Tea Party Recipes II

Giving a Tea...

Tea Party Recipes

Tea Resources

Tea Tips

MORE Tea Party Recipes are found HERE!

Recipes on this page are from Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together.  

You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com

Iced Strawberry Tea

1 pint fresh strawberries
4 cups brewed tea, chilled
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Ice cubes

Set aside five strawberries for garnish. 

Place the remaining strawberries in blender; cover and puree. Strain into pitcher. 

Stir in the tea, sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Chill.

Serve in chilled glasses over ice.  Garnish with reserved berries. Yield: 5 cups.

Savory Tea Scones

1 cup quick oats
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 heaping tablespoon of your favorite herbal tea

To the dry ingredients add:

2 eggs
10 tablespoons of olive oil
2/3 cup buttermilk.

In a 400 degree oven toast oats for 8-10 minutes. 

Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. 

To the dry ingredients add the eggs, oil and buttermilk. 

Stir just till ingredients are moistened. 

Let stand for five minutes.

Pat the dough into two six inch rounds, cut each round into six wedges.  Brush the top with a little olive oil. 

Bake for 16-18 minutes in the 400 degree oven.

Chocolate Mint Tea

Chocolate goes well with tea, not just coffee. You can brew up this recipe is a jiffy, using instant hot chocolate powder and bags of mint tea.
Ingredients:

6 mint tea bags
6 cups milk
6 tablespoons hot chocolate mix

In a saucepan, heat milk with tea bags until almost boiling. Steep for five minutes and remove tea bags.  Stir in the hot chocolate mix and mix well using a whisk.  Pour into mugs.

Serves 6

Chai Tea Cupcakes with Chai Mousse

1/2 cup liquid chai concentrate (available in the tea section of your local grocery)
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup uncooked quick oatmeal, not instant
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350̊F. 

Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
Combine the dry ingredients (oatmeal through sugar) in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Add chai, applesauce, vinegar, extracts, and coconut. 

Mix well, and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Best served warm, cut into rounds and top with Chai Mousse (see recipe below).


Chai Mousse

1/2 cup liquid chai concentrate
1 ounce (small box) of sugar or fat-free instant pudding, vanilla or cheesecake flavored
8 ounces fat-free whipped topping, well thawed

Pour chai concentrate into 4 cup or larger measuring cup.  Add pudding mix and stir with spoon until thick and lump free, about 1 minute.  Fold in whipped topping until evenly combined.
Place in refrigerator and allow to firm.  Use as a topping.

Pineapple, Sweet pepper and Mint sandwiches

8 ounces cream cheese softened at room temp.
1/4 cup well drained crushed pineapple,
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon fresh pineapple or canned well drained.
Fresh mint or spearmint.
Mix all ingredients well
Makes 1 cup.

Orange Marmalade Cream Cheese Sandwiches

8 ounces cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons of orange marmalade (sweet)
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts.
Mix well
Makes 1 cup.

Cheese and Banana Sandwiches

1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup cream, if needed to blend
2 bananas

Mash the bananas and mix with the cream cheese.  Add the cream and spread on slices of bread.

You can use any type of bread with these recipes. Just remove the crust with a sharp knife.

Orange Poppy Seed Scones

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 large eggs, divided
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with vegetable-oil cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, poppy seeds, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. 

With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until particles are the size of small peas. 

In a medium bowl, beat (1) one egg lightly with orange juice.

Add to flour mixture; stir just until mixed.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently. 

Pat or roll out the dough into a circle 1/2-inch thick. 

Using a lightly greased and floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut into rounds, cutting close together to generate as few scraps as possible. 

Dip cutter into flour as often as necessary to keep dough from sticking. 

Push scraps of dough together so that edges join; firmly pinch edges with fingertips to make a partial seal. 

Pat this remaining dough to 1/2-inch thick; continue to cut 3-inch rounds. 

Space 1-inch apart onto prepared baking sheet. NOTE: When making scones, work the dough quickly and do not over mix.

