A Belgian Tea Party

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Henni

Having lived in Belgium for 7 years, Lady L. celebrated her adopted country by hosting a Belgian themed tea party for the VTS summer tea!

Upon arrival, we were greeted by an elegant table representing the colors of Belgium’s national flag. Known as the land of chocolate, beer, and waffles, Belgium is a country divided into 3 geographic regions, which are also linguistic communities: Flanders in the North (Flemish/Dutch), Wallonie in the south (French), and the German region to the east.

Like Belgium, Lady L.’s china set was a delightful fusion of two distinct cultures. The black and yellow German-made china by Villeroy & Boch with the Audun Ferm pattern, a nod to the French countryside.

Idyllic farm scene inside the soup bowl

As I admired the table more closely, I spied with my little eye … I thought my eyes deceiving me! … CUBERDONS! … In an Orval (Belgian beer) glass!

Cuberdons!

The cuberdon is the national candy of Belgium. Due to its short shelf life, it is not exported and found outside Belgium so this was an unexpected special treat! However, I have since discovered that they are available via Amazon.com (whaaat?!). Is there anything you CAN’T buy on Amazon.com these days?! 🤔

Brussels candy shop with cuberdons in the window (photo by Lady H., February 2015)

While Belgium is famous for their beer, and Belgians prefer drinking coffee over tea, I’m glad that Lady L. did not serve any beer or coffee 😉! Instead, Lady L. served 3 teas from her favorite tea shop, Tea Bazaar–all of which were delicious!

Teas from Tea Bazaar

China jasmine green tea in a beautiful Lenox teacup

The first course was waterzooi, a classic soup/stew of Flanders. Its name comes from the Dutch “zooien,” meaning ‘to boil’. Traditionally containing chicken or fish, this vegetarian version by Lady L. featured lots of root vegetables (onion, carrot, celeriac, potato) and tofu, served with a side of baguette!

Waterzooi soup (by Lady L.)

Green salad (by Lady J.)

The savory course featured the perfect tea food in the form of a vol-au-vent, a common Belgian dish of French origin meaning “Flight in the wind.” The vol-au-vent is a puff pastry filled with a creamy white sauce usually containing chicken. This vegan version has a cashew cream sauce filling with mushrooms, soy protein (TVP), carrots, and onions. Accompanied by Lady J.’s delicious green salad (pictured above), this was almost a complete meal in itself!

Vegan vol-au-vent (by Lady Henni)

Vegan vol-au-vent
(yield: 8 appetizers)

1 package puff pastry

White sauce
2 c. raw cashews
1 1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt or truffle salt
1 teaspoon dried shiitake mushroom powder (optional, for extra umami)

Vegetable filling
8 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms
1/4 c. green or white onion, chopped
1/4 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. dry TVP granules (textured vegetable protein)
1/2 c. boiling water (+ 1/2 tsp. Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base)

Chopped parsley or sprigs of thyme (to garnish)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Using biscuit cutters, cut out 16 circles of puff pastry. Lay 8 circles of pastry in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush tops with nondairy milk. Cut smaller circles out of the remaining 8 circles. Stack those circles on top of the circles on the tray creating a “well”. Place the small circles on the baking tray (these are the “caps” of the vol-au-vents). Bake at 400°F for 20 mins. until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.Cool and store in an airtight container. The puff pastry cases can be made the day before and then reheated at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes or until heated through. Do not fill cases until ready to serve or they will get soggy.

Soak cashews for 15 min., then strain. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blending for 2-3 min at time for a total of 10 min and checking for consistency along the way. Adjust the consistency with water. It does thicken as it sits so you can add a little more water before serving.

Stir in the TVP and water/broth. Cover and let sit until TVP has absorbed liquid, about 10 minutes.

Saute onion in a bit of olive oil. Add carrots and mushrooms and cook until tender. Add rehydrated TVP granules and cook a few minutes more. Add the cashew sauce and heat through. Let cool a bit before filling the pastry cases. If the filling was made ahead, warm it up before filling the pastry cases. Serve immediately.

Afternoon tea would not be complete without cucumber sandwiches. Period.

Cucumber avocado sandwiches (by Lady P.)

Belgium’s main crop of summer fruit consists of berries and grapes, very refreshing for a summer tea!

Fruit salad cup with orange honey dressing (by Lady HH.)

The apple is the national fruit (and flower!) of Belgium. Apple orchards exist all over the country and are considered a symbol of health and good luck.

Apple scones (by Lady S.)

Apple Scones
(From the kitchen of Lady S.)

Preparing the apple bits: Peel, core, and chop 3 large Granny Smith apples (or any tart baking apple) into 1/2 inch dice. Spread on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 250 degrees (very low heat) for 1 hour. This will dry out the apples a bit. Let cool.

Making the apple scones

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp. table salt)

1 stick frozen butter (unsalted)

1 c. buttermilk (or any milk with 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar)

1 heaping c. prepared apple bits (see above)

2 Tbsp. turbinado (coarse) sugar (optional, see note below)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture using the medium sized holes of a box grater. Toss until combined—don’t over-stir or the butter will go soft.

Add the milk and apples and stir gently until just combined (don’t over-stir or your scones will be tough).

Scoop 1/3 c. sized mounds of dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet approximately 2-3 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with Turbinado sugar, if using. This gives the scones a crunchy top.

Bake until the bottoms of the scones are golden, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on sheet pan.

In addition to the cuberdons, the dessert course featured 3 additional signature Belgian sweet delights: Belgian chocolates, speculoos (a type of spice cookie), and Liege waffles. In the US, a well known brand of speculoos is Lotus Biscoff but Lady L. and Lady E. treated us to homemade ones!

Belgian chocolates and homemade speculoos cookies (by Lady L. and Lady E.)

Belgium has several different types of waffles but the most popular one is the Liege waffle (AKA Pearl sugar waffles). Liege waffles differ from American waffles in that the batter contains yeast and is thicker, sweeter, and studded with pearl sugar.

Leige waffle

While we enjoyed dessert, Lady S. unveiled a Belgium themed craft for us to do! We made felt Flanders poppies as a tribute to the Flanders Fields. The Flanders Fields is the site of the a World War I battlefield in the Belgian provinces of West Flanders and East Flanders. Due to ground disturbance and fertilization conditions as a consequence of war, red poppies have bloomed in abundance ever since. The red poppy (Flanders poppy) became the flower of remembrance and symbol of fallen soldiers. (Source: Discovering Belgium)

Lady N. shows off her Flanders poppy!

Belgium flag pins for all from Lady S.!

Thank you Lady L. for hosting a wonderful tea party and for sharing a taste of Belgium with us!

“Belgium is known affectionately to the French as ‘the gateway to Germany ‘ and just as affectionately to the Germans as ‘the gateway to France.’”

– Tony Hendra

Disclaimer: Tastes Like More is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Wellness Tea

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Henni

I can’t believe it’s been 2 years since I hosted a tea for the Victorian Tea Society (VTS)! As mentioned previously, I always have so many ideas for themes but it’s a matter of grabbing the inspiration when it hits me! As it turns out, the timing and inspiration were ripe for an afternoon tea focused on personal wellness. The last VTS tea I hosted was online, shortly after we were forced to shelter-at-home during the pandemic. I hemmed and hawed about hosting my next tea at home and in the end, with D.’s encouragement, I decided to exercise my emotional and financial wellness by hosting at home where it is quieter and less crowded and everyone could save a few dollars. Additionally, I had always wanted to create an entire menu using tea as an ingredient and my wellness theme was ideal for showcasing all the benefits of tea! It certainly allowed me to expand my intellectual wellness as I learned so much about cooking with tea and how to use it more creatively.

I really wanted to host a spa tea or pajama tea party where we didn’t have to get dressed to the nines and guests could just show up for tea in their PJs, bathrobes, or yoga pants. Wouldn’t THAT be fun? 😉 But since most of us have been staying at home, who needs a better excuse than afternoon tea to get dressed up and go out on the town? A major part of personal wellness is loving-, feeling good-, and celebrating our bodies and ourselves. To foster emotional and spiritual wellness, I encouraged guests to wear something that made them feel pretty and confident! It was nice to see all the ladies dressed in a way that made them feel good about themselves!

I was trying to go for simple elegance with my tea table, something that would feel relaxing and comfortable and contribute to my guests’ emotional wellness. I chose a simple 2-pocket fold napkin to display the menu, hold a pen, and a pocket-sized notebook with an inspirational motivational saying. The pen was a digital stylus and ballpoint pen in one (when retracted, the pen is a stylus). I love these 2-in-1 pens! I keep one in my purse all the time and use it to sign paper receipts, electronic digital pads, push buttons in an elevator, etc. In addition to being extremely useful, I did provide the pen and notebook for another reason that will be revealed later! My favorite part of planning this tea was designing the menu which I mindfully curated to promote environmental and physical wellness with mostly vegan dishes.

Since every dish on the menu contained tea as an ingredient, I chose 2 herbal teas and one rooibos tea for drinking: iced Strawberry kiwi, Nutty almond cream (aka Roasted almond & fruit), and Chocolate ginger turmeric spiced cocoa rooibos. These teas claimed to promote stress relief, relaxation, and immunity, respectively.

