British tradition of Afternoon Tea is one we Americans enjoy too, and so I wanted to share a collection of recipes and ideas for this lovely gathering.
What Is Afternoon Tea Anyway?
Afternoon Tea is a ritual introduced in Britain in the early 1840’s, which later evolved into a mini-meal to hold one over until the evening meal, often served around 8pm. A practical pick-me-up meal done with pretty things to look at.
Traditions Worth Keeping
This lovely ritual often consisted of delicate and attractively presented little two-bite sandwiches, scones and sweet treats, and… of course, Tea!
Served indoors during the damp and cold winters of England, this tradition was often more than just a comfort; it was for important conversations and a make-things-better time.
Naturally this tradition quickly moved outdoors in the warmer weather surrounded by the beautiful gardens the Brits are known for, and created much the same comfort with a different setting.
However tea is served, it is for sure an inviting, stop-what-you’re-doing time of day!
Delicious Afternoon Tea Recipes
Since a traditional afternoon tea has no set rules as to what recipes are made to serve for them, just think finger food, delicate appearance, contrasting colors, good quality breads, fresh herbs and fruits, and make whatever you want from these ingredients, both sweet and savory!
Winter time afternoon tea might consist of meats such as roast pork or lamb served between brown or white bread, or served in bitesize choux pastry, which is an easy egg and buttery rich bun made at home.
Come spring and summer time, lighter flavors, such as an egg salad, radishes, cucumber or other garden fresh veggies and herbs, often chosen to change a mood to match the season.
Tea Sandwiches Are A Must
What would a traditional afternoon tea be without tea sandwiches and yes, I prefer these sandwiches made with homemade bread.
Of course a proper tea must have cucumber sandwiches, and while the British tradition (I know, because I am married to a Brit), is always made with unsalted butter spread over white bread, I like to break the rules a bit and try a variety of savory treats as my tea sandwiches.
If you happen to have, tucked in your freezer as I do, a collection of classic compound butter, which is butter made into logs with a variety of herbs, flowers and flavors, your butter options will be fantastic on tea sandwiches.
However, if you’re in a pinch and need to whip this gathering up quickly, pre-made items, sliced meats, breads, even small bite sweet treats such as fruit tarts or macarons can be purchased from your favorite market.
Recipe Ideas Don’t End With Tea Sandwiches
Cakes, especially the traditional Victoria Sponge, and cookies are always an easy to make sweet treat for the spread, just scaled down to bite-size servings.
For cake ideas, a sheet-cake cut into the desired size, makes for an easy approach to a little showstopper dessert, stacked as two layers filled lemon curd or whipped cream and fresh fruit on top.
Have you ever read a British romance novel that didn’t expound on a scene with lace table coverings, delicate tea cups and plates and drool worthy sweets on three-tiered tea stand?
Scones For Afternoon Tea
Don’t forget how fast and easy a savory scone is to make, and can be made a day in advance, such as my favorite Nasturtium Scones made with the leaves of nasturtium which taste like radishes.
This trailing plant grows outdoors all summer in hanging baskets, and indoors in pots all winter.
Since scones are often prepared in a rustic free-form, we might not think they are dainty enough for a traditional tea, however they can be easily dressed up for the occasion with minimal fuss.
Other Ideas For Savory Tea Sandwiches
While cucumber finger sandwiches are usually the first traditional recipe that most think of for afternoon tea, finger sandwiches with stronger flavors are a good idea to prepare for a variety.
A dark bread offers contrast of color and taste for finger sandwiches and is a delicious choice when serving shrimp or egg salad as finger sandwiches.
Thin slices of smoked salmon with a spread of homemade chive butter or cream cheese on a pumpernickel, spelt or homemade potato bread for the perfect small bites tea sandwiches.
Be creative with both the bread and what you choose to place on them, just remember afternoon tea is considered a spread of finger foods, so consider the size and colorful appearance.
How To Make Finger Sandwiches For Tea
Once you’ve chosen your best bread to use, baring in mind you will need to trim crusts, so stay clear of a sour dough bread with lots of holes, since the crust will be removed, the rest is easy.
