It’s Par-tea Time!
Published April 23, 2021
Whether it’s tea for two or a few, an assortment of small bites and sweet treats make any tea party extra special. This menu was carefully created for my dear friend Maddie’s birthday using some of her favorite flavors - vanilla, coconut and strawberry.
Strawberry Rhubarb Gin Martini – for the adults
Let the fun be GIN! Yogurt and strawberries make this drink delightfully smooth and easy to enjoy. Add all ingredients to a blender and pour. It doesn’t get easier than that!
3 oz Strawberry Rhubarb Gin Boodles recommended
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
1 Tbs Plain Yogurt
4 Large Strawberries cleaned and tops removed
4-5 Ice Cubes
Add ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Vanilla Tea Latte with Rose Essence
It's par-tea time! Floral, slightly sweet and absolutely gorgeous – this tea latte is the perfect addition to any day. Easy to assemble using your favorite tea, granulated honey, steamed milk and culinary rose petals. Go ahead and create your own sunshine!
6 oz Hot Water
Vanilla Tea Bag or tea of choice
1 tsp Granulated Honey
¼ Cup of Milk or Cream
Culinary Rose Bloom or Petals for garnish
Steep tea in hot water and stir in honey. Steam milk using latte maker/espresso maker steam wand. Spoon carefully to the top of the tea. Use regular cream or milk if steamer is not available. Sprinkle with rose petals.
French Vanilla Madeleines
Dainty and buttery vanilla morsels dipped in a strawberry infused white chocolate dusted with culinary rose creates a delight for the senses - the perfect sweet fix with your favorite coffee or tea.
For the Madeleine
1 Tbs Butter, softened
1 Cup Flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Salt
4 Eggs
¾ Cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
½ Cup Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
Preheat oven 350˚F. Grease the wells of two madeleine pans with softened butter and dust with flour. In a small bowl, whisk sifted Flour, Baking Powder and Salt. In a large bowl, beat together Eggs, Granulated Sugar and Vanilla on high speed until pale and fluffy. Add half of the Flour mixture until incorporated. Slowly add the melted butter and mix until blended well. Add the remaining half of the flour mixture. Let batter stand 5-10minutes. Stir batter with wooden spoon to release any air bubbles that may have formed. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of batter into each well, smoothing the top with a fingertip to create a level surface. Bake until edges are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 5-7 minutes. Remove madeleines from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
For the White Chocolate Dip:
4 oz White Chocolate Bar, Lindt recommended
1 Cup Dehydrated Strawberries, finely ground to powder in food processor
1 tsp Strawberry Extract
Vegetable Oil as needed
Culinary Rose Petals crumbled, optional
Melt chocolate over double boiler until smooth. Add one tsp dehydrated strawberry powder and strawberry extract to chocolate. Stir well. Dip madeleines in chocolate and set on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Add rose petals, if desired, and chill in fridge until chocolate is set.
Coconut Cake
Fluffy stacks of coconut cake layered between strawberry jam and coconut buttercream. This has Spring birthday cake written all over it! The buttercream’s soft ridges add a sweet texture and were created by using a sawtooth cake scraper. Decorate with baby carnations and baby’s breath for a delicate finish.
For the Cake:
3 Cups Cake Flour
1 Tbs Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
2 Cups Sugar
¾ Cup Butter, softened
¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
1 1/3 Cups Unsweetened Coconut Milk, stirred well
2 Egg, separated and room temperature
4 Egg Whites, room temperature
1 tsp Coconut Extract
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
Preheat oven 350˚F. Grease (4) 6” cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease again. Beat the 6 Egg Whites and Cream of Tartar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Sift the Flour, Salt, and Baking Powder in Medium Bowl. Whisk mixture. To a stand-up mixing bowl, beat Sugar, Butter, and Oil on medium speed until well combined. Add in Egg Yolks and beat until combined. Mix in Extracts. Add 1/3 of the Flour mixture and blend well. Add ½ of the Coconut Milk. Add another 1/3 of the Flour mixture and blend. Add remaining Coconut Milk. Finish by adding remaining Flour mixture. Fold in 1/3 of the Egg whites until blended. Repeat until all Egg Whites are incorporated in mixture. Divide between pans. Bake 6” rounds 27-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let rest 5 minutes in the pans before removing and cooling on cooling rack.
For the Filling:
Strawberry or Raspberry Jam
For the Frosting:
2 Cups Unsalted Butter, softened
6 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
¼ Cup Heavy Cream
1 tsp Coconut Extract
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
Red Food Coloring, optional
1 Cup of Sweetened Shredded Coconut
Beat the Butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, add Sugar on low to medium speed a cup at a time until well blended and incorporated. Add heavy cream to achieve desired consistency. Add extracts and a drop or two of food coloring for hint of color. Remove 1 1/2 cups of frosting and place in a small bowl. To this, mix in Shredded Coconut. Place remaining frosting in a piping bag with 1/2" tip cut.
Assembly:
Place one cake on a turntable. Frost just the top with 1/3 of the shredded coconut frosting. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge. Place in fridge for 5-10 minutes until slightly set. Spread a thin layer of strawberry jam within ring. Add another layer on top and repeat with shredded coconut frosting, piping a ring around edge, chilling and adding jam. Repeat one more time with third layer. Top with last cake. Pipe remaining frosting from piping bag around entire cake and smooth with cake scraper. Decorate as desired.
Tea Sandwiches
These bites might be miniature in size but pack some serious flavor. Whether garnished or not, they make a beautiful display of satisfying options.
Strawberry Chicken
For the dressing:
2 Tbs Ambrosia Honey
2 Tbs Sugar
3 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbs Olive Oil
¼ Cup Mayo
½ Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tbs Poppy Seeds, optional
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Milk
Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended.
For the salad:
12 Slices Potato Bread
Lettuce Leaves, Romaine, Spinach or Iceberg
2 ½ Cups Chopped Rotisserie Chicken
1 Cup Strawberries, cleaned, leaves removed and chopped
½ Cup Pecans
1/3 Cup Celery, diced
1 Tbs Green Onion, diced
1 Cup Mandarin Oranges, drained and chopped
Add all ingredients to the bowl with dressing (noted above). Stir until well combined. Chill 4 hours to overnight.
Add lettuce leaves to the bottom of 6 slices of bread. Divide chicken salad among the 6 slices. Top each with a slice of bread. Cut away crusts with bread knife and cut into desired square or triangle shape.
Cucumber Chive
12 Slices Honey Wheat Bread
8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
4 Tbs Sour Cream
1-2 Tbs Chive, chopped
1 Cucumber, sliced 1/8” thick on Mandoline Slicer
Salt and Pepper, to taste
In a food processor or mixing bowl, blend cream cheese, chives, sour cream and salt and pepper. Place Spread on top of 6 of slices of bread. Place 3 layers of cucumbers on top. Add second slice of bread to each and trim away crusts with bread knife. Cut to desired size and shape.
Egg Salad
12 Slices Hearty White Bread
8 Hardboiled Eggs, diced
5 Tbs Celery, diced
1 1/2 Tbs Scallions, sliced thin
6-7 Tbs Mayo
Watercress
Salt and Pepper, to Taste
Mix Eggs, Celery, Scallions, Mayo and Salt and Pepper in medium bowl. Divide and spread evenly among 6 slices of bread. Top with watercress and second slice of bread. Trim away crusts with bread knife and cut to desired shape and size.
Enjoy!
Renée Meuse Lovley