Discover how to host your own Afternoon Tea in our article, The Tea Party Renaissance, published in our Fall 2024 Quarterly. To download a PDF version of the Upton Tea Imports Fall 2024 Quarterly, please Click Here.

 

As the month of August winds down and Labor Day weekend approaches, it’s a perfect time to celebrate the abundance of the season with the last summer gatherings. Slow, lazy days will soon be replaced by routine and schedules as families gear up for another school year. The Labor Day holiday marks the official end of summer, and we look forward to the cooler weather of fall and autumnal activities.

With plenty of warm days and cool nights, this time of year brings that perfect combination of weather that can feel luxurious. Outdoor activities abound — the start of fall festivals, apple picking, visiting sunflower fields, farmers’ markets, camping, and leaf peeping.

On Labor Day weekend, many towns hold parades and festivals, followed by a bounty of backyard celebrations, recognizing the hard work and achievements of Americans. What better way to celebrate than an end-of-summer tea party for family and friends? With the rise in popularity of British shows like Downton Abbey and Bridgerton, the tea party is having a renaissance in modern culture. A tradition that dates back to the 19th century, tea parties are a great way to cater to many individual needs while making space and time for connection.

One of the many wonderful things about a tea party is the delicious selection of finger foods, artfully arranged on a beautiful three-tier tray. Working your way up from the bottom tier to the top, both savory and sweet treats are presented for all types of discerning palates. The food and tea pairings are specially curated for ultimate enjoyment. Once the tea is prepared and the trays are disbursed, you can enjoy time alongside your guests and make lasting memories.

Hosting a tea party may appear intimidating at first. We are happy to simplify the process and provide guidance on which teas and foods to use, where to find them, and how to properly serve them so that you can focus on enjoying meaningful time with your guests.

As an accommodating host, it’s important to take the guesswork out for your guests. The more precisely you communicate the theme and expectations of the event, the more your guests will feel at ease. It is essential to inform your guests if you intend to have a dress code. Many people enjoy a fanciful afternoon tea with a stylish dress code while others enjoy a more “shabby chic” appeal.

The best way to inform guests is to include this information on the invitation. Some hosts still enjoy sending paper invitations in the mail for afternoon tea; it’s a timeless tradition. Of course, there are plenty of fun e-cards, social media services, and other ways to invite guests. Enjoy being creative with your invites!

Both indoor and outdoor spaces, such as a lovely dining room or a beautiful garden, are fantastic places to host in your home. Once you’ve picked out your space, you can then plan how you would like to decorate; many like to choose a theme. One great way to decide on a theme is to focus on the seasonal time of year.

A tea party is a wonderful opportunity to bring out your best dinnerware and napkins. Serve with style using doilies, platters, and tiered trays. Fresh flowers are always welcome on the table. At this time of year, sunflowers and apples are both making their harvest debut and are quite beautiful for décor, or even to incorporate as flavors into your menu.

As you contemplate your menu, consider having three courses. A three-tier tray is essential, be it a minimal or a lavish event. You may need more than one to accommodate more guests.

The first course serves savory fare, which is placed on the bottom tier. Small cucumber or egg salad sandwiches, mini quiches, and meat or cheese pastries are all wonderful choices.

The second course, which is served on the second or middle tier, consists of scones with jams and clotted cream. It is good etiquette to break your scones into smaller pieces with your fingers before eating them. Scones are the perfect match for tea and are a traditional choice for any tea party.

Speaking of jams, we offer a great selection of artisanal jams made by third-generation preserve makers in Vermont. With delectable flavors such as Tropical Pineapple, Caramelized Fig with Pear and Honey, Raspberry Hibiscus, and Classic Orange Marmalade, you’ll be sure to find some favorites for your tea party.

The third and final course: sweets! Located on the top tier, the desserts can be petit fours, macarons, chocolates, tarts, and sweet pastries. Once you have your menu lined up and the table staged, it’s time to make the tea!

Many traditional afternoon teas have shimmering silver tea sets; however, ceramic sets can be stunning! You can even have a mix-and-match set for an eclectic theme.

At Upton Tea Imports, we carry the American-made Chatsford teapot in two sizes: 20 ounces and 36 ounces. Offered in an assortment of colors, such as lapis blue, meadow green, and classic white, this durable ceramic teapot comes with a convenient mesh infuser basket, perfect for steeping loose tea leaves. It is the ideal choice for tea parties.

Regardless of which tea set or collection you have, you can always make it your own with original touches. Most afternoon teas serve black tea, usually a Ceylon, Assam, or Earl Grey, but it can be any tea you desire. It’s your party, so have a lot of fun with it! Include lemon slices, sugar, cream/ milk, and, of course, honey for your guests so they can make the tea according to their preferred tastes.

