Old Style Afternoon Tea Party

JIL

Inspired by this thread I am finishing work early tomorrow and.......going for afternoon tea to a garden centre. They do theirs served on a black slate. Selection of triangle sandwiches along the centre. Topped with posh crisps and some small salad leaves. Then down either side of the sandwiches, there's a selection of mini cakes tarts and scones. With tea or coffee.
Can you tell I'm looking forward to it?

sillysid

I was treated to afternoon tea in gleneagles once - selection of finger - 2 bite sized - sandwiches, with additional mini savoury pastries on bottom tier - fruit and plain scones with cream, selection of jam/curds middle tier. top tier mini cream cakes, e.g. strawb tarts, meringues - a chocolate slice, and a small glass thingy filled with a trifle-type. Lashings of tea, selection of course, and refreshed with new hot pot each tier, tea strainer, sugar lumps, wee tongs to lift them, fine china...
They served 3 different types of afternoon tea, one was served with champagne...a delightful experience, lasted hours and felt very decadent downton abbey-like...

got-it-spend-it

I love afternoon tea! Definitely a good selection of crustless sandwiches- smoked salmon, egg, cucumber and maybe ham or beef seem to be quite popular choices. Then I think you should have a selection of plain and fruited scones, real salted butter, strawberry jam, clotted cream then a selection of dainty cakes. I think you can be as adventurous as you like with these, but carrot cake lemon drizzle and a fruit cake would be a good traditional selection.

I also like to have a selection of tea- I love Earl Grey with mine, but I think most people go for English breakfast.

themull1

I went to Lumley Castle for afternoon tea - we had sarnies - roast beef and horseradish, smoked salmon, and roasted veg and cream cheese, then a cheese scone and a fruit scone with jam and cream, then a chocolate box filled with a passion fruit mousse, piece of carrot cake, eclair(mini) and macaron - they are so pretty all different colours, me and oh troughed our way through everything, then sat back absolutely stuffed, looked around and everyone else was nibbling daintily!! ha ha.

chog24

A good ol' traditional Victoria Sponge is pretty hard to beat! It's very cheap to make (if you use cheap ingredients and, really, nobody's gonna notice the difference if you do) and you can make them a day or two before and sandwich them on the day because they keep fresh for a good two or three days if you keep them in an airtight tin. Here's how:

Cream together 6oz (170g) sugar and 6oz (170g) butter.
Add three eggs (one at a time, combining well before you add the next)
Sift in 6oz (170g) self raising flour and beat like crazy (preferably with an electric beater!) for a good five minutes.
Divide the mixture evenly between two well greased victoria sandwich tins (they're the ones which are about 8inches/20cm in diameter) and cook at 190C for 20 minutes or so.
To test it's ready, take it out and press gently in the middle of the top of the cake - if it springs back, it's done.

You can make 'em plain and sandwich them together with whipped cream and strawberry jam then dust the top with icing sugar (that's the traditional version), or you can add the finely chopped zest from a lemon to the mixture and sandwich them together with lemon curd and dust with a mixture of icing sugar and finely chopped lemon zest, or substitute about a tablespoon of the flour with cocoa and sandwich together with chocolate spread then dust with cocoa and icing sugar mixed together. For your pregnant guests, cream and lemon curd will both be off the menu but you might be lucky with the chocolate spread. Or you could sandwich together the lemon versions with marmalade and call them "St Clements Sandwich Cakes".

Each cake will slice into 8 good slices, or to make 'em go further and allow people to try more stuff, slice them in 10 or 12.

Most importantly of all, though.... have FUN and I hope the day goes beautifully!

parkgirl

themull1 wrote: »

I went to Lumley Castle for afternoon tea - we had sarnies - roast beef and horseradish, smoked salmon, and roasted veg and cream cheese, then a cheese scone and a fruit scone with jam and cream, then a chocolate box filled with a passion fruit mousse, piece of carrot cake, eclair(mini) and macaron - they are so pretty all different colours, me and oh troughed our way through everything, then sat back absolutely stuffed, looked around and everyone else was nibbling daintily!! ha ha.

You must be near me - have you tried Whitworth Hall? Lovely afternoon tea (and deer to feed too!)

karren

I love afternoon tea!
My ten year old is having afternoon tea party next month so thanks for the ideas as this party may be a cheap and memorable one

janb5

Could I offer a favourite family recipe? The joy of this is that you can make it in about 15 mins and there is very little mixing and it looks glorious!



Apple cake



5 oz. marg/butter- melted in microwave,


2 large eggs


8 oz caster sugar


1 tsp almond essence


1 tsp baking powder


8 oz SR flour


8 oz Bramley apples – peeled, cored and sliced (can use more!)


1 oz flaked almonds


Demerara sugar.



Grease a loose-bottomed round 8” (20cm) cake tin.


Put all ingredients except apples, almonds and demerara sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix well until smooth. Spread half this over the base of the tin. (Don’t be alarmed that there doesn’t seem to be enough- it will be and will envelope the mixture as it cooks)


Spoon prepared apple over and dot with remaining mixture. Sprinkle with almonds and demerara sugar.


Cook at 325F 160C or Gas 3 for about 1.5 hours until pale golden and shrinking away from the sides of the tin. Cool slightly before removing from tin.


Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

SmlSave

So my nan turns 80 soon and we'd like to throw a cream tea party for her but...... turns out she wants around 80 people to come and at a hall over an hour away :eek:

The scones and cake should be no problem as I can freeze them but what about the savoury?

Sandwiches are traditional but what flavours? All I can think of is cream cheese and cucumber or ham. Perhaps a sausage plait and a quiche might be easier as they too can be frozen.

Suggestions very welcome.

It's looking like it's going to cost a bomb!

Also decorations are a worry too. I'm thinking of pretty paper to decorate the tables and to make bunting.

Help, I can't sleep at night this has got me worried

Brambleberry

Sandwiches can be an easy and MS way to get ahead, cream tea sandwiches need to be dainty, so a little filling goes a lot further than your average lunch sarnie.

I'm sure there will be plenty of others along with ides for fillings, but for the quarter slice of bread, (either triangular or rectangular, crusts or not) they will keep beautifully under a layer of kitchen paper that has been dampened and tightly wrung out, then covered in cling film.

Successful fillings in my neck of the woods include thinly sliced roast beef and rocket, with crime fraiche and horseradish spread, or really good ham with pease pudding.