Afternoon Tea Party

Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 1865

Types of Tea Parties
Anna the 7^th Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) is credited with starting the habit of taking tea in England in the mid 1800's. During the 19^th century in England dinner was served as late as 7 or 8 o'clock at night. The Duchess began to have tea and snacks served to her in the hours between the noonday meal and the late dinner hour. She invited a few of her friends to join in on these afternoon celebrations and soon the habit of taking tea spread throughout England.

Afternoon tea is sometimes also called low tea. It is served in the living room or parlor on a low table like a coffee table which is surrounded by sofas and lounge chairs. This tea is not meant to be a full meal but rather a way for people to relax with friends and family while having a light snack. Finger foods such as scones, cookies, and finger sandwiches are served so that you can carry on a conversation with your guests without worrying about huge plates of food. Afternoon tea is typically served sometime between 1 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

High Tea is traditionally served sometime between 4 o'clock in the afternoon and 6 o'clock at night and is often offered in lieu of dinner. It is served at the high dinning room table thus the name high tea. A variety of hearty dinner foods such as meat, bread, potatoes and cheese are served along with the tea. Traditional high tea foods include cold meats, pickles, poached and hardboiled eggs, cheese on toast (Welsh rabbit) along with a variety of cakes, custards and other sweets.

English tea rooms originally served tea from around 3 o'clock to 5 o'clock as taking tea became more popular with the common people. Today modern tea rooms offer tea throughout the day from midmorning to the traditional tea times mentioned above. British tea shops generally offer three types of tea:

-Cream tea usually includes tea, scones, jam and clotted cream.
-Light tea usually includes tea, scones and sweets.
-Full tea which usually includes tea, savories, scones, sweets and desserts and other foods as would be served at a high tea.

Host a Tea Party
Every year or two my daughter and I like to host a tea party at our home. The very first tea party we hosted occurred on a Super Bowl Sunday while the neighborhood dads were at the neighbors house across the street watching the game. We invite moms and their daughters to attend and call it the Girl's Club Tea Party. We ask that everyone come in their favorite dress-up clothes. We place a large trunk of my daughters extra dress-up clothes in our living room and let the girls play dress-up throughout the duration of the party. We use our digital camera to take photographs of each guest in their favorite outfit and print out the photos during the party to hand out as party favors at the end of the festivities. We can also upload the photos to our computer and e-mail the photos to any guests that provide us with their e-mail address.

I put my daughters plastic tea set out on a small table for the girls to play with. The girls can have fun playing with this set and still feel like they are part of the festivities without your having to worry about them accidentally breaking your delicate porcelain tea service pieces. We put out water, sugar and lemon slices along with the tea set so the girls can pretend to serve each other tea.

I usually offer three varieties of tea during the parties I host. I like to serve a flavored black tea such as vanilla bean or black currant, a flavored green tea such as lemon ginger and a caffeine free peppermint herbal tea.

The Recipes
I have included a variety of my favorite original recipes incorporating herbs and spices which I like to serve at tea parties. Each of the recipes also includes a bit of history or mythology regarding the main herb or spice featured in the recipe.

All of the recipes featured in this section can be made a few days to a few weeks ahead of time and stored in your freezer until the day before your party. This gives you more time to enjoy spending with your guests on the day of the part.

Blueberry Spice Muffins
Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) are the dried, unopened flower buds from a tree which is native to Indonesia. The trees can grow to be 40 feet tall when they reach maturity. The dried flower buds resemble a tiny nail head giving rise to the folk-name little nails or nail head in many countries. This recipe works equally well with blackberries or mulberries used in place of the blueberries.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups blueberries

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the water, sugar, eggs and oil. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients along with the cloves and allspice and stir well. Stir in the blueberries. Grease and flour a 12 compartment muffin pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

Chocolate Almond Scones
The cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) was thought by the ancient Mesoamericans to be a gift from their feathered serpent deity who was a god of heaven and earth and represented life, death and rebirth. The Aztecs called this god Quetzalcoatl while the Mayans called this god Kukulcan. Cocoa was thought to have a variety of magical attributes associated with it such as being able to impart the gifts of absolute power and wisdom to whomever ingested the cocoa beans.

These scones are like a less sweet and denser version of a chocolate brownie. Serve them along with softened unsalted butter or clotted cream for a traditional tea time treat.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter - chilled
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon butter - melted
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Sift together the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the chilled butter and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two knives until it has the appearance of coarse corn meal. In a small bowl whisk together the cream and eggs then stir into the dry ingredients. Mix in the almonds. Gently pat the dough onto the bottom of a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Mix together the 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and confectioner's sugar in a small bowl then sprinkle evenly on top of the dough. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and cut into 16 pieces.

Finger Sandwiches with Edible Flowers
The magical powers associated with calendula (Calendula officinalis) include enabling one to see fairies and other wee folk of the forest. This flower could also be used as a form of love divination. The petals were removed from the flower one at a time while reciting 'he loves me, he loves me not' to help you determine your future mate.

I like to make these sandwiches assembly line style to ensure the filling ingredients are evenly distributed onto all sandwiches. If I make these sandwiches with Pepperidge Farm very thin white bread instead of the wheat variety I cut off the crusts before spreading the bread with the cream cheese.

