At long last, the holidays are upon us — a special time for gathering and celebrating with family and friends that have become family. With the hustle and bustle of the season, every moment is a precious gift, and there is no better way to make lasting memories with your favorite people than throwing a holiday tea party.
The brilliance of a tea party is the sophisticated simplicity that goes into it, which leaves more time for hosting and fun and less time fretting in the kitchen, behind the scenes. Tea parties are perfect, especially with the freedom to prepare your food the night before as well as decorate in advance. You will have more time for merrymaking this way.
Start by selecting a theme and then invite your beloved guests. Having a theme puts a nice twist on the tea party while also providing great amusement for all involved. Some classic theme ideas are Winter Wonderland, Santa’s Workshop, or taking your favorite movie or book and expanding upon it. You can create your holiday tea party into whatever makes this time of year special to you and yours.
I like to bring out my Chatsford teapots and steep at least three pots of different teas to go with the three tiers of my menu. I want my guests to be immersed in new flavors and styles of tea. An elegant three-tier tray, or a few (depending on how many guests you plan to host), makes the presentation simple, classy, and inviting.
From there the sky is the limit on how you like to decorate: doilies, themed napkins, plates, and cutlery; have fun getting imaginative.
While there are so many themes to get creative with, my go-to is Dickensian-themed teas. Charles Dickens was a writer in the Victorian era, a time when tea played a large role in society. His famous “A Christmas Carol” embodies the season beautifully and continues to spread the ever-so-important message of living generously as a way to celebrate life.
With that in mind, I have curated a lovely spread embodying the season and this wonderful tale.
A Christmas Carol Tea Party
Bottom Tier Savory - Marley’s Toast Point Finger Sandwiches
Makes 24 sandwiches and pairs perfectly with our NF27: Cranberry Black tea.
"You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you.” -Ebeneezer Scrooge
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ingredients
- 1 pound of shaved roast beef, sliced thin
- 1 jar of stoneground mustard
- 1 brick of sharp white cheddar
- 2 packages of toast points (if you can’t find them packaged, you can make your own by toasting sliced white bread and cutting the toast into triangles.)
Directions
- Layer each toast point as follows: toast point, mustard, a slice of beef, a square of cheese.
Middle Tier Breads and Cakes - Gingerbread Tea Cake
Makes 8 servings and pairs well with both our NT91: Christmas Tea and our NT82: Orange Spice Imperial.
“There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have." -Ghost of Christmas Present
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses (non-sulfured)
- ½ cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
Glaze Frosting
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a third bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a mixer or fork until fluffy. Add the molasses.
- Beat one egg at a time into the molasses/sugar mixture.
- Then, a little at a time, alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture until fully blended.
- Pour into a nonstick or greased 9-inch cake pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. (Oven times may vary so keep checking your cake with a toothpick until it comes out clean)
While your tea cake is baking, make your glaze.
Glaze Directions
- Using a sifter or strainer, sift powdered sugar into a bowl. (Sifting is needed to remove any lumps.)
- Add lemon juice and heavy cream and whisk together.
- For a thinner glaze, add more cream.
Cake Assembly
- Once your cake is done, let it cool completely.
- Using a bread knife or a serrated knife, cut the cake in half lengthwise and gently separate the layers.
- Spread a generous layer of Spiced Maple Pumpkin Butter on the bottom half and replace the top.
- Spread a thinner layer of Spiced Maple Pumpkin Butter on top.
- Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake.
- Decorate with an extra sifting of powdered sugar, if desired.
Top Tier Sweets - Anything but Miserly Mince Pies
Makes 12 mini pies and pairs perfectly with our NF91: Figgy Pudding and Pear Holiday Black Tea.
Mince pie is the ultimate classic alongside figgy pudding. A young Scrooge enjoyed these at the Fezziwig parties of the past.
"The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune." -Ebeneezer Scrooge
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Please note: you can use pre-made pie crust or proceed with making the dough, as follows.
Dough Ingredients
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup butter (softened)
- ¼ cup ice water
- 1 egg, whisked (for the wash)
Directions
- Using a sifter or strainer, sift the confectioners’ sugar and flour together in a large bowl.
- Cut the softened butter into small cubes.
- Using a dough cutter or your fingers, mix the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the ice water slowly as you form the dough into a malleable ball.
- Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap or a tea towel and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- While your dough is chilling, make the filling.
Filling Ingredients
- 1 jar JAM7: Caramelized Fig with Pear & Honey Jam
- 2 large green apples, diced
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp cloves
- 2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tsp orange zest
- ½ cup raisins, a mix of golden and dark
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- In a large bowl, mix diced apples and spices.
- Add jam and raisins. Stir well.
- Add orange zest and minced ginger. Combine evenly.
- Roll out your pastry dough and, using a paring knife, cut out a circle that will line an individual muffin well. Repeat for each well until all are lined.
- Add one tablespoon of filling to each well.
- Cover each pie with a circle of pastry and pinch the top and bottom layers together, making it a miniature pie!
- Cut a tiny slit in the top of each pie for venting.
- Brush each pie with the egg wash.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.
- Dust with a little confectioners’ sugar for a “freshly fallen snow” look.
I leave you with this:
“It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!”
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Happy Hosting!