cool
sandwich to go with hot tea. I love the crisp feel of cucumber along
with the smooth cream cheese.
1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup butter, soft
1/4 cup cream cheese
16 slices white bread
Blot cucumber slices
to dry. In a mixing bowl, blend mint, butter and cream cheese.
Spread mixture on each slice of bread. Lay cucumber slices on 8
slices of bread and sprinkle with salt. Top with remaining bread and
remove crusts. Cut sandwiches into either halves or quarters.
|
Cinnamon Scones
If you're new to the
world of home-made scones, this is the perfect recipe.
2 cups white flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to
400F. Blend flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Cut in
butter. Mix milk, egg and vanilla in another mixing bowl. Add to the
flour mixture and stir until just moist. Shape dough into an 8-inch
round loaf. Cut into 8 wedges and separate slightly. Bake for 15-20
minutes.
Makes 8 scones |
|
Devonshire Cream
This isn't a true
clotted cream, but it's pretty close. It’s an easy introduction to
the fine world of clotted cream on scones.
8 oz cream cheese
12 oz sour cream
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
Blend all
ingredients until smooth. |
Capers and Salmon
Sandwiches
These bold
sandwiches are not for the faint of heart. The flavors are strong
and potent.
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbs chives, minced
1 tbs dill, chopped
1 tbs capers
1 1/2 tsp horseradish
8 slices of bread
1 1/2 tsp butter, soft
4 slices smoked salmon
12 slices cucumber, thin
Combine mayo,
chives, dill, capers and horseradish. Spread bread with butter, then
mayo mixture. Layer with slices of salmon and cucumber, then top
with bread. Slice each salmon sandwich into triangles.
|
|
Shrimp Toast
You can taste all
the hard work that goes into making this warm shrimp spread.
8 slices white bread, sliced thin
1 egg, separated
1 egg yolk
1 lb shrimp, deveined
2 tbs heavy cream
1 tbs vodka
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water chesnuts, finely chopped
2 scallions, minced
3 tbs butter, melted
3 tbs water
Preheat oven to 250
degrees. Cut each slice of bread into 4 triangles. Bake on a baking
sheet for 30 minutes, until it's dry but not brown. Meanwhile,
lightly beat the egg white. Blot shrimp dry on paper towel and puree
in a food processor. Add egg white, cream , vodka and salt. Blend
until mixed. In a mixing bowl, combine shrimp mixture with water
chestnuts and scallions. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Add 2 teaspoons of mixture on top of each bread triangle. Beat yolks
and water together and brush over each shrimp triangle. Place on
greased baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until cooked
through. |
Banbury Cakes
Puff pastry with a
filling of mixed peel, raisins and currants. If you like an English
flair to your afternoon tea service, then you must serve sweet
little Banbury cakes.
1 lb puff pastry
2 oz melted butter
4 oz raisins
4 oz currants
2 oz mixed peel
4 oz brown sugar
Icing sugar
Preheat oven to
425F. Combine melted butter, raisins, currants, peel and sugar, and
mix thoroughly. Roll out pastry on a floured board. Cut out 16
circles, using a small saucer as a guide. Place some fruit mixture
in the middle of each circle. Fold the edges of the pastry up over
the fruit and seal closed. Turn each one over and press down gently
with a rolling pin. Make 3 diagonal cuts on the tops of each cake
and sprinkle with icing sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Makes 16 Banbury cakes
|
|
Butter Tarts
A simple, classic
sweet for afternoon tea. So decadent, it's hard to believe
how easy they are to make. If you like to bake, you could try using
home-baked tart shells.
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup corn syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Unbaked tart shells
Preheat oven to
350F. Boil corn syrup with sugar for 5 minutes, until fully
dissolved. Add butter and stir well. Let cool until just warmer than
room temp. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and vanilla. Add egg mixture
to sugar syrup. Pour into unbaked tart shells (about 2/3 full). Bake
for about 15 minutes. Time may vary depending on how large your
butter tarts are.
|
Almond Popovers
Delicate and flaky, loaded with almond flavor. You
won't even need to spread anything on these baked gems. Well, maybe
a little dollop of clotted cream.
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup almond liqueur
3 tbs butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 cup toasted almonds, ground
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbs sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 375F
and move rack to the lowest position in your oven. Grease 6 custard
cups (6-oz each). Beat eggs with an electric mixer at low speed for
about a minute. Beat in milk, liqueur and butter until well blended.
Continue to beat, and add flour, ground almonds and salt. Pour
batter into the custard cups, and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake
for 40 minutes. Put a small slit in the top of each one to release
steam. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until brown on top.
Makes 6 popovers |
Clotted Cream
Delicate and flaky
little popovers for afternoon tea, loaded with almond flavor. You
won't even need to spread anything on these baked gems. Well, maybe
a little dollop of clotted cream.
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup almond liqueur
3 tbs butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 cup toasted almonds, ground
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbs sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 375F
and move rack to the lowest position in your oven. Grease 6 custard
cups (6-oz each). Beat eggs with an electric mixer at low speed for
about a minute. Beat in milk, liqueur and butter until well blended.
Continue to beat, and add flour, ground almonds and salt. Pour
batter into the custard cups, and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake
for 40 minutes. Put a small slit in the top of each one to release
steam. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until brown on top.
Makes 6 popovers
Visit
www.sunrichgourmet.com. Sun Rich has a selection of eight
premium Darjeeling teas: Lingia Whole Leaf Black Tea, Lingia Black
Tea Autumn Leaf, Chamong Summer Tea, Pussimbing Whole Leaf Black
Tea, Pussimbing Silver Marbles Black Tea, Nagri Farm Green Tea,
Phoobsering White Tea, and Phoobsering Oolong Tea. |