Roasted almond & fruit tea

I decided to serve the genmaicha tea rice soup as the first course. Genmaicha tea is a Japanese green tea with roasted brown rice. According to Senbird Tea, genmaicha is low in caffeine so you can drink it throughout the day. Some of the many benefits of drinking genmaicha touch upon physical and intellectual wellness:

Balances Blood Sugar
Lowers Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease
Improves Dental Health
Regulates Thyroids and Removes Toxins
Helps with Relaxation and Concentration

Japanese genmaicha rice soup (by Lady Henni)

Vegan Japanese Genmaicha rice soup
(recipe adapted from A Cup of Life)

4 c. water
4 tsp. Genmaicha
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms
1/2 block of silken tofu (about 4-6 oz.), small dice
Green onions, sliced (to garnish)

Heat the water to 175° F in a large pot. Add the Genmaicha and let it brew for 3 minutes. Do not over steep or have the water temperature too hot as the tea will be bitter.
Remove the leaves from the pot.
Add the soy sauce and dried mushrooms. Remove from heat.
Whisk in the pureed tofu and reheat broth to a near boil.
Portion out the rice into a bowl and pour the Genmaicha tea broth over it.
Garnish with green onions. Slice the mushrooms before adding to soup, if using.

The 2nd course I served was Burmese tea leaf salad. The unique tea leaf dressing (laphet) is what makes it special. I first encountered this dish at Burma SuperStar over 15 years ago. Before I started making it at home, I could only enjoy it whenever we visited San Francisco! Now Tea leaf salad kits are available online which is a testament to the popularity of Burma SuperStar’s signature dish.

The hallmark of the salad is the sum of its crunchy bits so it can’t be dressed in advance or else the salad will get soggy. Therefore, the dish must be assembled as close to eating time as possible. In any case, I was fortunate to have Lady E. as my co-hostess because I had so much to prep before the guests arrived that I needed an extra hand to assemble the salads. She did a beautiful job!

Burmese tea leaf salad (assembled by Lady E.) with fermented tea leaf dressing (by Lady Henni)

Burmese tea leaf salad (La Pat Dok or Lahpet Thoke)
(inspired by Burma SuperStar)
(Yield: 1 serving)

2 heaping Tbsp. chopped Romaine lettuce or cabbage
1 Tbsp. roasted peanuts
1 cherry tomato, chopped
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. fried mung beans
1 tsp. roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
1 tsp. fried onions
1 tsp. fried garlic (sliced or granules, your choice)
1 1/2 Tbsp. fermented tea leaves (store bought or homemade recipe below)
1 lemon wedge (to serve)

Arrange ingredients on a plate with the tea leaf dressing in the middle. To serve, let guests mix their own salad. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to finish it.

Tea leaf dressing (lahpet)

My tea leaf dressing recipe is vegan and adapted from many different recipes. Some recipes have a lot of oil, some have none. My quick mock version has a small bit of sesame oil for flavor only. I have not tried fermenting my own tea leaves because I’m not confident enough to try it. Supposedly, you can ferment the tea leaves by leaving them out, covered, at room temperature for 2 days which makes it rich in beneficial probiotics. My mock version has lemon juice and vinegar to make up for the natural tang that would have resulted from the fermentation process. While it’s lacking in all the goodness that comes from fermentation, it still has the benefits of green tea (or sencha in this case).

Tea leaf dressing (Lahpet)
(AKA pickled tea leaves, fermented tea leaves)
(adapted from many recipes)
(yield: generous 3/4 cup)

1/4 cup loose leaf green tea
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. rice or white vinegar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce* or soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp. water, as needed to thin out the dressing

*I used vegan fish sauce

Soak tea leaves in hot water (175°F, not boiling) for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse. Save tea for drinking if desired. Soak green tea leaves in cold water for 1 hour, then drain and rinse again. Squeeze out any excess liquid. In a food processor, add tea leaves and all other ingredients until well chopped and mixed. Store in the refrigerator right away.

Photo by Lady J.

I was quite excited about the tea sandwiches and they were both delicious! The cucumber tea sandwiches were so pretty! Lady P. said she preferred the Chinese tea egg salad to the regular egg salad because it was tastier and I had to agree!

Chinese tea egg salad sandwich (by Lady T.) and Cucumber sandwich with matcha cream cheese (by Lady H.)

Chinese tea egg salad sandwiches

(Recipe for tea eggs here or feel free to use your family recipe, if you have one). Use the eggs as you would in an egg salad.

Cucumber sandwiches with matcha cream cheese

To make matcha cream cheese, add 2-3 tsp. matcha powder to 8 oz of cream cheese or regular cream cheese. Your choice of bread.

Though black tea does boast of being rich in antioxidants and being beneficial for health, it is the spices in masala chai that give it extra health properties. Some of the spices contained in masala chai are: cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper and cloves, star anise, coriander seeds and peppercorns. My original recipe for masala chai scones included black tea but I decided to omit it for my tea party to reduce the amount of caffeine consumption. Lady L. shelled her cardamom pods and hand ground the seeds. The results were delicious as the cardamom seeds added a delightful crunch and pop of flavor to the scones. I added a recipe for an optional black tea glaze below for those who prefer sweeter scones or who want to omit serving with cream. These vegan masala chai scones would be great served with a coconut based vegan cream (which can’t be said of most other flavored scones)!

Vegan Masala chai scones (by Lady L.) with Devon double cream (photo by Lady J.)

Vegan masala chai scones
(adapted from many recipes)
(yield: 10 scones)

2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar (if glazing, reduce to 2 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 black tea bag or 2 tsp. loose leaf black tea (such as English breakfast) (optional)
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. neutral oil (grapeseed, canola, vegetable, etc.)
3/4 c. unsweetened nondairy milk*

*May use 1/2 sourdough starter, 1/2 water instead. Increase milk to 1 c. for drop scones.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
Add the oil and milk and stir gently until flour is incorporated.
Using a silicone spatula, fold the dough a few times until it comes together and the sides of the bowl are clean. Do not overwork the dough.
Using your hands, gently flatten dough into a 1/2″ thick circle.
Cut into wedges or use a 2.5″ biscuit cutter to cut out circles.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

(optional) Black tea glaze for scones

1 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. brewed black tea
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together until smooth. Dip, pour, or drizzle glaze over the tops of the cooled scones.

Ahhh, Lady P. outdid herself with the fresh fruit salad which came housed in their own biodegradable, compostable, edible cup! This was so elegantly presented with a fuschia voodoo flower that we may as well have been at a spa. Definitely spa food at its finest! By the way, did you know that fuschia berries were edible? They look like small oval blueberries and taste like them too!

Fuschia berry

Fruit salad (blueberries, strawberries, nectarine, fuschia berry, and fuschia voodoo served in a hollowed out golden kiwi half) with Paris infused tea syrup (by Lady P.) (photo by Lady J.)

Tea simple syrup

(recipe from Veggie Desserts)

Use equal parts water and sugar and your choice of tea (e.g., Earl grey, white, mint, etc.).

1/2 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. tea leaves or 1 tea bag (your choice of tea)

Steep the tea in 1/2 c. water. Strain and mix with the sugar. Heat the mixture in a pan until sugar dissolves. Cool and store in the fridge for up to a month. Serve on fresh fruit.

To inspire my own personal wellness journey, I asked my guests to share one thing they have been doing to achieve personal wellness this past year, related to one of the 8 dimensions of wellness. I have been working on all 8 dimensions of wellness but most recently made progress on emotional and spiritual wellness. After trying in vain to get into the habit of doing daily meditation and not being successful (40 days was my longest stint), I finally did something different: instead of trying to make time for meditation, I found meditation and yoga classes that fit into my existing schedule! For years, my teachers have been saying that I needed to make a commitment to carve out time for meditation but inconvenience was always too powerful an excuse. The option of virtual classes during the pandemic has given me accountability and made it possible for me to fit in classes during hours when I don’t have other obligations. Convenience has made a world of difference for me (no pun intended as I’ve been able to practice yoga and meditate with people around the world)!

Most of the ladies were working on achieving physical wellness as many had weathered health concerns (including COVID) during the pandemic and used this time to get their health and fitness back on track. Lady H. had just moved to a new city during the pandemic and was cultivating her social wellness by joining clubs and making new friends. Both Lady P. and I admitted that we had embraced our introverted tendencies a little too much during this pandemic and could learn from Lady H.’s example! 🙂 Lady E. was working on her intellectual and financial wellness (getting ready for her senior year and getting her driver’s permit). I was humbled by everyone’s openness and willingness to share their personal experiences. I was especially encouraged to know that regardless of our differences in age, health, socioeconomics, educational background, and beliefs/values, we all shared the common desire and motivation to constantly strive for our full potential. It’s nice to know that I can count on the VTS ladies to keep me on my toes and moving forward!

Just before serving dessert, I engaged the ladies in an ice breaker game of Listography to challenge our intellectual wellness, further inspire, and help us get to know each other a little better! This is where the pens and pocket-sized notebooks came in handy for guests to compile their notes and lists. Some of the lists we made included:

Ways to help you fall asleep:

Drink warm milk
Crossword puzzles
Read a boring book
Listen to Calm sleep stories
Meditation and yoga
Benadryl
Wake up earlier
Food coma
Watch TV
Take a warm bath

Comfort foods:

Chocolate
Pasta
Pho
Pizza
Bread and cheese
Cookies
Cake
Mac and cheese
Mashed potatoes
Rice soup

After 5 rounds, Lady L. was the lucky winner of a set of reusable food storage bags for environmental wellness.

