I want to give a British tea party for my birthday..what do I serve??!
I want to give a British tea party for my birthday..what do I serve??
I can only think of scones...muffins aren′t British, right??' I don′t live in Britain, so I may not find all the ingredients...
Answers:
Ahh, a British Tea Party! Well scones are definitely a good start; scones served with thick clotted cream and jam is very traditional.
Sticking with sweet things and cakes; nothing is more British than a Victoria sponge cake (a traditional Victoria sponge consists of jam and whipped cream sandwiched between two sponge cakes; the top of the cake is not iced or decorated). Other kinds of fruit cakes and pastries wouldn't be out of place either. Butter pastry Eccles cakes are a particular favourite of mine.
Sandwiches; well this is where you have to decided if you want to be true to 'English' customs. If sandwich varieties such as cucumber, egg & cress sandwiches, tuna, ham, and smoked salmon take your fancy then make away otherwise you can do as you wish!
You could also do a meat platter if you wish, or you could do some kind of Ploughmans lunch style platter serving cheese, bread, pickles, salad etc (although this is going away from a traditional tea party it still is a British tradition)
Oh and dont forget the tea!! Assam tea or English Breakfast tea should do the trick!
I hope that helps to some degree. Have fun, and I hope you have a good birthday.
Scones are so easy to make, don't worry.
I would do small salad sandwiches (like tuna and chicken) on thin bread with the crusts cut off. Finger sanwiches.
Cakes and Crumpets
tea and crumpetts
Depends on the time of the party - High Tea - is near meal time and includes sandwiches. Just Tea Time - perhaps 3:00 in the afternoon - is just tea and scones or crumpets. Scones are like biscuits, but they are made with egg and milk or cream, so they taste lighter than biscuits.
I have never made crumpets.
Mozzarella, Proscuitto, and Pesto Butter Tea Sandwiches
Makes 2 dozen
To make perfectly round sandwiches, cut each of the layers separately with the same biscuit cutter. Ask your butcher to slice the prosciutto more thickly than usual so it can be cut easily without tearing; you will need one round for each sandwich.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves (about 2 ounces), packed, rinsed well, and dried
1/2 garlic clove
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon pine nuts
8 ounces sliced prosciutto
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
2 loaves rustic bread (about 2 pounds), cut into 48 quarter-inch slices
1. Make the pesto butter: Combine butter, basil, garlic, Parmesan, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; process until blended. Set aside. Lay prosciutto slices flat on a piece of plastic wrap, and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Place in freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Remove prosciutto from freezer; use a 2 1/4-inch round cutter to cut into rounds. Slice mozzarella 1/8 inch thick, and cut into rounds. Cut bread using the same cutter, being sure to remove all the crust.
3. Spread a thin layer of pesto butter on two bread rounds. Layer one round with a round each of mozzarella and prosciutto; top with other bread round. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cover with damp paper towels until ready to serve.