When using cucumber, radishes or meats, they must be sliced thin and kept delicate in appearance. A few sprigs of fresh herbs popping out from under the tea sandwiches offer a fresh appearance even if some of the sandwich filling is store bought.
Trim crusts before assembling the tea sandwiches or use a cookie cutter for symmetry in the shapes and sizes of the sandwich.
If using a spread, such as unsalted butter, cream cheese or mascarpone, be sure to have them room temperature so they are easy to spread without tearing the bread slices.
Once assembled, store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve, though not for too long when making the sandwiches with egg salad. We don’t want the sandwiches to become soggy.
Dessert Recipes For A Traditional Tea
Of course we will want to serve some sweet treats with our afternoon tea and the best ideas for those will be from recipes you already know and love.
Making finger size tarts with store bought tart shells and filling them with a homemade lemon curd is an easy do-ahead sweet treat that can be served with a raspberry or blueberry on top.
Tea cakes of course, are perfect for afternoon traditional tea and those can be a simple vanilla cake, cut into bite-size squares and served with a spread of whipped cream and thin slices of juicy strawberries on top.
Plain scones can also be used to serve with whipped cream and a favorite fruit on top.
Sweet Or Savory Scones
If you’ve ever made scones, you know how fast, easy and forgiving they can be. I have several delicious recipes for scones that are both sweet or savory.
Scones are a great idea to plan for your afternoon tea because they can be made in advance and ready to serve when the afternoon spread is being laid.
- Nasturtium Scones – similar to the flavor of arugula or watercress, the nasturtium leaf makes a delicious savory scone, with lots of butter and a rustic flour.
- Carrot Scones – what could be better than a British Recipe for scones? An American Carrot Ginger Scone recipe that’s NOT a carrot cake trying to be a scone!
- Blueberry Scones – tea time lemon blueberry scones, plump with fresh blueberries, a buttery oat dough with lemon glaze, for an afternoon tea or ladies gathering.
- Lemon Mint Scones – rustic lemon mint scones are bright in flavor from lemon and mint, rustic in appearance with the help of oat flour and quick to make.
Serving Cake For Afternoon Tea
While a whole cake is not traditionally served for afternoon tea, bite-size individually shaped cakes from any of your favorite cake recipes, makes it easy to plan the sweet treat for your afternoon tea.
I prefer to make all my cakes from scratch but not with fussy recipes; easy recipes that lean more heavily into healthy ingredients rather than overly sweet cakes, is my preference.
- Parsnip Orange Spice Cake – move over carrot cake because this naturally sweet parsnip orange spice cake recipe with oat and walnut flour, is about to take your place.
- Classic Chestnut Coffee Cakes – a popular Tuscan cake, of chestnuts, cacao, and coffee, laced with a little rum, and chocolate, if you must!
- Grape Harvest Cake – showcases a harvest of red grapes, hints of citrus, enriched with olive oil and glazed with honey and Grappa.
- Sage Lemon Tea Cakes – made with fresh sage, lemon rinds, lots of olive oil, spelt and oat flour, is as healthy an afternoon tea cake recipe gets!
Proper Tea For Special Occasions
From the time we were little girls, the excitement of tea parties doesn’t seem to lose it’s thrill once we are grown women, so why not make a traditional afternoon tea preparation for any of your girl gathering events.
Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea
Mother’s Day during the pandemic lockdown, was actually the first afternoon tea I ever prepared.
My sister came over, I set up two individual girlie tables on the veranda with my favorite tea cups, tablescapes and recipes.
We enjoyed long hours of laughter in this special occasion just for us. Every Mother’s Day needs pretty and delicious moments to just sit with a loved one and reflect life. Â
Baby Shower Tea Celebration
What better way to celebrate a baby shower celebration then with a traditional afternoon tea, simply because it can easily be laid like a buffet with lots of finger foods and pretty dishes.
Personalize the setting with the options you choose to place on the table focusing on the ‘girl or boy’ theme of the occasion, and lots of creative visuals to match.
Bridal Shower Tea
Traditions are often those dreamy times in which everything pretty you can imagine is presented for the occasion.
A bridal shower afternoon tea is a delightful way to show off tablescapes, flowers, delicate finger foods and other dreamy collectables when they are presented as a traditional tea time.