Matcha has a reputation for being a healthy tea and is probably the most popular tea used in food. So popular that I featured it not once but twice on my menu! My favorite way to enjoy matcha is in a matcha latte or in any dessert, and this vegan matcha pound cake certainly fit the bill!

Vegan matcha pound cake (by Lady S.)

Vegan matcha pound cake
(yield: 1 loaf)

2 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. matcha
1 c. unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 tsp vinegar (apple cider vinegar or white)
1/4 c. oil or unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp.vanilla extract

Prepare a loaf pan (9″ x 5″) by lining with parchment or greasing. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Mix the non-dairy milk and vinegar and let sit for 2 mins. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk well to combine.

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add wet mixture from above (step 2) to the wet ingredients. Mix until no more dry spots. The mixture should be flowy but just slighty stiff.

Bake for 30 minutes (depends on the pan and oven) or continue baking until a toothpick comes out completely clean.

Cool on the counter for 10 mins then remove from the pan and continue to cool completely before slicing. Slice and Store on the counter for up to 2 days and refrigerate for up to a week. Slices can also be frozen. Add an icing for dessert.

(Optional) Matcha icing/glaze

⅔ cup powdered sugar
½ – 1 tsp. matcha powder, to taste
1 – 2 Tbsp. unsweetened nondairy milk

(Optional) Strawberry icing/glaze

1 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. nondairy milk
1 Tbsp. strawberry jam
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix together until smooth. Pour or drizzle over the top of the cake.

There was so much tea on the menu that I decided to include one dish that used herbal tea as an ingredient instead. This vegan lemon tart was great since I didn’t serve lemon curd with the scones. With chamomile as an ingredient, this was a good dish to end the tea party since it helps lower blood sugars and aids in relaxation and sleep. I wanted guests to go home feeling relaxed and without a sugar crash! Also, this was the very first time that Lady J. ever made a pie or tart! Definitely a successful first effort!

Vegan lemon tart with chamomile crust (by Lady J.)

Vegan lemon tart with chamomile crust
(recipe adapted from the Plant Based School)

Shortcrust pastry
2⅓ c. flour + 1 tablespoon for kneading and rolling
½ c. sugar
⅓ c. water
⅓ c. vegetable oil (or other neutral tasting oil such as canola or grapeseed)
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. chamomile leaves/flowers or contents from 2 chamomile tea bags (crushed with mortar and pestle until fine)

Lemon custard
2½ c. nondairy milk (cashew, oat, soy, or coconut milk work best)
⅔ c. sugar
⅓ c. lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
⅔ c. cornstarch
1 pinch turmeric or a couple drops of yellow food coloring (optional, for color)

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the sugar, water, oil, flour, baking powder, and crushed chamomile to a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs are formed.

Transfer the dough to a worktop and knead just enough to bring everything together into a ball. Do not knead too much. Add a little flour if the dough seems too sticky. Sprinkle the worktop with flour, then with a rolling pin roll out ¾ of the dough into a 4 mm thin disk.

Put the rolled out crust into a 9″ pie dish. Cut off the excess dough and poke holes in the bottom and sides with a fork.

Bake the crust, without filling, at 350º F for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove it from the oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

LEMON CUSTARD FILLING

In a saucepan, add the strained lemon juice, milk, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until there are no lumps. Add the lemon zest and simmer while whisking over medium heat until thick and smooth. Stir occasionally to avoid lumps. Add a pinch of turmeric or a couple drops of yellow food coloring to give it a yellow color.

Fill the baked pie crust with the lemon custard. Serve when cooled to room temperature or chill overnight. Before serving, optionally dust with chamomile-infused powdered sugar (recipe below).

(Optional) Chamomile-infused powdered sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon chamomile tea

Whiz the granulated sugar and chamomile tea in a blender until it turns into a fine powder. Dust onto the cooled lemon tart.

I sent the ladies home with a self-care package of a relaxing herbal tea Nutty Almond Cream (aka Roasted almond & fruit tea) and Body Restore shower steamers, so they could keep their personal wellness momentum going and enjoy a spa-like experience at home.

Hosting this tea was a step in the right direction for my own personal wellness and I am grateful to the VTS ladies for sharing this day with me. Being out of practice with entertaining, I could not have pulled off this tea party without D. and my co-hostess, Lady E. Lady E. helped prep, serve, and plate food, brew tea, and keep time during Listography, while D. was there behind the scenes, before, during, and after to ensure that all went smoothly and that our guests felt welcome, comfortable, and happy. Thank you! ❤

Finally, I couldn’t resist sharing this as a nod towards my vocational wellness. One of the things I have really enjoyed about working from home has been my tea ritual every morning. Conversely, it has been a challenge going back to work in the office again since we are no longer allowed to eat or drink at our desks. It is especially brutal to work on the days without my tea in the morning but hey, I’m still alive and I’m still employed! Thankfully, I am grateful and can laugh about this one. 😉

Thank you ladies for attending my wellness tea! It was a delightful day and I wish you continued progress and success in your personal wellness journey!

Disclaimer: Tastes Like Tea is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Craft-tea tea party

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Henni

Lady S. hosted our first in-person VTS tea in over 2 years and we were all thrilled! To celebrate spring, Lady S. got craft-tea and hosted a craft themed tea party!

After 4 of our members resigned during the pandemic, we were very happy to be able to get together again, with the addition of returning member Lady L., new member Lady P., and special guest Lady H.!

Lady S. created a beautiful spring themed welcome for us with cheerful flowers, fragrant English lavender, teapots featuring fauna or flora, and colorful pastels.

A gift from Dr. M., check out this lovely blueberry teapot that sings “spring!”

The table centerpieces consisted of animal shaped candy dishes in milk glass including a “spring” chicken and Easter bunny. Milk glass (aka opal glass) was first made in 16th century Venice Italy and is characterized by its milky translucent, sometimes opaque, quality. It was very popular during the end of the 19th century and pieces from that period are prized and coveted by collectors (Wikipedia).

Paris, Assam, and Sunny Slopes teas!

Lady S. curated a delectable vegetarian spring tea menu and it was a joy to be able to cook and share our culinary creations with each other again!

While we were chatting and catching up, Lady S. started baking her blueberry lemon scones. The sweet smell of blueberries and lemon coming from the kitchen were intoxicating and made everyone crazy for scones! Lady J. then shared that she recently heard a “well known tea expert” declare that the scones course should be served first instead of the customary course following fresh fruit so that it won’t conflict with desserts. Well, that bit of “hearsay” was enough for us to justify starting our afternoon tea with scones instead of salad! 😀 Apparently, in the face of warm scones (and hunger), all sense and sensibilities go out the window!

Blueberry Lemon Scones by Lady S.

Cranberry Orange (or Blueberry Lemon) Scones

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 c. granulated sugar plus 1 Tbsp. sugar to dust cranberries

1/2 tsp kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)

1 stick butter—freeze overnight so you can easily grate it

3/4 c. dried cranberries (or dried blueberries)

Zest of 1 large orange (use lemon zest for blueberry scones)

1 c. buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar with milk to make 1 c.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put cranberries in a heat-proof bowl and just cover with boiling water. Steep 10 minutes to soften, then drain and toss with 1 tbs sugar and orange zest.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, and salt. Grate frozen butter into flour mixture using the medium-size holes of a box grater. Toss to evenly combine. Add cranberry/zest mixture and buttermilk—stir until just combined.
Scoop 1/3 cup size mounds of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced about 3 inches apart. Bake until bottoms are golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet.

Lady S.’s scones were heeeavenly and worth the detour from our usual afternoon tea ritual! What do you think of starting off afternoon tea with scones as the first course? Blasphemous, or the start of a new tradition?

Birdie teapot and pretty pink Sunny Slopes tea!

After enjoying the scones, we dug into the sandwiches. Lady L. made Fresh Pea and Ricotta Tartines with Spring Vegetables with vegan ricotta and they were soooo good! I’m still dreaming of them …

Fresh Pea and Ricotta Tartines with Spring Vegetables by Lady L.

Fresh Pea and Ricotta Tartines with Spring Vegetables

8 half inch slices of baguette, toasted
1/2 cup fresh peas
1/2 cup skim ricotta
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
4-6 tender asparagus stalks, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 green onion, white parts sliced into thin strips
fresh watercress leaves or pea shoots

In a food processor, combine 1/4 cup of the peas, ricotta and lemon juice until blended but still chunky. Season with salt & pepper. Spread mixture on the toasted bread and top with the remaining peas, asparagus, onion and herbs. Serve immediately.

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It’s just not afternoon tea without cucumber sandwiches! Lady J. made these artful open faced Cucumber and Fresh Herb Butter Sandwiches.

Cucumber and Fresh Herb Butter Sandwiches by Lady J.

Cucumber and Fresh Herb Butter Sandwiches

Mix 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) softened butter, 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest and 1 tbs chopped fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, chives). Spread on 8 slices thin sandwich bread and sandwich with thinly sliced cucumber. Trim crusts and cut into triangles.

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Lady P. made these excellent roasted vegetable mozzarella sandwiches. I could have eaten a bowl of those roasted vegetables and been a happy camper all day!

Roasted Vegetables with Mozzarella Sandwiches by Lady P.

