Nothing says royal wedding like a tea party
I’m not British, nor have I been to England, but I’m obsessed with all things having to do with the royal family. I idolized Princess Diana as a little girl and I devoured every episode of “The Crown.”
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’ve been excited for the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle since they announced their engagement in November.
My mom tells me a story that my Grandma supposedly woke up at 3 a.m. to watch the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1981. So I plan on following suit so I can catch the ceremony that airs at 6 a.m. our time on May 19. (The ceremony actually takes place at noon at Windsor Castle.)
Needless to say, if you’re looking for an excuse to host a tea party fit for a royal, this is it. Harney & Sons has the perfect tea in mind — its Royal Wedding Tea, which is a white tea with almond, coconut, vanilla and pink rosebuds (available at harney.com). For a gathering, I recommend having a few different teas to choose from, such as black, green and herbal along with sugar cubes, honey and cream as accompaniments.
The perfect pairing to this tea is a homemade drop scone. This one from King Arthur Flour is dense, slightly
Tea-making tips
To make that perfect cup:
Use 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves for every 8 ounces of water.
Different tea types need different temperatures of water. White, green and oolong teas should be steeped 3 minutes in 175-degree water. Black, darker oolong and herbal teas should be steeped 5 minutes using boiling water.
Don’t let your tea become bitter by letting it steep for too long. If you want a stronger cup of tea, use more tea leaves.
sweet and the perfect vehicle for Devonshire cream. Traditional Devonshire cream (or clotted cream) is made by heating heavy whipping cream and then cooling it so the surface “clots.” It takes about 12 hours to make from scratch. Thankfully, I found a shortcut that will save you 11 hours and 55 minutes. This mock Devonshire cream is made by beating cream cheese with butter and sour cream. It tastes divine, and no one will know the difference.
To add a savory note to the menu, I found two vastly different tea sandwiches to make: an herbed goat cheese with cucumber and a roast beef sandwich
Royal Wedding Menu
Herbed Goat Cheese Tea Sandwiches
Caramelized Onion and Roast Beef Tea Sandwiches
Cream Tea Scones with Devonshire Cream, jam and lemon curd
Mini-Fruit Tarts
Assorted teas with caramelized onions. I like serving vegetarian options and dishes with meat to please all palates. Because the caramelized onions take about an hour to make, I started that first before prepping the rest of the dishes (minus the scones, which I made the night before).
To add a sweet note, I love these mini-fruit tarts. You buy the phyllo shells from the grocery store but fill them with homemade vanilla bean custard (which is so easy to make) for a semi-homemade twist. In fact, you can make these tarts the night before as well.
The only things I would make right before guests arrive are the tea sandwiches because you don’t want the bread to get stale. This recipe is from Ina Garten via Food Network.
Herbed Goat Cheese Tea Sandwiches
Makes 10 servings
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
10 1⁄2 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1 1⁄2 teaspoons minced garlic
1⁄2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 5 to 6 tablespoons milk
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf dense 7-grain bread, thinly sliced
1 seedless cucumber, unpeeled
To make the spread: Place cream cheese, goat cheese, garlic, thyme, parsley, 5 tablespoons milk, salt and pepper in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well mixed. Add up to an additional tablespoon of milk if the spread is very thick.
To make the sandwiches: Spread each slice of bread with goat cheese spread. Slice cucumber into thin rounds and arrange on half the bread slices. Top with remaining bread and press slightly. Cut sandwiches into halves, thirds or triangles (and remove crust).
Cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches are a natural to serve with tea.
With so many delicious nibbles, this menu is definitely fit for a queen (or in this case, a newly betrothed royal couple).
Alysha Witwicki is a retail copywriter and food writer living in Whitefish Bay. Contact her at alyshawitwicki @hotmail.com.
FORK. SPOON. LIFE.