T: Tea Party (Bonus Post)

Tea for…more than two…

It was quite a while back but my last birthday was certainly one to remember.  I had a wonderful time that was spent with friends and family.  I went to a concert on the night of my actual birthday so I decided to host a little tea party beforehand in order to celebrate with those who could not make it to the show, as well as an attempt to class things up a bit.   

I grew up with my mother throwing beautiful afternoon teas so I wanted to see if I could do hers any justice.  Alice in Wonderland was my theme since it seemed like the obvious choice for a birthday celebration.  Tea was certainly served, as well as a plethora of edible goodies (featured after the jump), however I think the sparkling wine was probably the most popular beverage of the evening!

I started preparing for the party about five days in advance, doing a little bit every day, while trying to juggle that with my work schedule. I prepared some of the food items in advance and then placed them in the freezer. I also tried to get an early start with making the decorations and purchasing the necessary party supplies.  

       

I wanted the table to look as bountiful as possible so I served a combination of homemade and store bought goodies. For warm items I had mini quiches and a variety of savoury puff-pastry snacks.  I also purchased some extremely cute shortbread bunny cookies from My Market Bakery in Kensington Market.  The cookies complimented the party theme and really brightened up the table. My sister was so sweet and made me a batch of champagne cupcakes. They looked so stunning and were just as delicious.  She is really becoming quite savvy with her cupcake making! Finally, since I am an October baby and Halloween was fast approaching, I had chocolate eyeballs and fortune cookies to help fill the table’s empty spots.

   

Here is a look at what I made from scratch:

I. CUCUMBER AND CREAM CHEESE HEARTS

These little dainty sandwiches are a tea-time classic with a twist.  So tasty yet so simple. The recipe is from The Vintage Tea Party Book by Angel Adoree.  The book was a wonderful gift from my friend Sarah (you should check out her awesome food/travel blog here).  I really love the way the author prepares the sandwiches by shaping the bread with cookie cutters as well as slicing the cucumber into strips rather than rounds--so elegant. 

Ingredients:

2 small cucumbers

6 slices of soft white bread

1/2 oz (15g) butter, at room temperature

5 1/2 oz (150g) cream cheese

salt

1. Top and tail the cucumbers. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 4 strips from the length of each cucumber (one strip on each 'side'). Discard these. Next, peel 12 more strips from the peeled faces of each cucumber (each strip should still have a narrow edge of skin). Cut each strip in half widthways. Set aside. 

2. Spread each slice of bread with butter and then with cream cheese, and season with a sprinkling of salt. 

3. Lay 4 overlapping strips of cucumber across each slice of bread to cover the cheese. Using a small heart-shaped cutter, cut 4 hearts from each slice of bread. Discard the remains. Serve immediately. 

II. TOMATO AND GUACAMOLE SANDWICHES

This is one of my mother's tea time staples. Simple and absolutely de-lish!

Ingredients:12 slices of white bread
2-3 tomatoes, very thinly sliced

guacamole (store bought is fine and saves time)
mayonnaise or butter or both

salt and pepper to taste

1. Generously spread guacamole on 4 slices of bread.  Top with another layer of bread. 

2. Spread a bit of mayo on the top of the sandwich and evenly cover with tomato slices and season with salt and pepper. Cover the remaining bread with mayo or butter and place on top of the tomato slice. 

3. Cut off the crusts, shape into even rectangles and serve. 

III. LEMON SQUARES

This is another one of Mum's classics. I have tried other lemon bar recipes but this one remains to be my favourite. I think the use of cream is what adds that special touch!

Ingredients:
Shortbread Crust
Vegetable oil spray or vegetable oil for greasing
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp grated lemon zest

Lemon Topping
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
Confectioner's (powdered) sugar for dusting

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Invert a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Mold foil over the bottom of the pan, smoothing it evenly around the corners.  Remove the foil and turn the pan right side up. Press the foil into the pan, smoothing it into the sides and corners. Spray or grease the foil.

2) Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl.  Sprinkle over the butter and lemon zest. Using a pastry blender or fingertips, cut in the butter until coarse crumbs form and the dough begins to stick together. 

3) Turn into the pan and pat firmly over the bottom to form an even layer, smoothing the surface. Bake for about 20 minutes, until just golden.  Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool slightly.

4) In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy. Beat in the lemon zest and juice.  

5) In another bowl, using cleaned beaters, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the egg mixture in 2 batches and pour over the base.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until the topping is set.  Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool.

6) Using the foil as a guide, remove from the pan and set on a board. Peel off the foil and cut into bars.  Dust lightly with confectioner's sugar. 

(Makes about 30 bars)

IV. PUMPKIN COCONUT CREAM TARTLETS

This recipe comes from the LCBO's Food and Drink 2012 Autumn Issue. The recipe can be found on their website. I thought the tarts looked beautiful on the table, I am just not sure if they turned out right. The pumpkin filling was very runny and made the it very difficult to eat the tart with any grace.  Maybe they could have used a day to cool and solidify in the fridge (before topping them with cream) or perhaps something went wrong in the preparation process. However, the thing I did really liked about this recipe was the filo tart shells. They came out so nicely and I intend to reuse them for other recipe ideas in the future.

V. SCONES

These are a high tea must have! I used the recipe which I previously featured in my S: Scones With Strawberry Butter post. I would serve them with butter and a variety of jams. Clotted cream is also a traditional accompaniment. 

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Before I sign off here, I just have to give a special shout out to Alison, Brigid, Lien and Mike. You guys really helped me out with setting things up on the day of the party. Even though I started organizing things quite early on, I really could not have gotten everything done on time if it were not for all of you and your help. This post is for you guys!