Roasted Vegetables with Mozzarella Sandwiches

Split a demi-baguette length-wise. Place sliced fresh mozzarella on bottom half of baguette and spread sun-dried tomato pesto on the top half. Fill with roasted eggplant and zucchini slices and roasted red pepper strips. Close sandwich and slice into 8 rounds.

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Our guest, Lady H., contributed not one but 2 dishes, including these beautiful carrot and cream cheese sandwiches.

Carrot and Cream Cheese Sandwiches by Lady H.

Carrot and Cream Cheese Sandwiches

2 carrots, peeled and grated
8 Tbsp soft cream cheese
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp five spice powder
8 slices dark rye or raisin bread

Combine the carrot, cream cheese, brown sugar and five spice powder in a bowl—mix well. Chill 1/2 hour. Cut the crusts off the bread and roll with rolling pin to flatten. Spread mixture on 4 slices of bread and top with the other four. Cut the sandwiches in half to form rectangles or triangles.

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Before attacking the scrumptious looking desserts, we took a break to work on some crafts that Lady S. had lined up for us. She provided all the supplies needed for us to make 2 trivets! One can never have too many trivets–what a great idea!

We each made a Scandinavian style knotted trivet and a clothespin trivet. I have several trivets from Finland already so these will fit right in!********************************************

After being craft-tea, we were ready for sweet-teas. 😉 Lady H. made this impressive orange cake. It was delicious–I wish I could have had another piece!

Whole orange cake by Lady H.

Whole Orange Cake

Cooking oil spray
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 oranges (about 1 pound total), ends trimmed, then cut into chunks and seeded
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbs plus 1 tsp orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 1 10 inch bundt pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs.
2. While orange chunks in a food processor until mostly smooth, but not ported. Add 1 1/2 cups orange mixture to batter and beat until blended. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder to bowl and beat until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs clinging to it, about 55 minutes. Cool pan on a rack 10 minutes, then invert cake onto rack and let cool completely.
4. Which together powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl. Drizzle over cooled cake. Let glaze set.

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Chocolate tofu pie is one of my all-time favorite desserts. I could eat the filling like pudding/mousse or as a pie in a cracker crust. Either way, it’s just good eats.

Mini Vegan Chocolate Mousse Tofu Pies by Lady Henni

Vegan Chocolate Mousse Tofu Pie
(adapted from Alton Brown’s Moo-less Chocolate Pie)

1 chocolate cookie crumb crust (or 12 mini graham cracker crusts)
13 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (approx. 1.5 c. + 2 Tbsp.)
16 oz silken tofu, drained
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate chips with the vanilla in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Combine the tofu and chocolate mixture in a blender or food processor and spin until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the filling sets firm.

Gorgeous fruit tarts by Lady S.

Lady S., you are one craft-tea lady, in more ways than one! Thank you for a lovely afternoon which was such a welcomed gift. Not only have I missed having afternoon tea in person with friends but I have dearly missed taking in-person art and craft classes during the pandemic (online classes are just not the same!). Your craft-tea tea party was just what I needed as it fulfilled two of my longing wishes in one afternoon! The food was delicious, the crafts were a balm for my soul, and, of course, it was delightful getting together with the VTS ladies again and getting to know our new members as well!

“What happens in the craft room often spills out into the rest of the house.” —Unknown

VTS Halloween Tea

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Henni

Lady J. hosted the Victorian Tea Society’s fall tea on Zoom. Who can resist a Halloween themed tea party, virtual or otherwise? <cue evil laughter here 😉 >
All the ladies appeared on screen dressed in their finest: there were 4 witches (including Professor McGonagall), a cat, a 1920s flapper, a mahjong tile, and a pumpkin!

Since we could not share tea and food in person, Lady J. sent us all a special organic Wizard’s brew tea from True Leaf Tea to enjoy! It was a comforting blend and, if not for the black tea, it would have made a great brew to enjoy before bedtime.

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In her invitation, Lady J. asked the ladies to share their Halloween tea dishes, their Halloween crafts, or a tea dish we’ve always wanted to make, and also a story of our favorite Halloween costume or experience.

Our hostess Lady J. dressed up as a mahjong tile. She was very proud of her homemade costume as she and her husband won first place in a costume contest one year! For her Halloween dishes, Lady J. made a variety of Halloween ham and cheese sandwiches depicting a cyclops, mummy, Jack O’ Lantern, ghost, owl, and spider’s web.

Lady J.’s artful Halloween treats (photo by Lady J.)

Our newest member, Lady P., had just received her COVID booster the day before and wasn’t feeling great so she wasn’t sure she was going to join us for tea. However, at the last minute, she whipped up a “scary tomato sandwich”. The big joke was that it was just a plain tomato sandwich and that there was nothing scary about it! She shared that she really enjoyed trick-or-treating as a kid but, much to her disappointment, her own kids (ages 12 and 15) were never interested.

Lady MH, dressed as Professor McGonagall, zoomed in to the tea party amidst a dramatic background of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Lady MH.’s Halloween tea treats (One eyed Deviled egg, Chicken salad croissant, Witch’s finger sandwich, mini cheese spider pizza, fresh fruit in a pumpkin cup, Candy corn scone, and a bat shaped Godiva lava cake) (photo by Lady MH)

Lady MH shared her favorite Halloween experience/story about a Jack O’ Lantern carved out of a huge warty pumpkin that appeared on her doorstep anonymously on Halloween many years ago. She decided to return the favor and passed the pumpkin back to her anonymous benefactors on Thanksgiving, whereupon she dressed it up as a turkey. The pumpkin returned on her doorstep on Christmas, dressed as Santa Claus. On Valentine’s Day, she returned the pumpkin dressed up as Cupid. The pumpkin kept getting passed back and forth with each holiday and special occasion until it eventually rotted and fell apart. The next Halloween, Lady MH and her family woke up to find this pumpkin monstrosity on their front lawn!

The papier-mache monstrosity known as the Great Pumpkin–“When you care enough to send the very best!”

Made of papier-mache and who knows how many gallons of orange paint, this Great Pumpkin was the talk of their neighborhood. Families stopped by to take photos of their kids next to the pumpkin and its fame even caught the eye of the local newspaper. After this prank, Lady MH had to concede and declare the anonymous pranksters, “Winner!” But perhaps, the real winner was Lady MH and there are no coincidences as Linus van Pelt reminds us, “Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere.” (source: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”)

Witch Lady T. created an assortment of scary treats, including a gigantic witches finger sandwich (seriously, it was a foot long!) that I still can’t quite get out of my head! 😉 She also shared her Halloween project, a dragon in cross stitch!

Lady T.’s cross stitch dragon (work in progress)

Dressed as a cat, Lady S. had a very nice assortment of Halloween dishes as well. I was most impressed with the yellow bell pepper that she had carved into a Jack O’ Lantern and stuffed with vegetables. Super cute! Lady S. also shared some Halloween crafts but her favorite by far is this pumpkin which she displays on Halloween Day for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters to enjoy.

Lady S.’s pumpkin (photo by Lady S.)

Lady L. shared that her youngest daughter (Lady E.) was 3 when she first experienced trick-or-treating on the tails of her older sister. The day after, she proudly and happily announced to anyone who would listen, “Did you know? That if you ring people’s doorbells, you can get candy?!” Lady L. then had to explain to her daughter that this phenomenon only happened once a year and was not an everyday occurrence, much to her disappointment. She also shared that the first year she and her husband opened their house to trick-or-treaters, he dressed in black and wore a mask based on The Scream (by Edvard Munch) that sent all the little kids screaming. When a group of teenage girls approached the house, he didn’t try to scare them so they asked if he could do the same for them. So he obliged and closed their door to stage the scare again. When the teen girls rang the doorbell for the reenactment, they also ran screaming from the house!

For this tea, Lady L. and I dressed as witches and got together in person to set a tea table. Since we could not have tea with all the ladies in person, we thought it would be fun if the two of us could at least have tea together. It worked out really well and was a lot of fun!

Lady Henni’s Halloween table (the spider web tablecloth was a gift from Lady J.)

A Halloween tea dish …

Mummy rolls (vegan spring rolls) filled with worms and guts

A tea dish I’ve always wanted to make but never had the chance…

Witches cauldron (vegan asparagus soup) (by Lady Henni)

I shared my story of sneaking into the cemetery on Halloween night to play the Ouija board with 2 of my friends. We came prepared with a blanket and candles, ready to scare ourselves silly. Just as we set our hands on the Ouija board pointer (planchette), a wind came up out of nowhere and blew out all our candles! There was a pause (more like moment of shock) before we all made eye contact, swooped up all our stuff, and ran out of that cemetery as fast as we could! 😀 That was the last time I touched a Ouija board!

The rest of the dishes…

Vegan grilled cheese and Avocado cucumber on orange sourdough (by Lady Henni)

Halloween spiced stewed apples and pears (by Lady Henni)

Halloween spiced stewed apples and pears
(adapted from Spiced apples or pears)

3 small apples and/or pears
1/2 c. water
3 green cardamom pods, cracked
3 whole cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Peel, core, and slice the apples and/or pears. Add all ingredients into a saucepan, cover and cook for 5 mins. Serve warm or cold with some of the fruit “tea” (cooking water) with or without a dollop of clotted cream or ice cream!

Left to right, clockwise: Clotted cream, Apple cider jam, vegan clotted cream, and lemon curd (made by Lady L.)

