Recipe for a Casual Afternoon Tea Party

With the nice weather coming back, it’s impossible not to dream of your first summer BBQ party.  Or imagining the feeling of the sun warming your skin while sitting out on the patio, deciding whether you’ll make grilled sweet corn or a deliciously ooey, gooey slice of grilled halloumi to put on top of a crisp salad for dinner.  Or planning a pool party to cool down before bringing out some easy and delicious homemade ice cream to enjoy with friends and family!  Unfortunately, Summer is not quite out everywhere yet.  If the temperatures have not climbed high enough yet to throw your first pool party with friends, how about an afternoon tea party instead?  

If you’re not familiar with the afternoon tea, it’s a tradition that comes from the United Kingdom, that brings people together around a scrumptious platter of little snacks alongside with a warm drink.  More often than not, it’s the kind of thing that people organize instead of brunch or a late lunch, and it’s a complete blast if you love to have a casual meal in your garden with friends. So, get the patio table and chairs out, bring out a few blankets to keep you and your guests warm if the sun is hiding behind the clouds, and get your afternoon tea party ready to embrace the Spring season!Get your drinks at the ready…  The beauty about the afternoon tea is that you can recreate your own little Starbucks or Costa without having to even leave your own home and without going broke for an unreasonably expensive coffee drink.   To get that same indulgence you get from ordering a cup of joe at your local coffee shop, what you need is to get a quality coffee maker.  If you’re looking for a quality coffee maker, or if you need to replace yours, the best way to find the best one to meet your needs, is to research online and read articles about the latest technologies and products.  Ultimately, there is a science behind a good coffee maker so it’s worth the time to read and learn about them.  If you’re still making your coffee with K Cups or instant coffee, it’s time to try something different.  A decent cup of coffee needs proper preparation, and that includes getting the best coffee beans you can find. While it might seem expensive at first, you’ll soon realize that the taste of a quality brew is priceless.Even though coffee is a popular drink, not everyone enjoys it.  So, you need to be prepared to provide a flavorful alternative for your friends who aren’t coffee lovers.  If you’ve never tried to make your own chai, you should give it a go!  It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to create a delicious warm beverage.  Chai is a spicy and milky alternative to the dull tea drink people tend to offer to anybody who isn’t into coffee.  You can replace the milk with dairy-free products without dramatically transforming the taste too (hello Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk!!).  Chai tea is an excellent secondary beverage to include in your afternoon tea party.  Heck, you might even get your coffee loving friends to give the Chai tea a try!  It’s always great to have options for your guests.

Don’t forget the refreshments!  Admittedly, your afternoon tea party doesn’t have to consist of tea or coffee only.  Most people prefer coffee over tea, but there’s another drink you need to take into consideration…WATER.  Drinking a warm beverage outside, when the sun is hot, can rapidly become uncomfortable unless you’ve prepared refreshing drinks too.  The most obvious choice is water, of course, but you can be creative with the way you serve your water.  For instance, try decorating the glass with a fresh slice of lemon or grapefruit.  For a subtle taste, you can even try a slice of cucumber.  If you’re having a party and love your sweets like I do, why not rim the glass with sugar?  Additionally, if you find that water can be a little dull, you can easily create your own flavored water.  A combination of strawberry and cucumber creates a fresh and fruity drink that is ideal to cool you down after that warm cup of coffee or tea.  Maybe even surprise your guests and try a subtle tomato basil water, which goes well with savory snacks.  While a lot of afternoon tea shops offer champagne, you should limit drinking too much alcohol outdoors. Our variations of water drink concoctions are designed to be refreshing…therefore it’s something you can drink abundantly without risk.

What are the best savory snacks for your party?  The best thing about tea parties is the selection of bite-size sandwiches. You can prepare these sandwiches in advance and keep them in the refrigerator until it’s time to bring them to the table.  For vegetarians, there are plenty of delicious options too, such as a tomato-cheddar sandwich or the traditionally British cucumber sandwich. Another choice in afternoon tea parties is the egg salad sandwich, which is – if you’ve never tried it before – a sliced hard-boiled egg mixed with mayonnaise and sandwiched in between two slices of bread.  If you are looking to go with a meat or fish option, think about a cool cocktail shrimp dish or a luxurious crab salad sandwich with avocado.  There’s a pea and prosciutto alternative which brings all the fresh tastes of Italy in a bite.  Traditionally, the sandwiches are cold, but you can also make cheese toasties which you can cut in small triangles to eat warm at the table.  Yum!  So many fun and easy sandwich options!!

The subtle treats for your sweet tooth…  There is no afternoon tea extravaganza without a sweet treat.  In fact, it’s the sweet little cakes that transformed the afternoon tea into this cultural staple.  It’s important to remember that your snacks, sweet or savory, should remain small.  In other words, now is not the best time to bake a large sponge cake.  However, if you have individual tins, you can bake a series of small cakes. Or, if you want something a little fancier, you can make your own madeleines, which are ideal for holding between two fingers while sipping your coffee. Traditionally, madeleines are flavored with the zest and juice of a lemon, but you can be creative and use a lavender-honey combination or even replace the lemon with chocolate chips.  Another great sweet treat for an afternoon tea catch-up is chocolate chip cookies.  Even though these might not seem sophisticated enough, you can be sure that they will quickly disappear! Are there pets around?  If you have any pets, or if you’ve invited friends who have pets, make sure to prepare a little treat for them too.  After all, they’ll certainly love some quality time in the garden!  Put out a large bowl of water, which you can keep fresh by placing it in the shade and adding a few ice cubes in it if the temperatures are too high.  You can also make your own homemade dog treats, so that your pet doesn’t feel left out or doesn’t beg at the table when everyone is enjoying your cakes and sandwiches.  Here’s a great recipe that is super easy to make, and guaranteed to get your dogs appreciation. If you don’t have the time to prepare anything for the pups, you can always just slice some ham with a little bit of cheese instead. What’s the best drink for those who don’t want anything warm?  What about the children?  Kids would enjoy most of your afternoon tea treats – although do make sure to ask their parents for any dietary requirements when you’re preparing your snacks – but they’re unlikely to think of a homemade chai or a cup of joe as an indulgent drink.  Instead, you can offer freshly made milkshakes.  A salted caramel-pretzel milkshake is heaven in a glass for a caramel aficionado. For chocolate lovers, a mint-white chocolate milkshake is the perfect indulgent treat.  Milkshakes so good, I wouldn’t be surprised if the adults asked for one too 😉  Looking for a punch recipe that is as pretty as it is good?  The kids would have fun with this Raspberry 7-Up Punch.    Let the kids scoop the ice cream into their glasses and then pour the 7-Up on top.  It’s like a Spring-time Root Beer Float.In other words, what are you waiting for to launch your own afternoon tea party?  Have a blast in the sun before the summer comes.  And don’t forget to invite me 🙂

XOXO,

Kelly

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