Now that we have talked about tea, let's actually have one! Put on your tea clothing and follow these steps to a perfectly delightful afternoon tea!
1. Select the prettiest, most delicate, china tea service you can.
2. Make sure your cutlery is gleaming bright.
3. Set the table with a snowy white lacy or linen table cloth. Add matching napkins.
4. Use tea leaves rather than teabags, if possible, and provide a tea strainer.
5. Set out the essentials. As well as milk and sugar, provide a small dish of thinly sliced lemons.
6. Provide two teapots. One teapot should contain the actual tea. The other one should be filled with hot water. (This would be used to dilute the tea if a guest finds it too strong or for a guest who has a caffeine sensitivity and prefers an herbal tea bag.)
7. Serve sandwiches, scones and cake. Have a three-tiered cake stand with sandwiches on the bottom tier, freshly baked scones on the middle tier and a selection of cake slices, petit fours, and/or cupakes on the top tier.
8. Set out the condiments. Put jam, honey, clotted cream and butter into small individual pots or dishes.
9. Have tea outside. Ideally, and weather permitting, serve your afternoon tea out of doors.
Tips:
1. Choose lump sugar over loose sugar; it is more dainty.
2. Remove the crusts from the sandwiches before serving and cut into triangles.
3. Use a mixture of white and whole grain bread.
4. Suggested sandwich fillings can be found in Part 4 of our Conversation about Tea on June 27
2. Make sure your cutlery is gleaming bright.
3. Set the table with a snowy white lacy or linen table cloth. Add matching napkins.
4. Use tea leaves rather than teabags, if possible, and provide a tea strainer.
5. Set out the essentials. As well as milk and sugar, provide a small dish of thinly sliced lemons.
6. Provide two teapots. One teapot should contain the actual tea. The other one should be filled with hot water. (This would be used to dilute the tea if a guest finds it too strong or for a guest who has a caffeine sensitivity and prefers an herbal tea bag.)
7. Serve sandwiches, scones and cake. Have a three-tiered cake stand with sandwiches on the bottom tier, freshly baked scones on the middle tier and a selection of cake slices, petit fours, and/or cupakes on the top tier.
8. Set out the condiments. Put jam, honey, clotted cream and butter into small individual pots or dishes.
9. Have tea outside. Ideally, and weather permitting, serve your afternoon tea out of doors.
Tips:
1. Choose lump sugar over loose sugar; it is more dainty.
2. Remove the crusts from the sandwiches before serving and cut into triangles.
3. Use a mixture of white and whole grain bread.
4. Suggested sandwich fillings can be found in Part 4 of our Conversation about Tea on June 27
5. Garnish your sandwiches with fresh herbs and pretty up the scone and cake tiers by adding a few strawberries, fresh cherries, other berries, or kiwi slices
6. Place paper doilies on each tier before placing the food on it.
6. Place paper doilies on each tier before placing the food on it.
7. Enjoy!
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3 comments:
You mention using a second tea pot just for water. Could you tell me how you use that? I know in Japanese tea ceremonies, they rinse the cups with hot water first but their tea trays have reservoirs to hold the used water. I'm not sure what one would do with the used water at the table. But maybe that's not what the second pot is for.
Karen, thank you for the lovely pictures. You did a great job of breaking down the steps simply for us all, and my mother would really appreciate your mention of the proper order for the three-tier.
We must get together for tea sometime!
Thank yo so much for this peticular post! I will be following every step for my tea party next month! I am so excited :) Thank you for all of your help with my questions.:)
Hugs,
Amy
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