Lady L. made a very impressive vegan clotted cream to accompany these eerie-sistible vegan pumpkin scones, which were definitely love at first bite! 😉

Pumpkin snaps, Dragon’s eggs (aka Samurai peanuts), and vegan pumpkin scones by Lady L.

Though Lady B. was not able to join us for the entire tea party, she did join us for the final hour and shared her bootiful Halloween table with us!

Lady B.’s Halloween table (photo by Lady B.)

She also shared photos of her Victorian Halloween crafts and decorations which were a scream!

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Finally, while I didn’t appreciate Halloween as a kid, I started embracing the holiday as an adult when I met D. He got me interested in the history and Irish origins of the holiday. Known during ancient times as Samhain, meaning “summer’s end,” it was in essence a celebration of the new year, to welcome the harvest.

Though we were celebrating the symbolic end of summer with Halloween, little did we know that we would also be observing another end … the end of an era in our chapter of the Victorian Tea Society with Lady B.’s announcement that she would no longer be able to participate in the Victorian Tea Society as a full member. 😦 I’m very sad and will miss the special spirit that she brought to VTS. But with every ending there is a new beginning and Lady B., I wish you the best in all your future endeavors! Please come back and indulge us with stories of your new adventures over tea very soon!

Thank you Lady J. for hosting a spooktactular and fangtastic Halloween tea filled with magical surprises!

“The farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we’ve come to need Halloween.”

–Paula Guran

World Travel Tea

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Henni

Lady T. hosted the spring tea for the Victorian Tea Society! While we missed Lady K., Lady L., Lady ML, and Lady MH, we welcomed a new guest, Lady P.!

It was fun to hear everyone’s travel stories about their favorite travel destinations and the foods they prepared:

Lady P.: Morocco (figs, grapes, baklava, mango pudding)
Lady S.: Japan (gyoza soup, sliced cucumber and pickled ginger, Imperial House sesame cookies)
Lady J.: England, Hawaii, and Japan (Yorkshire pudding, spam musubi, and Japanese seaweed salad)
Lady B.: England (veggie salad, almond flour scone, and a beautiful crustless veggie quiche in the shape of a rose)
Lady T.: Iceland (Icelandic nachos, Icelandic pancakes, and sandwich made with Icelandic brown bread)
Lady Henni: mystery … Can you guess what country I chose as one of my travel destinations? Here’s a hint:

Can you guess the country shaped like this cookie?

Here’s another hint:

Do you recognize these beloved characters, considered the “crown jewels” of this country?

Finally, a 3rd hint … if you haven’t guessed by now …

The country’s flag, traditional Christmas spice cookies known as Nissu nassau, and the signature textile designs of Marimekko

If you guessed Finland, you are correct!

My dear friend, T., lives in Finland and I have had the great fortune of visiting her twice so far in my life. My first visit was at the end of summer 1992, and my second visit (with D.) was at the end of winter 2006. To appreciate Finland, you must experience the country during both seasons. 🙂 Therefore, in my tea presentation, I chose dishes that reflected my summer and winter experiences in Finland. Surprisingly, Finnish cuisine has a lot in common with Irish cuisine! Meat, potatoes, root vegetables (beetroot, celery root, turnips), stews (karjalanpaisti) cheese, dairy, hearty brown breads, jams, wild salmon, and alcohol. I saw a recipe for a Finnish vegetable soup (kasvissosekeitto) that was exactly like Irish vegetable soup, right down to the addition of white pepper!

Finnish beetroot salad (Rosolli) with beetroot, potato, carrot, pickles, apple, and parsley. Recipe from A tasty trip to Finland.

Summer in Finland is all about the midnight sun and everything mushrooms and berries! SO many berries: strawberries, cloudberries, bilberries (AKA blueberries), lingonberries, raspberries, blackberries, and currants.

When T. came to visit me in the ‘States, we saw these beautiful, huge, red strawberries at the market. She couldn’t believe the size of the strawberries and thought she had landed in Strawberry Heaven. To her great disappointment and surprise, she declared them tasteless while I thought they “weren’t bad.” After trying Finnish strawberries for the first time, I understood T.’s disappointment! Hands down, Finland has the best strawberries I have ever tasted in my life–seriously they are like candy and they have so much flavor! My palette has been forever spoiled and I have not been able to eat American strawberries since (we’re talking 30 years!)!

Foraging for mushrooms is a summer pastime in Finland. Though I didn’t get to forage for mushrooms, I did get to enjoy some of the mushrooms that T. and her parents gathered that summer. Though Finland is a coffee drinking country (much to D.’s delight), I chose a blueberry tea as an homage to Finland’s bountiful summer berries.

Mushroom soup (Sienikeitto). Recipe from The food and cooking of Finland.

Winter in Finland evokes yet other memories and images for me: snow (of course), Christmas, reindeer, and the Easter dinner where D. and I first enjoyed Karelian pies (Karjalanpiirakat) and got to eat off of beautiful Russian Lomonosov china.

Karelian pies or pasties
(adapted from A tasty trip to Finland)

Rice Porridge Filling
1/2 cup short-grain rice
1 cup milk or non-dairy milk
1 cup water

Rye dough / crust
1 cup dark rye flour
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup water

For the Filling:
In a saucepan combine the water and rice. Bring to a boil. Stir, cover, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the milk, cover, and continue cooking until the milk is completely absorbed and the rice is soft and creamy.

For the Pastry:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the water, salt, and rye and white flours to make a stiff dough. Shape the dough into a log and cut into 16 portions and shape each into a round.
On a lightly floured board, roll out each round into a 6-inch circle. Spread about 3 tablespoons of rice filling evenly on each round. Using your index fingers and thumbs, starting from the center, crimp the edges of the dough toward the center to make an oval-shaped pastry, allowing about 1/2-inch of the crust to overlay the filling and leaving the center of the filling exposed. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place pies on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 450°F until the pastries are golden on the edges.

Oh, and Finnish dark sour rye bread! D. and I couldn’t get enough of that. In fact, we have not been able to get that dark sour rye bread anywhere and I haven’t found any recipes that come close. 😦

(Foregound) Karelian pies and (background) open face cucumber sandwiches on dark sour rye

For dessert, I made my favorite Christmas cookie, the Finnish spice cookie, Nissu nassu. Nissu nassu means “piggy” and traditionally, nissu nassu cookies are shaped like pigs. In additional to the traditional shape, I also cut out cookie shapes of things that reminded me of Finland.

Finnish spice cookies (Nissu nassu) in the shapes of Finland, Christmas tree, reindeer, and pigs (for which the cookie is named)

Nissu nassu (Finnish spice cookies)
(From the Cooking Class Christmas cookies cookbook)

2 c. flour
1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. cardamom
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ c. butter, softened*
2/3 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
½ tsp. baking soda
3-5 Tbsp. hot water

* Vegan: use oil or margarine

Cream together sugar and butter. Sift flour and spices together. Add flour mixture gradually to the sugar and butter. Mix ½ tsp. baking soda with 3 Tbsp. hot water until dissolved and add it to the flour mixture. If necessary, add some water, 1 Tbsp. at a time until a dough forms.

For refrigerator cookies, dough can be shaped into a log and wrapped in plastic wrap. For cut-out cookies, shape dough into a flat disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until firm. Slice cookie log into 1/8” slices. Or roll out dough between two pieces of plastic using bamboo skewers as a thickness guide and cut out shapes using cookie cutters.

Place cookies on lined or greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 mins. until lightly browned.

Thank you, Lady T., for a lovely afternoon tea party! It was so nice to “see” all the VTS ladies and sip tea with you all. We hope that this will be our last virtual tea party and that we will be able to meet in person for our Fall tea! Here’s to new and better days ahead!

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Really good vegan scones

Posted on May 22, 2020 by Henni

I have finally found a decent vegan scone recipe! It’s actually based on a biscuit recipe but with a bit of sugar and the right condiments, it’s definitely a scone! D. declared it had the right “dry” texture that he looks for in a good scone and not sweet. That is compliment enough for me! 🙂

Vegan scones with kumquat curd

While I’m not ready to declare this the *best* vegan scone, it is a very good scone, if you are a fan of butter scones. In fact, it’s better than many non-vegan butter scones I’ve had! However, I prefer cream scones so I’m still on the hunt for the *best* vegan cream scone! In the meantime, you can enjoy and serve this vegan “butter” scone with confidence! It’s a great base recipe (which is the way I like scones–unadorned) so feel free to customize it with a 1/2 cup of add-ins such as chopped dried fruits, fresh berries, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or 1/2 tsp. of spice such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, or 1 tsp. of lemon zest, orange zest, almond extract, the possibilities are endless!

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Really good vegan scones
(adapted from many recipes)

(yield: 10 scones)

2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar (or more to taste)
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. oil (grapeseed, canola, vegetable, etc.)
2/3 c. unsweetened nondairy milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
Add the oil and milk and stir gently until flour is incorporated.
Using a silicone spatula, fold the dough a few times until it comes together and the sides of the bowl are clean. Do not overwork the dough.
Using your hands, gently flatten dough into a 1/2″ thick circle.
Cut into wedges or use a 2.5″ biscuit cutter to cut out circles.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

This scone definitely deserves a place in the Games of Scones!

Arya Hungry? Because Dinner is Coming…

It all started with a mouse!

