Pumpkin Cream Tea Latte

Pumpkin Cream Tea Latte

 

3 t  Pumpkin Cream Tea or a pumpkin tea of your choice brewed in 6 oz of water for 3 minutes

1/2 t vanilla

1/4 t cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

3 oz skim milk

3 oz half & half (can use fat free)

Light brouwn sugar to taste

Whipped Cream

Cinnamon Stick for garnish

Brew tea.  Heat milk and half & half  until steaming.  Add to hot brewed tea.  Add vanilla, sugar and spices.  Garnish with whipped cream, dash of cinnamon and add a cinnamon stick.  For an adult "after dinner drink" add 1/2 oz of vanilla vodka.

Victoria Sponge Cake

I recently made Victoria Sponge for a group where I was also asked to give a tea presentation.  In addition to the classic Victoria Sponge I  made one with lemon curd.

Victoria Sponge

1 C flour

1 t baking powder

2 T sour cream

1/4 C butter, melted

2 C favorite preserves or lemon curd

3 eggs

1/4 t salt

3/4 C sugar

1 T lemon juice

Powdered sugar for dusting

Beat eggs with sour cream.

Add sugar and beat on highest speed of mixer for 5 minutes until light.  

Beat in melted butter.

Stir in lemon juice.  Make sure you have removed the seeds,  unlike mine in the picture.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Fold gently into wet mixture.

Spread batter into  a greased, wax paper lined 11x15 jelly roll pan.  Make sure you grease the pan before putting in the wax paper and then grease the wax paper before pouring in the batter.  Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until cake springs back when touched in the center.  You don't want to over bake it.  The cake will crack easily when you roll it if you do.  If it does crack, you can cover the cake roll with a little more powdered sugar.  

This tea infuser is also great tool for dusting with powdered sugar!

Cool baked cake in pan for 5 minutes.

Dust a tea towel with powdered sugar.  Turn cake out onto the towel and remove the wax paper.  Spread with jam leaving a 1/2" border on all sides.  Roll up in jelly roll fashion and refrigerate for 1 hour to set.  Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving.  Dust cake roll with powdered sugar and cut into approximately 1 1/2" slices.  Garnish each slice with whipped cream,  fresh fruit and mint.  

For the lemon cake I used the lemon curd recipe in the preceding post.  I definitely liked the lemon much better than  the strawberry jam.  Which one would you prefer?

How to Make Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd made from scratch is a little time consuming but the simply luscious result is well worth the effort.

Lemon Curd

• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 1/2 T freshly grated lemon peel
• 1/2 C freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 6 T butter, cut into 12 pieces

Ingredients and cooking equipment you will need.

Beat eggs with whisk in top of double boiler.  If you don't have a double boiler, you can use a smaller pan that  fits into a larger one.

Whisk in lemon peel, juice and sugar. Be sure to grate the  lemons before you cut them and extract the juice.  Place mixture over simmering water.  Check to make sure the hot water is not touching your double boiler.  If the water is touching the pan with your lemon curd mixture, it may cause cause it to curdle.  Stir constantly with wooden spoon until the mixture is hot to the touch.

When mixture is hot to the touch, add butter one piece at a time stirring until each piece is melted. 

When the Lemon Curd is ready, the mixture will be slightly thickened, glossy, translucent, creamy and should measure 145 on a candy thermometer.  Cool 1 hour , cover and store in the fridge.  Lemon Curd is delicious with scones and a cup of tea, of course.  It is equally delicious as a cake filling, a spread for toast and sugar cookies.  Enjoy and use your imagination. What is your favorite way to enjoy delicious Lemon Curd?

How to Add A Burst of Spring

Here in central Pennsylvania, spring is definitely on the way.  But of course it's still March and that feeling could change tomorrow.  I think for most of us, spring can't come fast enough after the brutally cold winter we all experienced  this year.  To make it feel more like spring, I enjoy forcing Forsythia blooms.  If you have never done this, it is an early "spring fix".  Simply cut stems from your Forsythia bush to the desired length and place in a vase of water.

And after a few days to a week or so,  you'll have very cheerful bright yellow blooms to embellish your home and teatime.  Do you force flowers to bloom?

St Patrick's Day Dinner & Tablescape

For many years my husband and I have belonged to a wonderful gourmet dinner group. There are 6 couples in the group.  We as a group  have experienced many major lifetime events. Some among those have been   births, deaths, graduations, engagements, weddings, divorce, and job transfers. One thing remains, we are all great foodie friends.  We meet once a month from September thru April.  For our May meeting , the men treat the ladies and take us out to dinner to a fabulous restaurant of our choice.   In September we have an organizational meeting where we decide dates for the coming year, who will host, the theme, and who will bring appetizer, salad, main course, vegetable and dessert for each meal.  The host provides, the wine, bread, and clean house. 

 Pictured is my table scape for St. Patrick's Day.  The ribbons, beads and shamrocks were purchased at JoAnn's Fabrics. The glass vases and green glass pebbles purchased at Pottery Barn. The fresh flowers came from the Giant.

 The candy bags and gold wrapped coins were bought at a local candy store.  The china  pattern is Bennington  by Mikasa.  I'm proud to say it is my wedding china and is decades old.