And while English black tea is often served for afternoon tea, go ahead and pour a little champagne in those tea cups!
Girl’s Luncheon Tea Gathering
When ladies gather, it’s a no-brainer opportunity to prepare a lavish spread for a traditional afternoon tea for any of your besties, new friends or a lovely birthday party for little girls.
I’d say when us big girls gather for afternoon tea with friends, we are quickly reminded of our little girl tea parties.
And let’s not forget how fun it is for the little ones to have afternoon tea with grandma!
Kids Love Tea Parties
It was my daughter’s birthday gathering many years ago, that I created my Button Cups which would be perfect for tea time.
Button Cups are simply shortbread cookie dough shaped into tiny tart shells, a top cookie made into the shape of a button and the inside filling is peanut butter and jelly!
I made these for the series I did with PBS for The Great American Recipe and they were definitely a winner made on set with strawberry jam, almond butter and almond milk!
Introduce Your Guy To Afternoon Tea
Plan a tea date with the man in your life, whether he is new or been around for a long time, and see how fast he adopts to the ‘proper’ etiquette of afternoon tea!
The setting is more conducive for talk time, so maybe save important things to talk about over an afternoon of tea, small bites and lots of visuals, making sure that You are one of those visuals!
Invitation Ideas For A Traditional Afternoon Tea
Let’s say you are having a fun girls gathering, or a birthday party tea and want to send out invitations.
I couldn’t think of a more whimsical and appropriate invitation than to borrow the words from Lady Whistledown, the mysterious figure and gossip writer from the film Bridgerton:
Dearest Gentle Reader, You are cordially invited to an afternoon of elegance, indulgence, and delectable scandal at our Bridgerton-themed Afternoon Tea. Set amidst an atmosphere of regency, romance and whispered intrigue, this no ordinary tea will be a promenade through taste, tailored for those with a refined palate and a flair for the dramatic. Dress in your regency best and prepare to be the diamond of the season!
Types Of Tea To Serve – Worldly Ideas
For sure we often think of England when we think of an afternoon tea or a high tea, however, tea is a ritual in many other countries, equally beautiful and delicious.
As early as the 11-century, the Persian culture mentions the tradition of tea in many of its ancient writings.
Many centuries later, tea in its various forms, is spoken of in terms of its medicinal properties.
While black tea is often infused with many aromatic herbs, flowers and spices to elevate its experience, there are so many other types of tea that can be served for afternoon tea, such as green or white tea and a variety of herbal teas.
Of course the most ancient of traditional tea ceremonies is found in China and Japan, dating back to the 9th century.
The tradition of tea ceremony in Japan is one in which many important discussions, from war times to marital times, are brought to solve over tea.
And believe it or not, many varieties of tea are easy to grow in your own yard or large pots on a veranda, such as Hibiscus and Bergamot tea.
Edible Flowers Beautifully Presented For Tea Time
I can’t think of a more appropriate time to head out to the garden or local nursery and gather the colorful beauty of edible flowers for your tea party.
The selection is vast and abundant with both color and flavor. When choosing edible flowers, taste them first to see which flowers compliment which food item you will be serving.
Some flowers have a delicate floral taste while others have more of a flavor likened to an herb, so decide which will go with savory or sweet options.
- Lavender, rose, pansies, violets, honeysuckle and fennel flowers have a floral, almost perfume flavor and aroma.
- Borage, nasturtium, pea blossoms, zinnias and flowers from the tops of herbs offer a more herbal flavor.
Table Setting Ideas For Afternoon Tea
This is one of those occasions in life that inspires antique hunting and pretty little tableware collections.
Perhaps you have plates and tea cups that don’t match, or an old collection of tea cups and saucers passed down in your family. Now would be the perfect time to bring them out for an occasion such as this.
Often times we find whimsical art for the table which is both fun to collect, as well as perfect to create a theme around for a tea gathering.
Let’s not forget tea pots. I must admit I have been collecting tea pots for years and while they may not match my plates and cups, they themselves are conversation pieces.
The idea for a tea table setting is to create a mood, harness a vintage vibe and give your guests lots to look at and talk about.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.