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Henni

It is a rare day when Disneyland closes for one day, let alone for 18 days! In fact, during its 65-year history of opening 7 days a week, Disneyland has closed on only three days: the day after the assassination of JFK (1963), the day after the Northridge Earthquake (1994), and on 9/11. You know that things are dire, if the Happiest Place On Earth has to close its doors, especially during a time when all could use a little joy and escape from all the current madness.

But all is not lost because we still have our memories of past visits to the Magic Kingdom! Furthermore, everyone stuck at home can even relive and “go” on select Disneyland and Disney World rides via YouTube, including the Pirates of the Caribbean (everyone’s favorite, right?)! While we are isolating and doing our human best to weather these unprecedented times, I would also like to invite you to experience some Disney magic with the Victorian Tea Society, with this recap of Lady MH’s recent tea! 🙂

Tea invitation to a Magical Disney Tea!

Welcome to a magical Disney Tea party! In great Disney fashion, Lady MH (dressed as Mrs. Potts, from Beauty and the Beast–really, she was dressed as a teapot, you had to see it to believe it) welcomed her guests at the gates of her Magic Kingdom with quite the fanfare, including … a technicolor banner! …

… a panoply of flowers (because what is Disneyland without flowers?) …

… Fantasy Land’s whimsical, larger-than-life, flora …

… and lots of Disney memories and memorabilia!

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Disneyland monorail: “Please stand clear of the doors!” and 101 dalmatians (photo by Lady MH)

“Please stand clear of the doors ..!” Is there anything that says Disneyland more than the “The Voice of Disneyland,” Jack Wagner? I love that Lady MH displayed this Disneyland monorail playset to welcome us like Jack Wagner’s voice welcomes guests at Disneyland (yes, the monorail playset talks!). I feel happy whenever I recall “The Voice of Disneyand” because it evokes memories of my visits to the Magic Kingdom. As a kid, I always thought that Walt Disney himself was “The Voice of Disneyland!” I was so pleased to learn that Wagner was officially recognized as a Disney legend in 2005.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Disney!

“Welcome to the Wonderful World of Disney!” If you’re a Gen X-er, you probably watched the “Wonderful World of Disney” every Sunday night. For me, it was the last little weekend joy before school on Mondays! This wall-sized painting and interpretation of Disneyland was a feast for the eyes, immersing us in spring flowers, and making us feel as if we were in a faraway land, approaching the Magic Kingdom from a forest deep in the woods.

Once inside the Lady MH’s castle, there were many magical things to behold, including an army of teapots, led by Mrs. Potts herself!

Mrs. Potts and Beauty and the Beast

“But, as you can see, the lanterns are already burning—with an enchanted flame”–Mrs. Potts, Beauty and the beast

Hey, it’s Lumiere and friends!

A motley crew of Disney characters showed up including 4 Minnie Mouses, Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Anna of Arendelle (Frozen). Sadly, Mary Poppins was not able to attend because of nanny duties but she promised a tea party on the ceiling with Uncle Albert at a future date!

“We love to laugh
Loud and long and clear
We love to laugh
So everybody can hear

The more you laugh
The more you fill with glee
And the more the glee
The more we’re a merrier we.”

— “I love to laugh” from Mary Poppins

Mrs. Potts had a grand feast planned for us, starting with Lady B.’s (Anna of Arendelle) “Be my guest” welcome soup (roasted butternut squash soup) and green chile cornbread, courtesy of the Pirates of the Caribbean.

“Be my guest” welcome soup by Lady B.

“I won’t grow up! … if it means I must prepare, to shoulder burdens with a worried air … !” With a little help from Peter Pan, Lady S. (Minnie Mouse) created the “I won’t grow up” salad, peppered with dark chocolate and oranges, getting us to eat our greens while satisfying the child within us.

“I won’t grow up” Chocolate orange salad by Lady S

In between courses, we shared our favorite Disney memories. My earliest memory of Disneyland was not necessarily a happy one but a vivid one–I must have been 3-4 years old. I was always a very well behaved child but I threw my first and only tantrum in public at Disneyland! It was the end of a long day and I remember being part of the mass exodus through Main Street, making our way to the parking trams. On the way out, there were hawkers selling Mickey Mouse balloons, big colorful lollipops, Disney dolls, books, Mickey Mouse ears, Disney apparel, view masters (remember those!?), stuffed Disney animals, and basically all manner of Disney souvenirs! I had eyes for only one Disney souvenir: a tiny stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh. I’m not sure why I honed in on that stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh because, at that time, my obsession was Snow White. In any case, my Dad would not buy it for me and I threw a tantrum, made a scene, and cried in public. Much to my shame and humiliation, I recall my Dad scooping me up and carrying me the rest of the way to the trams. All the while, I could see Winnie-the-Pooh getting smaller and smaller until it disappeared from my sight, blurred by my disappointed and angry tears. Years later, I vowed to finally get that stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh bear only to discover that it really wasn’t as cute or adorable as I remembered it! 😀

Made with love!

While the Sorcerer’s Apprentice commanded a broom to whip up some sandwiches for us (quite successfully, I might add! Who can resist the Little Mermaid cucumber sandwiches and Mickey Mouse shaped egg salad sandwiches?!), Lady S. shared a memory of a reluctant visit to the Enchanted Tiki Room (hey, my favorite A-ticket attraction!) while visiting Disneyland with a group of friends. There, she watched in amazement and surprise as her friend sang along word-for-word with the menagerie of birds, flowers, and tiki statues in the attraction! The experience gave her a new appreciation of the Enchanted Tiki Room because of the sheer joy it gave her friend.

Lady J. then regaled us with her memorable visit to Hong Kong Disneyland with her mother and youngest sister. Being the world traveler that she is, Lady J. is the only one of us who has visited more than two Disney parks! Disneyland, Disney World, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea.

Minnie Mouse’s mini pot pies by Lady J. (photo by Lady J.)

Curried Vegan/Vegetarian Cornish Pasties
(from the kitchen of Lady J)
(yield: 15 4″ pasties)

1-pkg. Pillsbury Pie Crust or 2 handmade pie crusts

Filling
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 cloves garlic crushed
½ c. frozen peas
salt and pepper

Gravy
½ c. vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. arrowroot (or flour or cornstarch)

To make the filling, heat the oil in a large pan over high heat and add the onion. Stir fry gently for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the carrots, potatoes, curry powder, and garlic and continue to fry for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are soft. Add the peas and cook for another few minutes.
Mix the arrowroot with the vegetable broth. Pour over the cooked filling till the sauce thickens. Keep the sauce more on the light side to avoid making your pastry soggy. Set aside and let cool.
To use with a 4″ dough press: Unwrap one roll of pie crust pastry at a time. Lay pastry over the press dough and press down. Tear away the excess dough. Fill the dough with a spoonful of filling (do not overfill or the pastry will tear). Repeat until all the pastry dough has been used. Roll the excess dough together until all the circles have been filled.
To fold the pastry by hand: Use a circle cookie cutter and cut out however many circles. Take the excess pastry and roll into a ball; continue cutting out circles until all the pastry dough is used up. Use your hands to fold and press the filling. If necessary, brush a little water around the rim of the pastry and fold it over the filling. Press the edges together to seal. Crimp the edges with your fingers or the tines of a fork.
Cut a little slit in the top of the pasty for steam to escape. Place the pasties on a couple of baking sheets.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place pasties on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes; then turn temperature down to 350 and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Set aside and cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Can brush butter over pasties to give it a nice shine. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

“… the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got down off the mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely remarking as it went, ‘One side (of the mushroom) will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.’

Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, trying to make out which were the two sides of it and as it was perfectly round, she found this a very difficult question … ‘And now which is which?’ she said to herself …”

— Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Who dares to try Alice in Wonderland’s mushrooms? I’m not sure if any of the guests experienced hallucinations, grew taller, or shrunk during this course, but I am quite certain that they all grew a little bigger, after consuming this mushroom delight!

Alice in Wonderland’s mushrooms (by Lady Henni)

Alice in Wonderland’s (vegan) mushroom delight
(adapted from Wizard of Oz mushroom delight)
Serves 8

1 1/2 lbs. white button mushrooms
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. white miso
Chopped parsley, thyme, and/or basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix butter, olive oil, and white miso together and toss mushrooms in the mixture until coated. Roast the mushrooms at 425 degrees for 1/2 hr. until the juices run. Garnish mushrooms with the chopped herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or at room temperature.

Next up, the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious scones!

Blueberry scones from Starbucks, and lemon poppyseed scones from Vons (photo by Lady MH)

“It’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You’ll always sound precocious …”

–Mary Poppins

Lemon poppyseed scone (photo by Lady J)

Blueberry scone

Mad Tea Party Fruit by Lady K.

After the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious scones, Lady K. (Minnie Mouse) served her Mad Tea Party Fruit. During the fruit course, things got a bit “mad” as we reminisced about Disneyland “back then” and Disneyland now. Lady MH revealed that she recently stood in line for 4 hours (yes, 4 hours!) just so her granddaughter could meet and greet Elsa from Frozen! I remembered when Disney characters used to roam around the park and it was luck of the draw if you spotted your favorites–it was part of the charm and magic of the entire Disney experience! But now guests have to venture to official “meet and greet” locations and stand in line for a glimpse of their favorite characters. Lady K. pointed out that some characters such as Donald Duck, Goofy, or Chip ‘n’ Dale still randomly roam around the park. Lady ML was shocked, “What do you mean Chip ‘n’ Dale roam around Disneyland?!” Someone politely corrected her, “NO, she means Chip ‘n’ Dale, the chipmunks … not Chippendale, the hunks!” LOL Lady ML was much relieved, if not embarrassed, as she was appalled at the possibility that her little granddaughters could encounter Chippendale’s at Disneyland!