At this dinner, our menu consisted of  Mini Potatoes stuffed with Salmon Mousse, Irish Spring Salad*, Corned Beef with Brown Sugar Glazed Brussel  Sprouts and Carrots, Baked Potatoes,  Birthday Cake and Irish Cream Tea  for dessert.

*Irish Spring Salad

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced to be used as garnish
8 asparagus spears, par boiled and sliced
1 C salad greens, spring mix
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

Dressing
1 t finely chopped onion
1 heaping t mustard
1 t red wine vinegar
1/2 t light brown sugar
1 T low-fat mayonnaise
1 t low-fat buttermilk

Serves 2

Arrange salad ingredients on 2 salad plates.  Combine and mix dressing ingredients and spoon over salad.  Garnish with egg slices

Lenten Meat Alternative for Your Tea Time

Mini Shrimp Tartlets are a delicious Lenten Meat Alternative for Your Tea Time.  They can also be served as an appetizer or light meal.

Mini Shrimp Tartlets

1 package 8oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened

2 t Worcestershire sauce

3 T finely chopped onion

1 t garlic salt

1 t lemon juice

2  packages minature phyllo tart shells

1/2 C cocktail sauce ( I used Kerchner's)

30 peeled and deveined medium shrimp, (50-60 count) steamed in Old Bay Seasoning

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.  Spoon into tart shells.  Top with cocktail sauce and shrimp.  Garnish with chopped parsley. Refrigerate before serving.

  

A Welcomed Tea Break from Winter 2011

Recently, I was fortunate to leave my icy, snow filled backyard and  the winter of  2011 behind for a welcomed break to...

warm, sunny Anguilla to share vacation and iced tea on the stunning white sand beaches with dear friends.

It was delightful to see tropical flowers blooming.

And absolutely fabulous to bask in the warm tropical sunshine.

We took a day to do a little shopping on nearby St. Martins and stopped at Hediards to purchase some tea.

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But of course, all vacations must come to an end.

A farewell sunset on our last night in Anguilla.

If you could take a winter break, where would you go?

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my all time favorite chocolate cookies.  Quite delicious with a nice cup of tea.  These freeze well.
Enjoy.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C butter

4 (1 oz ) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3 C semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

4 large eggs

1 1/2 C sugar

2 t vanilla extract

1-2 C chopped pecans (optional)

1 T instant coffee granules (optional)

Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate & 1 1/2 chocolate chips  in a large, heavy saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring  constantly until  butter & chocolate melt.  Cool.

Combine flour, baking powder & salt in a small bowl; set aside.

 Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla in a mixing bowl, at medium speed.

Add cooled, melted butter & chocolate mixture & mix well.

Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture beating well. 

Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips  optional pecans & instant coffee granules.

Drop dough by 1-2 tablespoons approximately 1-2" apart onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets..  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until set.  Cool slightly on cookie sheets: remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Easy Christmas Tea Favors for Your Holiday Tea Table

Use this easy to make candy cane easel as a place card or menu holder.  It will embellish your Christmas tea table and your guests will be able to take it home as a  fond memory of  the good times you shared.

 
Here is what you will need.  With a glue gun,  glue the 2 candy canes side by side to form the easel.  Five inch candy canes were used here. Break the 3rd candy cane about halfway down the stem.  Hot glue it to the back of your candy cane easel to support it.  For the place card,  trace a teapot cookie cutter on paper to make a pattern.  You can have your pattern enlarged as much as you like at your local copy store. The card pictured is 4" from top to bottom and 5" from left to right.  Cut your teapot place card from scrap booking paper or card stock.   Do not use construction paper as it is not heavy enough. Using a hole punch, make a hole at the left for curling ribbon. Insert the ribbon, tie and curl.  To complete your place card use peel off  letters spelling out your guest's name or hand write it.

For another easy favor, using a pretty holiday themed ribbon,  tie a festive Christmas ornament around a napkin. Place it at the corner of each guest's plate.

Mark each guest's place setting with a small teapot made the same as for the place card above.   However, this one doesn't need to be enlarged. Place it between two plates putting a glass plate on the top.

These are several easy ideas for making your tea table more special.  All can be made ahead.  Use your imagination, enjoy and have fun!

A Perfect Fall Tea Filled Afternoon

A few days ago I had the pleasure of joining some dear tea friends that I made during my days at Civil-La-Tea.  We met at The Joy Garden in New Freedom, PA for full afternoon tea.

A welcoming tea table with a beautiful fall afternoon view.

 A comforting bowl of mushroom wild rice soup to begin

Next,  tempting Cream and fragrant Cinnamon Chip Scones.  To be followed by delcious Cucumber tea sandwiches, Blue Cheese and Apple Bruchetta, Asparagus and Swiss on marbled rye, and a mini Quiche.

And for the grand finale a luscious Chocolate Brownie Cup with Chocolate Ganache, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and a Shortbread Cookie with Toffee Crumble. 

The special treat were the tea friends around the table sharing tea with me making it a perfect fall tea filled afternoon.  Where will you enjoy tea this fall season?