In a small bowl, combine 1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk; brush onto top of scones. 

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. 

Remove from oven and serve either at room temperature or warm.

Tips: When the scones are cool, wrap airtight and hold at room temperature for up to one day or freeze to store longer. 

To reheat, unwrap scones (thaw wrapped, if frozen) and place onto a baking sheet.  Bake in a 350 degrees oven 8 to 10 minutes or until warm.

Yields 12 to 14 scones. 

Almond Biscuits

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup finely chopped almonds
5 ounces almonds
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Combine the flour, eggs, margarine, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and chopped almonds to form a smooth dough. 

Stir in the whole almonds.

Divide dough into 3 equal parts and roll each portion out into a cylindrical log shape. 

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Place refrigerated rolls of dough onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Let cool then slice into 1/2 inch thick slices. 

Put cookies onto greased baking sheet and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

The cookies are very crisp when done.

My Country Kitchen’s Ultimate Tuna Salad Sandwiches

2 to 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise (or your desired amount)
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onions
3 heaping tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced celery
1/4 teaspoon season salt
2 hard boiled egg, minced
2 (6 ounce) can light chunk tuna in water, drained
1 cup chopped red delicious apple
1 tablespoon minced cilantro or parsley
6 slices reduced-calorie whole wheat bread, toasted
6 lettuce leaves
6 thinly sliced tomatoes

Combine all ingredients, serve on toasted bread of choice, or on a plate of mixed greens.

Tuna Salad sandwiches are great tea party sandwiches. 

You can make the Tuna Salad before your party and let it sit in your refrigerator for up to 24 hours in advance. 

This lets the flavors marry together. 

Great on crackers, too!

Honey Fruit Salad

1 cup each of seedless grapes, halved strawberries, sliced Kiwi, Mandarin Orange Segments
1/8 cup honey mixed with 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Mix fruit together and pour dressing and toss lightly.

Delightful Cake

2 cups butter or margerine
2cups packed brown sugar
Angel food cake cut into 1 inch cubes
Chopped Pecans

In saucepan combine butter or margarine and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook until syrup reaches soft ball stage (240 degrees).  Remove from heat.  Using tongs, dip cubes of angel food cake in syrup, roll in pecans and set on wax paper to cool.  Store in airtight container.

Easy Baklava

1 hours | 30 min prep

SERVES 36

1 lb mixed nuts, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter a 9x13 inch dish.
3. Toss together cinnamon and nuts.
4. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish.
5. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
6. Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish.
7. Brush generously with butter.
8. Sprinkle 2 to 3 T of the nut mixture on top.
9. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo.
10. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava(all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
11. Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.
12. While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to boil.
13. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
14. Remove the baklava from the oven immediately and spoon the syrup over it.
15. Let cool completely before serving.
16. Store uncovered.

Seafood Tea Sandwich

3/4 cup soft butter or cream cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
20 slices bread of your choice
2 cups finely chopped crab, shrimp or lobster
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the butter and chives and spread the mixture onto 1 side of each slice of bread. 

Mix the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl, then evenly spread the mixture over 10 of the bread slices. 

Top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and cut into your favorite shapes. 

Makes 40 quarters or 30 fingers. 

Strawberry Meringue Cookies

1/2 cup pasteurized egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 215 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg whites, 1 teaspoon strawberry extract, and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy. 

With mixer running, add powdered sugar in tablespoon increments. 

Add food coloring and continuing beating until stiff peak form. (Careful not to over beat.)

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag or large zip-top bag fitted with large round tip.  Pipe into 2-inch spirals on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating once.  Turn off oven and open door.  With meringues still inside oven, let dry out for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove parchment paper from baking sheet and let meringues cool completely. 

Chocolate Pound Cake

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 (8-ounce) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
Powder Sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour well a bundt pan, leaving 2 inches at the top for the cake to rise.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time; beat until fully incorporated.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips; stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate syrup and butter-sugar mixture; stir until well mixed.