“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust. All you need is faith trust and a little bit of pixie dust.”
— J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan

Mrs. Pott’s concluded her tea party with several special sweets including Tinkerbell’s Pink Stuff Delight and her signature Wonderful World of Disney Rainbow Jello-O.

Wonderful World of Disney Color Jell-o

While everyone was enjoying their rainbow Jello-O, Lady K. and I drifted off into our own little world as we became mesmerized by the Jell-O …

Do you see the madness too?

We must have had a few too many mushrooms or a little bit too much pixie dust because we shared a simultaneous WTH moment while admiring Lady MH’s rainbow Jell-O. Do you see something “off” about the Jell-O in the photo? Lady K. and I could not figure out why there were striations across the “grain” of the Jell-O. Obviously, the striations were made by a knife and we understood how the layered Jell-O was made, but what was Lady MH doing when she cut the Jell-O squares?! Everyone looked at us as if we had gone bonkers, with our crazy observations. Nobody could figure out what the heck we were looking at, or what we were talking about. Do you see what we saw? Or were we alone in our madness?? (P.S. We did finally figure out what Lady MH did and she still thought we were crazy for noticing! ;))

Mrs. Potts’ and Chip’s lemon treats

Finally, after enjoying Mrs. Potts’ and Chip’s lemon treats, we were ready to live happily ever after!

Tea charm bracelet with Disney charms made specially for Lady MH by Lady S.

It was indeed a magical afternoon, having tea with fellow Disney friends, and sharing our favorite memories of Disneyland. I noticed that everyone’s memories had one thing in common–namely that our memories were special because of the people we shared them with: children, grandchildren, parents, friends, spouses, partners, siblings, etc. Thank you, Mrs. Potts, for a hosting an enchanting afternoon at your Magic Kingdom! It was an honor to be your guest.

Around the world tea

Posted on August 11, 2019 by Henni

A seasoned traveler, Lady J. is the only person I know who can boast that she has set foot on all 7 continents! Inspired by her many travels and the book, Tea parties around the world, Lady J. took us Around the world with her VTS summer tea!

As usual, Lady J.’s table was impeccably set!

We all thought the folded napkins were very clever and apropos, given the sailboat name cards upon the “waves” of the napkins. As it turned out, the napkin folds were sailboats themselves. 🙂

Chilled Golden Delicious Apple and Peach Soup (Princess Cruise Lines) by Lady ML

Lady J. took great care to design an all-vegetarian menu (much to the delight of Lady S. and myself!) while staying true to her Around the world theme. Each of the delicious morsels on Lady J.’s menu represented a country or something travel-related.

Lady J. also served 4 different teas, offering a taste of a variety of countries/regions: France, China, Hawaii (Tropics), and Mexico. The white peony black tea was a clear favorite.

Chilled Golden Delicious Apple and Peach Soup (Princess Cruises) by Lady ML

Lady J. has also done her fair share of cruising and attends afternoon tea on the ship whenever possible. This chilled apple and peach soup is one of many afternoon tea memories on board Princess Cruises.

PnJ’s Healthy Salad with Sushi Dressing (USA/Japan fusion)

Lady J.’s secret salad dressing is sesame oil and sushi vinegar! It’s simple and delicious!

Curried cucumber sandwiches (India) by Lady Henni

Henni’s curried vegan cream cheese
(yield: 1 cup)

3/4 c. almond flour
2/3 c. water
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice or lemon vinegar
1 tsp. madras curry powder (or your favorite curry blend)
1 tsp. tapioca flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a nonstick saucepan. Continuously stir mixture on medium heat, about 5 mins. Keep stirring to prevent burning. When it starts to bubble, you’re getting close. Keep stirring until the mixture just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and becomes a really soft dough. Take it off the heat.

Chill before serving. The “cream cheese” may seem grainy but it spreads smoothly! Keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge. Spread on toast, crackers, etc.

Zaalouk Eggplant Canapes (Morocco) by Lady S.

Lady S. made the cutest Moroccan zaalouk canapes! I think this is my new favorite eggplant recipe! 🙂 I could eat a bowl of this!

Zaalouk Eggplant Canapes
(From Tea parties around the world)

3 c. peeled, diced eggplant
2 c. chopped plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. water
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt

Put all ingredients into a pan and cook for 30 mins. until veggies are tender. Use a potato masher to blend and mash the eggplant and tomatoes. Serve on pita chips or mini pitas. Lady S. cut out mini-pitas using a cookie cutter and baked them until slightly crisp.

Beet Smorrebrod Sandwiches (Denmark) by Lady T. (Dark rye topped with tarragon aioli, roasted golden beets, red onion, fresh tarragon, and toasted buckwheat)

Lady T.’s Danish beet smorrebrod sandwiches were out of this world!

Vegetarian Scotch Eggs (Scotland) by Lady B. and Zaalouk Eggplant Canapes by Lady S.

I have never had a Scotch egg, which is traditionally encased in crumbled sausage and breadcrumbs, and deep fried. However, Lady B. made vegetarian Scotch eggs that were so delicious that I can’t imagine an authentic Scotch egg could touch it! Baked, instead of deep fried, the vegetarian Scotch egg was surrounded by a savory potato crust and the center stuffed with a tasty filling (just like a deviled egg)! Lady S. and I were so happy to be able to enjoy the Scotch eggs! Thank you, Lady B.!

Fresh Fruit (tribute to the upcoming summer Olympics in Tokyo) beautifully and artfully presented by Lady MH (of course!)

After enjoying the sandwiches and savories, Lady J. asked each of us to share a favorite country or city we’d visited or wanted to visit. Of all the ladies in the group, I was the least experienced traveler (that gives you an idea of how much these ladies travel) so I was eager to hear everyone’s top picks! It was very interesting to hear everyone’s stories and to be able to add new places to visit on our own buckets lists!

Lady B.–England (appreciated its beauty, history, and Victorian traditions)
Lady Henni–Italy (Florence, for its food, history, and warm people)
Lady J.–British Isles and Ireland (for its afternoon tea traditions, accents, and the lovely people she met on this tour)
Lady K.–London (great memories of having spent a semester abroad here)
Lady MH–Japan (for its trust-based culture)
Lady ML–China (everything about it!)
Lady S.–Japan (where she found her grandmother)
Lady T.–Canada (everything about it!)

Sour Cream and Chocolate Scones (Russia) by Lady ML and Lady K. with clotted cream and lemon curd by Lady J. and homemade Lingonberry jam (Sweden)

I confess … I have a weakness for sour cream. I am not a big fan of dairy in general but for some reason, I go gaga for sour cream! And sour cream in desserts? Drooool worthy! These scones were sooo good!

An extraordinary tea deserves an extraordinary dessert and Lady J. delivered with her beautiful Pavlova cake (Australia and New Zealand)! And yes, it tasted as good as it looked!

Thank you Lady J. for hosting a lovely afternoon! My hat’s off to all the ladies who outdid themselves with all the wonderful foods–I must declare it was the most delicious tea we’ve had! Bravo!* I also very much enjoyed being an armchair traveler for a few hours, experiencing different countries through you all–it was quite the Grand Tour!

What is a favorite country or city you have visited? I would love to know. Feel free to leave a comment! * Is the word “bravo” universal? I was surprised to find it’s virtually the same in every language!?

Mother’s Day Tea 2019

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Henni

Happy Mother’s Day! I hosted a vegan tea to celebrate my Mom for Mother’s Day with flowers, roses, and everything spring!

Fruit course: blueberries

First course: Cilantro soup

Cilantro soup

5 1/2 c. stock
2 potatoes, chopped*
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, whole (or 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic)
1/2 c. frozen or canned corn
1-3 tsp. chili powder (to taste)
2 bunches of cilantro
1 lemon or lime

* I used potatoes as a thickener for this soup but you can omit it if you want a clearer soup that is more like broth. If omitting the potatoes, chop the onion finely, and mince the garlic. No need to puree the soup.

Cook the potatoes, onion, and garlic in the stock. When potatoes are cooked, use an immersion blender to puree the cooked veggies. Add chili powder and corn to the soup and heat through. Chop or puree the cilantro using a food processor and stir into the soup right before serving. Serve with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Garnish with chopped avocado, radishes, or tomatoes.

These are Easter egg radishes. So pretty!

Vegan tea sandwiches: Tofu egg salad with arugula on seeded wheat bread; Avocado on stoneground wheat cracker; Open faced radish sandwiches with almond herbed garlic cream cheese

Vegan carrot cake and Lemon bars from Edelweiss Bakery (not vegan)

Rosemary chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip cookies

NOTE: This recipe is still in progress

Rosemary chocolate chip cookies (vegan)
(Adapted from Isa Chandra’s recipe)

(yield: 2 dozen cookies)

1/2 cup neutral tasting oil (canola, vegetable, etc.)
2 tablespoons lightly packed, chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour*
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (next time, try 1/4 tsp. baking soda)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (try mint chocolate chips)

*Optional: Minus 1 Tbsp. plus 1 Tbsp. wheat gluten for chewier cookie.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two large baking sheets. Mix all dry ingredients together. Then add wet ingredients and mix until incorporated and dough-like. Drop dough by 2 Tbsp. onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 mins. until golden brown. Let cookies cool for 5 mins. on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom and all my friends who are also Moms!