1 large cucumber - peeled, seeded and sliced thin
One (8 ounce) package cream cheese - room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh dill - snipped with scissors
40 calendula petals
20 borage flowers
10 nasturtium flowers - chopped
16 slices Pepperidge Farm very thin wheat bread
One (4 1/2 ounce) can tiny shrimp - drained

In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese and dill. Spread each slice of bread with approximately 3/4 of a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Top 8 of the slices of bread with some of the cucumbers, shrimp and edible flowers. Top with another slice of bread and cut into 4 pieces. Chill the sandwiches in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 32 finger sandwiches.

Lemon Balm Cookies
Joy of the heart is one of the many folk names given to lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). This herb will help lift up your spirits and can be used to help alleviate mild depression.

1/2 cup margarine - room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ cup fresh lemon balm leaves - minced
additional granulated sugar for garnishing cookies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the margarine and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and the eggs and mix well. In a small bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking soda then add to the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix in the lemon balm leaves. Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of the dough onto un-greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle a little bit of granulated sugar onto the top of each spoonful of cookie dough. Place the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.

Lemon Thyme Tart with Shortbread Crust
Thyme (Thymus spp.) has a variety of attributes associated with it including increasing ones courage and helping to prevent nightmares. Having thyme planted in your garden is supposed to help you see fairies by attracting them to your yard.

The addition of whipped cream to the top of this tart creates a dessert similar in taste to a lemon meringue pie.

For the tart shell:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg - beaten
½ cup butter - room temperature

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Sift together the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in the egg and butter using your hands until it forms a firm dough. Press the dough onto the bottom and sides of a greased 10" quiche pan. Prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork. Bake for 20 minutes until light brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the filling:
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon thyme leaves
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups water
2/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon yellow gel food color - optional
whipped cream for garnishing - optional

Mix together the sugar, lemon thyme, cornstarch and flour in a medium sauce pan. Whisk in the water and lemon juice. Cook over medium high heat stirring continuously until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn down to medium low and cook until the mixture is thick and translucent. If you prefer your filling to have a bright lemon yellow color stir in the yellow food color. Remove the filling from the heat and pour into the prepared tart shell and let chill in the refrigerator until the filling has thoroughly cooled down. Top with whipped cream prior to serving if desired.

Orange Thyme Tea Cake
Thyme is supposed to be able to enhance your physic powers and is can be used in healing rituals. The essential oil of thyme exhibits strong antiseptic properties and can be used to help heal minor cuts and scratches.

Thyme is also available in an orange scented variety scientific name Thymus citriodorus 'Fragrantissimus'. I haven't come across this variety at any of my local garden or nursery centers although I have seen it in one of my herb catalogs. If you can find orange thyme I would use it in place of the common thyme called for in this recipe.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter - room temperature
2 eggs
zest from 1 orange
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl mix together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs, orange zest, orange juice and thyme and mix well. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9" square glass baking pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and poke a bunch of holes in the top of the cake with a long knife. Immediately pour the glaze over the hot cake and let the glaze thoroughly soak through the bread. When cooled to room temperature cut the cake into 16 pieces.

Glaze:
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar

In a small bowl mix together the orange juice and sugar until all the sugar has been thoroughly dissolved.

Pineapple Sage Scones
The scientific name for sage (Salvia officinalis) comes from the Latin word salvere which means to cure or to be saved. Sage was thought to be capable of promoting a long and healthy life. The pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) in this recipe adds a light fruity flavor to the scones.

Serve these rich scones with sweet unsalted butter or clotted cream if desired.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter - chilled
3 cups milk
2 tablespoons pineapple sage leaves - minced

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife or two knives until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Stir in the milk and the pineapple sage leaves. Spray 18 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Fill each muffin cup approximately 3/4 of the way with the scone batter. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Makes 18 scones.

Rosemary Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) symbolizes love and loyalty and in the past has been used in bridal bouquets. John Gerard in his book The Herbal (1633) mentioned the following use for rosemary flowers: "the floures made up into plates with sugar after the manner of sugar roset and eaten, comfort the heart, and make it merry, quicken the spirits, and make them more lively."

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pistachios
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves - minced
additional confectioner's sugar for garnish

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the sugar and the softened butter using a large mixing spoon. Add the flour 3/4 cup at a time. Add the vanilla extract, pistachios and rosemary and mix until well blended. Roll the dough into large marble sized pieces using 1 level tablespoon of the dough and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for 17 to 20 minutes until light brown. After the cookies have been removed from the oven and have cooled off slightly roll each one in confectioner's sugar. This recipe makes approximately 2 ½ dozen cookies.

Vanilla Sugar
Vanilla beans (Vanilla planifolia) come from the dried and cured fruit of a variety of orchid flower. The curing of vanilla beans can take up to six months to produce a bean of superior quality making this one of the more expensive spices available.

Vanilla sugar can be used to flavor hot or iced tea and in your cookie, pie and cake recipes in place of plain granulated sugar. I've also used dried lavender flowers to flavor sugar. Just be sure to strain out and discard the lavender flowers before using the sugar.

1 whole vanilla bean
2 cups granulated sugar

Place the vanilla bean into a glass jar and completely cover it with the sugar. Close the lid making sure it is airtight. Shake the container once a day to help the aroma of the vanilla permeate throughout the sugar. The sugar is ready to be used within two weeks. The vanilla bean can be reused to flavor additional granulated sugar. Discard the vanilla bean when it is no longer aromatic.

Sources

Bown, Deni. The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2001.