Add 1/2 the milk mixture to chocolate mixture.  Add 1 1/2 cups flour, mixing well.  Add remaining milk mixture and remaining 1 1/2 cups flour; beat until well incorporated.  Pour into prepared bundt pan.  Bake approximately 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean.  Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan and invert onto a cake plate.

Dust with powder sugar

Makes 16 servings.

Lavender Tea Cookies

1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender flowers
(http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com for the freshest lavender herbs)
1 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Lavender Frosting (see recipe below)

In a mortar, grind lavender flowers with the pestle.  In a medium bowl, cream together ground lavender flowers, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract.  Add flour and salt; mix until combined (dough should be soft but not sticky.)  Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until dough is firm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Remove dough from refrigerator.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough approximately 1/4-inch thick.  Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges.  Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.  When cool, frost with Lavender Frosting.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Lavender Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender flowers
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup

In a small plastic bag, combine powdered sugar and dried lavender flowers.   Let stand at least 1 day before using. When ready to use, sift the mixture into a medium-size bowl; discarding lavender flowers.

Add milk and corn syrup, mixing well.  NOTE: Additional powdered sugar or milk may need to be added (enough milk to make frosting easy to spread).  Spread on cooled cookies.

Lemon Bars

Crust:
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup powdered or confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Extra softened butter for greasing pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Lightly butter a 13- x 9-inch baking dish and line with parchment or wax paper allowing edges to come over the sides.

Pulse flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor.  Add butter and blend, 8 to 10 seconds, and then pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle mixture into prepared baking pan and press firmly into an even layer with slightly raised sides to hold in the filling.  Refrigerate for about 30 minutes and then bake until golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes; remove from oven and let cool slightly.  After crust is finished baking, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Lemon Filling:
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from two large lemons)
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, strained
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
Extra powdered or confectioners' sugar to decorate finished bars

While crust is baking, make the Lemon Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and flour; stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, and salt to blend well.  Pour mixture onto the pan on top of the warm crust.

NOTE: You may set prepared Lemon Filling aside until crust is finished baking.  When ready to pour on warm crust, re-blend Lemon Filling mixture and pour into the warm crust.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the filling feels firm when touched lightly.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.  Grasp the parchment and carefully lift the bars onto a cutting board.  Cut into serving size squares or bars, wiping your knife clean between cuts if necessary.  Sieve powdered or confectioners' sugar over bars and serve.  

NOTE: The powdered sugar will start to be absorbed into the Lemon Filling after several hours, but it can be reapplied before serving.

Storage: 3 days at room temperature, 3 weeks refrigerated (individually wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent drying), or 3 months frozen.

Yields about 2 dozen bars.

Crumpets Recipe

1/2 cup warm water (105̊ - 115̊)
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups milk

In a large bowl, stir the sugar or honey into the warm water. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the top and let it sit until it bubbles, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Cover and let it sit for about half an hour in a warm place.

Grease a griddle or frying pan and the crumpet rings or cookie cutters.  Place the rings on the cooking surface and preheat all.

Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter into each 3" ring and cook over medium low heat until set, about 10 minutes.  (Avoid cooking them too quickly.)  The top should be full of holes when they are ready to turn.

Remove the crumpets from the rings, turn, and brown the other side, if desired, for a minute or so.

Repeat until all the batter is used.

Serve warm with butter and jam or clotted cream and jam. Makes 16 crumpets.


Devonshire Clotted Cream

True Devonshire Cream is a very thick, rich cream actually very similar to butter.  It is unsweetened, so it pairs very well on a crumpet.

1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

OR

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup mascarpone or 1/4 cup softened cream cheese
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The directions are the same for both cream recipes: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with a mixer until stiff. 

Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Best when prepared and served the same day. 

Makes 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups.

   

Checks Welcome!

You are shopping on a SECURE site!
All information is encrypted.