Fall Bounty Tea

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Henni

Happy Thanksgiving! You are invited to the last Victorian Tea Society (VTS) Tea of 2018, celebrating Fall’s bounty!

Lady S. hosted her first afternoon tea for VTS and what a tea it was! Warm and inviting notes of Autumn greeted us, from the beautiful fall wreath on the front door to the beckoning fall colors and decor inside. I just wanted to curl up on her couch in front of the fireplace with a good book and a cup of tea! Never mind that it was 80 degrees outside! 😉 I will let the photos speak for themselves as Lady S. left no detail unturned.

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The welcoming Fall table

Every setting had an egg cup with fresh flowers. Lady J., who loves purple, got a purple egg cup!

Unfortunately, Lady K. could not join us but Lady S. set a seat for her anyway (with her tea favor bag) so she could be with us in absentia! Notice the real acorn cap!

Do you love these napkin holders or what?! Lady S. is so creative and crafty–she made all the table decorations.

Lady S. put a lot of thought into the menu, choosing craveable fall ingredients such as sweet potatoes, kale, apples, turkey, mushrooms, cranberries, oranges, pumpkin, cinnamon, and even candy corn! With the exception of one sandwich, the menu was vegetarian friendly!

click to enlarge

Sweet potato soup with cheddar shortbread leaves by Lady S.

The sweet potato soup was delicious and creamy–it was hard to believe there was no dairy in the soup! Lady S. said the secret was in the peels! The cheddar shortbread leaves were a wonderful accompaniment!

Sweet potato soup
(From Cook’s Illustrated)

1 shallot, sliced thin
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 1/4 cups water
2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
Minced fresh chives

Scrub, peel, and chop sweet potatoes, reserving about 1/4 of the peels. Set aside.

In a soup pot, saute shallot and thyme sprigs in butter over medium high heat until shallot is translucent.

Add 4 1/4 cups of water to the shallots and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and add chopped sweet potatoes and reserved peels. Steep 20 minutes.

Add brown sugar, cider vinegar, salt and pepper and turn heat to medium high. Cook 10 minutes.

Remove thyme sprigs. Using a blender (filled no more than 1/2 full), puree soup 45-50 seconds in batches. Serve warm.

Cheddar shortbread leaves by Lady S. (photo by Lady J.)

Cheddar Shortbread

(From Gooseberry Patch: Christmas, Book 3)

2 cups finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 (1 stick) butter, melted

1-2 teaspoon water, if needed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine cheese, flour, and seasonings. Add melted butter and mix with hands to form a dough. Add 1-2 teaspoons water if the dough is too dry to hold together when squeezed into a ball.

On floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter and place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 12-15 minutes, cool on wire rack. Makes approx. 2 dozen.

Kale and smoked almond salad by Lady T.

Everything about this salad was delicious! Lady T. said it was a big pain to put together but we all thought it was well worth the effort!

Kale and Smoked Almond Salad
(From Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street)

2 shallots, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons honey
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Ground black pepper
1 cup smoked almonds
4 ounces chewy white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 bunches lacinato (dinosaur or Tucsan) kale, stemmed, washed, spun dry and thinly sliced crosswise (10 cups)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots, vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let sit for 10 minutes, so the vinegar can “cook” the shallots. Whisk in the honey, 5 tablespoons of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

2. In a food processor, process the almonds until coarsely chopped, about 8 pulses; transfer to a large bowl. Add the bread to the processor and process to rough crumbs, about 20 seconds. Add the thyme, the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Process until incorporated, about 10 seconds.

3. Transfer the crumb mixture to a large skillet over medium and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

4. Add the kale to the bowl with the almonds and massage the greens until the kale softens and darkens, 10 to 20 seconds. Add the dressing and crumbs and toss to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.

Egg salad, cucumber sandwich by Lady ML, cheddar and apple on pumpkin bread by Lady S., turkey pinwheel sandwich by Lady J., tofurkey pinwheel by Lady S., and mushroom delight (mini mushroom tart) by Lady Henni (photo by Lady J.)

Mini Mushroom Tarts
(From the Kitchen of Lady Henni)

Pie crust
(from the Better Home & Gardens Cook Book)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 – 7 tablespoons cold water

Put all ingredients for the pie crust in a food processor and process until dough comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 mins. Then roll out the dough about 1/8″ thin and cut with a biscuit cutter (2.5″). Place dough in mini tart pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 mins. until light brown.

Mushroom filling

2 lbs. crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. parsley, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. vegan cheese sauce (optional)

Saute all ingredients except vegan cheese sauce until mushrooms are cooked down. Add vegan cheese sauce to desired consistency. Fill baked pie crusts with warm mushroom filling. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and/or pie crust leaves. Serve immediately or reheat in microwave before serving.

Cheddar and apple on molasses wheat bread by Lady S. (photo by Lady J.)

Molasses Wheat Bread

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

1/4 cup flax seeds

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup toasted wheat germ

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup oil (canola or grapeseed)

3 cups buttermilk

(vegan alternative: 3 cups almond milk plus 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar)

3/4 cup molasses

1 cup smooth apple sauce

Grind flax seeds in a spice mill until fine (or use pre-ground flax seeds). Set aside.

Heat oven to 375 degrees with rack in center. Lightly grease two 9 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, flax seeds, wheat germ, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add oil, buttermilk, molasses and apple sauce and stir until well blended. Batter will be thick.

Divide batter evenly between two prepared pans. Even out tops with a spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

The bread may be frozen, double-wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 3 weeks, or refrigerated up to 1 week.

Turkey pinwheels by Lady J.

Turkey Pinwheels

(Tip: Make these roll-ups one day ahead, wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap,

then slice before serving)

1 sheet of Lavosh or 1-2 large tortillas

whipped cream cheese

cranberry relish (you can use canned cranberry sauce)

sliced turkey luncheon meat

2 whole Romaine lettuce leaves

Spread cream cheese very lightly on lavish or tortilla—to the edges. Top lightly with cranberry relish, leaving approx. 2 inches uncovered at one end. Cover cranberry relish with a single layer of turkey. Place Romaine leaf at the end that has all three layers and roll TIGHTLY toward the end with only cream cheese. The cream cheese will seal the roll. Wrap roll tightly in waxed paper or plastic. Slice to make pinwheels before serving.

Extra cranberry sauce for the turkey pinwheels

Cranberry orange scones by Lady S. with lemon curd and Devonshire cream by Lady B.

Cranberry-Orange Scones
(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)

1 stick frozen unsalted butter

zest of 1 orange

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup cold buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, granulated sugar, and salt.

On a box grater, grate frozen butter on medium holes. With your fingers, gently fluff the butter and orange zest into the flour mixture so it is evenly distributed. Add cranberries and buttermilk and stir until just combined. Do not over mix!

Scoop 1/3 cup size mounds of dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart (the scones do spread a little). Bake until bottoms are golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet.

Fall Harvest Fruit Cup by Lady MH

Closeup of the beautiful detail on the fruit cup stems

Fall chocolates, candy corn cookie, and pecan sandies by Lady S.

Pecan cookie, apple bundt cake, and candy corn cookie by Lady S.

The food was not only bountiful but really hit the spot! So delicious! We marveled at how Lady S. managed to do so much baking: cheddar shortbread, cranberry orange scones, apple bundt cake, pecan cookies (her grandmother’s recipe!), and candy corn cookies! Even though we were stuffed to the gills by the time dessert rolled around, Lady ML looked over the menu and in a conspiratorial whisper exclaimed, “Oooh, there’s also petite pumpkin pies! Where are those? Did we miss them?” Lady S. had done so much baking that we thought she did not get around to making the pumpkin pies so we did not mention them. 🙂 Well, it wasn’t until much later that Lady S. realized she had forgotten to serve the mini pumpkin pies, much to her chagrin, and much to our regrets!

The forgotten petite pumpkin pies (photo by Lady S.)

Look at these lovely fall tea cozies that Lady S. knitted! I totally would have worn them as hats! Comedian Billy Connolly’s famous quip immediately came to mind, “Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn’t try it on.” 🙂

Knitted tea cozy by Lady S.

During the tea party, the ladies all took turns writing on thankfulness leaves which we tied to tree frames. At the end of the tea, we read the leaves aloud to share our thoughts of gratitude which covered all aspects of life: family, friends, health, homes, siblings, spouses, and work. It certainly made us feel grateful and appreciate what we had.

Thankfulness tree

Lady S. also knitted beautiful infinity scarves/neck warmers with a leaf pattern as tea favors for all the ladies! Everyone got a custom, personalized color. I love my scarf!Thank you Lady S. for hosting a memorable, unforgettable afternoon of bounty and gratitude! You really outdid yourself and I continually find inspiration from you and your creativity! You’ve given me much to think about and reflect on as the year comes to a close and I am so grateful that you are a part of my Life journey.

“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.”

– John Donne

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Tastes like tea

There is always time for afternoon tea!

Category Archives: Recipes

A Belgian Tea Party

Wellness Tea

Craft-tea tea party

VTS Halloween Tea

World Travel Tea

Really good vegan scones

Around the world tea

Mother’s Day Tea 2019

Fall Bounty Tea