Tea Party Planning Tips and Recipes

High Tea or Afternoon Tea?
While “high tea” may sound more regal and fancy, you may be surprised to learn it’s not actually the proper name for what we picture when we think of the typical tea party. In other cultures, high tea is made up of heavier foods like meats, eggs and cheese, served at “high” tables and held in place of early dinner.

Afternoon tea or “low tea” (named for being served at a smaller lounge or café style tables) is lighter and more casual. It may be served in outdoor spaces or in a lounging area with delicate pastries, small sandwiches and decorative tea sets.

Even if the weather doesn’t allow you to hold a tea party or spring brunch outdoors, you can add a little extra spring whimsy to your get-together by encouraging your family and friends to wear festive floral sunhats, also traditional to afternoon teas.

Your Cup of Tea
Amazingly, all tea leaves come from the same basic plant, Camellia Sinensis, a type of evergreen shrub. Different tea flavors are based on how long they’ve been fermented and a blending of additives such as essential oils or herbs and spices.

There are three main types of teas, black (fully fermented), green (unfermented), oolong (partially fermented), and a few slight variations on those types. English Breakfast, Earl Grey and Chai are all blended teas that are often served at afternoon tea parties. Feel free to serve your personal favorites or ask your guests to bring a few teas they’d like to try or share with everyone.

• Start by boiling cold, fresh water in a teakettle on your stovetop.
• Measure out the tea: 1 teabag or 1 teaspoon of tea leaves per 1 cup of water.
• Preheat your teapot by rinsing it with very hot water.
• Add your bags or leaves to the pot first and pour boiling water over them.
• Follow directions for the specific tea for steeping, anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes.
• Remove bags or leaves from the pot and serve in teacups with saucers.

If you’d rather let guests try teas individually, just provide a teapot with hot water and let them choose their own teabag or leaves.

Homemade Natural Teas—By Deborah Fewell
By getting creative with your tealeaf combinations, you can concoct new tea varieties your guests will love. Try adding fragrant, unexpected ingredients like fruit zest and dried flowers for deep, layered flavors. Steep the tea mixture in hot water at your tea party, or pour it into a decorative jar your guests can tote home.

Lemon Myrtle Chamomile Tea
4 ounces lemon myrtle tea leaves
4 ounces dried chamomile flowers
2 ounces dried orange peel

Tea Treats
At afternoon teas, there are typically three main offerings: scones, English muffins or crumpets served with jam, cream cheese or buttermilk, small savory sandwiches, and assorted pastries.

For your spring tea party or brunch, you can serve foods according to tradition or come up with your own! We have a few easy recipe ideas with their own unique twists on tradition to help you make your party memorable.

Chai Tea Cupcakes
This decadent and delicately spiced dessert recipe makes a perfect tea party pastry and will impress your guests with a fun presentation idea.

Get the Chai Tea Cupcakes with Chai Mousse recipe card.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup liquid chai concentrate (available in the tea section of your local grocery)
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup uncooked quick oatmeal, not instant
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Combine the dry ingredients (oatmeal through sugar) in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
3. Add chai, applesauce, vinegar, extracts, and coconut. Mix well, and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Best served warm, cut into rounds and top with Chai Mousse (see recipe below).

Chai Mousse

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup liquid chai concentrate
1 ounce (small box) of sugar or fat-free instant pudding, vanilla or cheesecake flavored
8 ounces fat-free whipped topping, well thawed

1. Pour chai concentrate into 4 cup or larger measuring cup.
2. Add pudding mix and stir with spoon until thick and lump free, about 1 minute.
3. Fold in whipped topping until evenly combined.
4. Place in refrigerator and allow to firm. Use as a topping.

Serving Chai Tea Cupcakes in Teacups
Cut the cake with a biscuit cutter to create individual rounds. Place the round of cake into a ceramic or glass teacup and top with a heaping dollop of Chai Mousse.

Cucumber Pizzas
You may be familiar with the bite-sized cucumber sandwiches traditionally served at fancy tea parties so why not try something special with cucumber pizzas? They’re a fresh and savory snack food that is refreshingly simple to make.

Get the Cucumber Pizzas with Tzatziki Sauce recipe card.

INGREDIENTS
1 package of 3 mini ready-to-bake pizza crusts (available in either the dairy or bakery aisle of grocery stores)
Olive oil (just enough to brush on surface of pizza crusts)
Whipped cream cheese, as desired
Mozzarella cheese, as desired
1 medium cucumber peeled, diced and chilled
Tzaziki sauce chilled (see recipe below)

1. Pre-heat oven according to pizza crusts package directions.
2. Place crusts on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil.
3. Spread cream cheese on crust and top with a layer of mozzarella.
4. Place in oven and bake until lightly browned.
5. Remove from oven and top with chilled cucumber and Tzatziki Sauce.
6. Serve immediately.

Tzatziki Sauce

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces sour cream, fat-free
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, may use mint as an alternative
3 cloves garlic, peeled

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
2. Allow to chill in the refrigerator prior to serving as a topping for Cucumber Pizzas.

Have a light and fun tea party this spring holiday or whenever you need a unique get-together using these helpful party planning tips, ideas and recipes and a little imagination to make it your very own.