At Upton Tea Imports, we have an abundant selection of teas for you to choose for your special party. To help you get started, we have carefully curated a delightful afternoon menu to enjoy with your guests.

 

 

FIRST TIER

Sunset Garden Sandwiches

Roasted slices of zucchini are combined with sliced ripe tomato, fresh basil, olive aioli, and shredded Parmesan on an open-faced ciabatta crust. A new take on the classic tea sandwich, it embodies the bounty of the summer harvest.

Serve with TB05: Mincing Lane Breakfast Blend  

 

INGREDIENTS (makes 12 sandwiches):

• 5 zucchini
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 bunches of fresh basil
• 2 large ciabattas
• 8 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
• Olive aioli
• Olive oil

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice ciabatta into 12 open-faced squares.
2. Spread on a light layer of olive aioli.
3. Slice tomatoes into thin circles.
4. Slice zucchini into thin circles. Sauté on the stovetop or roast in an oven or air fryer (roast setting).
5. Layer tomato and zucchini on bread.
6. Drizzle with olive oil.
7. Add shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese.
8. Add a basil leaf on top for garnish.

 

 

SECOND TIER

Fruits of Labor Day Scones with Jam

With its delectable fruits, this must-have tea party classic bridges the transition from summer to autumn.

Serve with NT99: New England Autumn Tea

 

INGREDIENTS (makes 8 scones):

• 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• ½ cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream (reserve a little extra for the baking process)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup (125 grams) dried cranberries
• ½ cup (125 grams) dried apple
• ½ cup (125 grams) dried apricot

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add the cold butter, and use a fork or pastry cutter to cut in the cubes until you have a small, crumbly texture.
4. In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients: whipping cream, egg, and vanilla extract.
5. Combine wet mixture into the crumbly dough.
6. Mix in dried fruits.
7. Spread a little flour on a clean, flat surface, and work the dough into a ball.
8. Press the ball of dough into a flat circle.
9. Cut the dough into 8 pieces, like a pie.
10. Place your scones on a baking sheet, and chill them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
11. After chilling, brush the top of each scone with cream or milk and sprinkle with sugar and/or more dried fruit.
12. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly brown.
13. Remove from the oven, and let cool on a rack.
14. Serve with Upton Tea Imports JAM6: Raspberry with Hibiscus Preserve (page 43) and a side of clotted cream to really wow your guests!

 

 

THIRD TIER

Lemon Pear Petit Fours

Serve with NT11: Extra Bergamot Earl Grey

 

YOU WILL NEED:

• 2 nonstick 10"x15" jelly roll pans
• A square cookie cutter (ideally, 1"x2" high)

 

CAKE INGREDIENTS (makes 32 petit fours):

• 1 jar of Upton Tea Imports JAM7: Caramelized Fig with Pear & Honey Jam for filling layer
• 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• ²/ ³ cup (150 grams) softened butter
• 4 oz. (125 grams) softened cream cheese

 

CAKE DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (170°C).
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, use a handheld or standing mixer to beat butter, sugar, and cream cheese to a cream-like consistency.
4. While keeping your mixer at a medium speed, add eggs one at a time.
5. Add vanilla extract, and mix until smooth and creamy.
6. Turn the mixer on low. Slowly alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk into the main batter until fully combined.
7. Spread your cake batter evenly onto both jelly roll pans. Use nonstick spray or parchment paper if pans are not nonstick.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
9. Allow cakes to cool.
10. Once your cakes are completely cooled, cut the cakes into thirds, each about 5" in width.
11. Lay down one cake layer as a base, and top with a generous spread of jam. Place another cake layer over the jam. Repeat with the remaining cake layers.
12. After stacking the last cake, press down on each 3-layer stack (of cake, jam, cake) to ensure the cakes are firmly stuck together.
13. Using the square cookie cutter, carefully cut out your layered cake squares.
14. Cover the cake squares with plastic wrap, and place them in the freezer.

 

ICING INGREDIENTS:

• 15 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• ¹/ ⁸ teaspoon salt
• 4¾ cups (600 grams) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 lemons – shave peel for garnish
• 1 pear, sliced for garnish

 

ICING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium-size pan, heat 2 inches of water to a simmer.
2. Create a double boiler by placing a heatproof metal or glass mixing bowl over the pan.
3. Add butter, corn syrup, and heavy cream to the bowl. Stir until melted and combined.
4. Stir in the lemon extract and salt.
5. Stir while gradually adding the confectioners’ sugar. The mixture should be smooth and more thick than runny.
6. Remove the cakes from the freezer, and ice each square.
7. Garnish each cake with lemon shavings and a pear slice.
8. Place the cakes in the refrigerator to set the icing until ready to enjoy.

 

 

Now that you have the tools and tips to host a beautiful garden tea party or a fanciful afternoon tea, you can create your own wonderful tea traditions that make the time and space to connect with family and friends.