British Afternoon Tea

 

     I am SO excited for this post. British afternoon tea is something I have really been enjoying recently and something I knew so little about prior to really looking into it. I think every girl born in the 80s is familiar with tea parties of a sort, but not a proper British Afternoon Tea. That is something else altogether. and it is something delightful. It is simple yet elegant and is a wonderful way to slow down and connect with friends or loved ones, and enjoy a few delicious nibbles. 

     A typical tea involves, well tea. Which I don't drink, I always go for herbal varieties. So if you want info on the actual tea party of the tea party I am just not the person to help you. But if you want to know about all the rest, this is the place. To start with tea includes food, three courses to be exact, served all at once. Which order the layers go on the tower is not set in stone, as long as there are three distinct layers. One layer is going to be all of your savory things, usually finger sandwiches. Another layer is going to be all of your lovely sweets treat, and these should be bite sizes, and the final layer is more of a neutral, it holds the scones, clotted cream, and jam. With that pattern in mind, start creating your menu. I've added one I created below. I changed the olive and cheese to cheese and onion but the rest is the same. 

     So what is afternoon specifically? And what is afternoon tea vs. high tea? Afternoon tea was a light meal, more of a snack really, held in the afternoon. It can also be called "low tea", this is because it's served on a low table more like a coffee table or an end table. It's less formal. High tea is more of a meal, with more substantial dishes, and is served on a regular table, which is higher. Hence the term "high tea". Nowadays when people say they are "going to tea" they just mean they are going out to eat.

    These light bits to eat are usually fairly insubstantial. One layer is solid desserts, another layer is scones and jam which are carbs, and finally the savory layer. This is also delicious, but very "light". White bread is typical and the fillings are meant to be thin and dainty. So basically it's a lot of carbs and sugar. When I do tea, I change up the traditional pattern a bit to counterbalance this. On the savory layer, there are usually three items per person. I do 5-6 items per person as well as stuffing the sandwiches a bit more. I also added individual quiche and then spring greens in a vinaigrette for a bit of a refresher. However, just because I like more in that department, doesn't mean I skimp on the sweets layer. That one does not need to be messed with. Even though I do sometimes. I have a couple sweet items that are sweet, but not completely sugary, that I love to utilize. 

     The first sweet item I love to use are slices of blueberry or cranberry goat cheese. Place the slices in a foil liner and it's very elegant looking. Other sweet cheese works beautifully here. Another cheese I have found works well is lemon ricotta cut into wedges. Fruited White Stilton in cubes in liners is also a great choice. Other sweets that arent cheese are chocolate-covered strawberries, or other fruit. Or cups of ganache-filled raspberries are delightful. Fruit encased in sugar like tangzulu would not be traditional but would be really fun. 

     About the scones. American scones tend to be very sweet. They are flavored and being topped with icing is quite common. British scones on the other hand are more plain, like what we call a biscuit, though scones are not as buttery as our biscuits. then they are served with clotted cream which is so right and decadent, but not sweet. Whichever type of scone you prefer, they are a must with tea. 

      Clotted cream can be hard to find in the US and whipped cream is commonly served. The texture of whipped cream vs. clotted cream is quite different. Whipped cream is light, and airy, and sweet and clotted cream is thick, and right, and has a strong dairy flavor but is not sweet itself. Whipped cream is ok, but if I am in a pinch and don't have time to clot cream, I find mascarpone cheese to be the closest substitution. I've tried mock clotted creams that ar ea mix of sour cream, cream cheese, and whipped cream and while it was a great discovery, and it has it's uses, it's just not the same as clotted cream. 

     If you do decide to go with real clotted cream making the cream itself is not difficult at all. It's sourcing the ingredients that is sometimes hard. You pour the cream into a pan and leave it in the oven on a very low temp for hours. However, you can't clot most commercial cream. The ultra-pasturization process destroyed the enzymes needed to clot properly.  Regularly pasteurized cream will work, but is hard to find. I find that getting cream from a local farm or dairy is the best bet and has the best taste. I've blogged about this before and you can find that post here. 

     One tea house my daughter and I really enjoyed was FestivaTea in Colorado Springs and they had a fun menu for us. The bottom layer had a cucumber sandwich, which is a tea party staple I believe. But the other items were a novelty in this format and really fun. One was a pinwheel, the third a baked brie and pepper jam tart, and the fourth was a small cup of pasta salad with the tiniest bow-tie pasta I have ever seen and a refreshing mix of tomato bruschetta. The top had a cup of Eton Mess, which is where I got the idea for mine, though I added the chocolate cup. we also got a raspberry brownie and an adorable orange cake, and then finally my absolute favorite, a mint and lime posset. And oh, that posset was divine. I highly recommend it, I can't wait to figure out how to make it. 

     If you want to enjoy tea in your area and don't want to create the whole thing yourself there is a wonderful online directory, called Destination Tea, that has a map to help you find a place in your area. It's easy to use and wonderfully helpful. 

     Before I started this I had used only known one style of tea tower, the three-tiered with different sizes that narrow each layer. We discovered the style below with three equal layers, served on plates that can be removed. I was thrilled to have a way to incorporate my grandmother's china pattern in my tea. It was white and gold and looked like it was made for this. I have also seen quite a few beautiful stands that have a circular border with three layers going through them and I quite enjoy those as well. I love going to thrift stores, three of my four are second-hand. If you don't have a tower, don't let that stop you. Three plates is absolutely acceptable and I promise you will still have a wonderful event. 

Some events are big and fancy, and sometimes afternoon tea is a simple matter with a few bites and sandwiches and a less formal affair. And it is still enjoyed by all. Let's look at a few delicious options you can utilize when creating your savory menu. The options for sweets are endless, just make sure they are small, bite-sized. 

Savory Sandwich Ideas

• Cucumber Sandwich
• Chicken Salad
• Coronation Chicken Salad
• Egg Salad Sandwich (I like to add sprouts)
• Cheese and Onion Sandwich
• Olive and Cheese Sandwich 

      I do want to say with a bit of pride that I create the majority of what I serve from scratch. I do buy loaves of white bread and don't make that aspect, and I definitely don't raise chickens for eggs or the chicken salad. But the macaron, the zucchini bread, the eton mess, the lemon cake squares, and the creme brulee tarts I make myself. 

     With that being said, it can be a fun aspect of the tea but is absolutely not the point of it. The point of Afternoon Tea is about your time with friends and being a gracious host. The list of rules and expectations, the perfect menu and such are fine, they can help, but at the end of the day, your guests comfort is what is actually important. So remember, plan as much as you wish, and then enjoy.