Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea

By Jeanne Benedict
A Mother's Day Tea Table

Indulge your mother by serving her a sophisticated tea with a gourmet menu for Mother’s Day. Set a beautiful table with spring flowers and sweeten her place setting by using sugar cubes with letters made from piped icing that spell “Mom.” Treat your mother like a queen on this very special holiday.

A Blossoming Tea Table

Accent the table with beautiful flowers in tea-themed containers. You can arrange a spring bouquet in a teapot as a centerpiece or simply place single blooms in assorted teacups around the table. If you are serving food on a 3-tier tray, set a flower nosegay on the top tier for an elegant and fragrant touch.

Sweet as Sugar Place Settings

Sweet Accents for Tea

Write letters of guests’ names on sugar cubes with piped icing for a sweet personalized place setting. Purchase different colors of icing for cake decorating from the grocery store. The icing usually comes in tubes along with a writing tip that you can screw on to the tube. Another method would be to tint white frosting with food coloring and use a pastry bag fitted with a writer’s tip.

Pipe the letters of each guest’s name on to the sides of the sugar cubes and arrange them on a small plate with flowers for each person. Decorate additional sugar cubes by piping flowers and designs on cube sides.

Afternoon Tea Menu

Host a comfy, cozy tea for mom at home with these delicious recipes. I’ve swapped the usual cucumber and butter sandwiches for savory BLT bites, but the scones and sweets are standard fare.

You’ll find more ideas for Mother’s Days here at Celebrations and we wish your mom the very best on her day of rest!

Hazelnut Currant Scones

Adapted from Sophisticated Entertaining by Jeanne Benedict

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, unsalted
1/2 cup dried black currants
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Line a baking sheet with wax paper and lightly spray paper with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in a food processor and process mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour into a large bowl and fold in hazelnuts and currants until throughout mixture.

Whisk together eggs, and 2/3 cup cream until blended. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until dough just begins to hold together. With clean hands, form 1/4 cup dough into rough balls and place 3 inches apart on prepared sheet. Lightly brush surface of scones with remaining 2 tablespoons of cream. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Arrange warm or room temperature scones in a cloth napkin-lined basket and serve with Café de Crème Fraiche. Makes about 8 scones.

Whipped Café de Crème Fraiche

Adapted from Sophisticated Entertaining by Jeanne Benedict

2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon espresso
1 tablespoon sugar

To make crème fraiche, heat cream in a small saucepan over low heat until cream reaches 85F (30C). Do not allow heat to rise above 100F (40C). Stir in buttermilk with a wooden spoon until blended. Pour into a wide-mouthed jar, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 6 hours. Chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Just before serving, transfer crème fraiche to a metal bowl and whip until thick. Stir in espresso and sugar until blended. Place in a small bowl alongside the Hazelnut Currant Scones. Makes 2 cups.

Cashew & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad in Cucumber Cups

Adapted from Sophisticated Entertaining by Jeanne Benedict

3/4 cup chopped cashews
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 boneless, skinless half chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 seedless English cucumbers, peeled

Preheat oven to 450F (230C ). Scatter cashews on baking sheet and cook until toasted, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for 6 - 8 minutes on one side. Flip chicken and cook for 6 – 8 minutes on other side until chicken center is no longer pink. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Chop chicken into fine bits and place in medium bowl.

Stir mayonnaise into chicken until combined. Add chopped cashews, vinegar, red onion, poppy seeds, salt and pepper and mix well. Chill, covered, until ready to serve.

Cut cucumbers crosswise into 1-inch thick round. Using a melon-baller, scoop 3/4 way down into the center of cucumber round creating a cup to hold chicken salad. Fill cucumber cup with chicken salad and serve cold. Makes about 28 pieces.

Note: Chicken salad may be prepared 1 day in advance if kept covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Elegant BLT Bites

Adapted from Sophisticated Entertaining by Jeanne Benedict

8 slices bacon
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 thin slices white bread, crusts removed
6 oz. Camembert cheese, softened
1 bunch watercress, rinsed
8 red pear tomatoes or baby tomatoes, rinsed, sliced crosswise

Heat bacon in a large skillet, turning occasionally, over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove with tongs on to paper towels to drain excess oil. Cool bacon and chop into coarse bits. Pour off bacon fat from skillet and wipe completely clean.

In same skillet, add brown sugar and water over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds. Add chopped bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute more until bacon is coated. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Cut bread into 4 equal-size squares. Place bread on a baking sheet and bake in oven until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

Spread a thin layer of Camembert on toast and top 1/2 teaspoon crumbled bacon. Arrange a leaf of watercress and a baby tomato slice on top. Serve at room temperature. Makes 24 pieces.

Raspberry Almond Tartlets

Adapted from Sophisticated Entertaining by Jeanne Benedict

Almond Crust
1 cup unsalted almonds, skinned
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, chilled, cut into tablespoon pieces
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon almond extract

Raspberry Filling
2 cups fresh red raspberries
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

To make Almond Crust, combine almonds and sugar in a food processor and process until almonds are ground. Add flour and process until combined. Add butter, egg yolk, and almond extract and process until mixture forms a ball. Wrap ball in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Spray 32 (2-inch) tartlet shells with a non-stick cooking spray and place shells on baking sheets. Roll out chilled dough on a heavily floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out dough using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Place dough rounds into prepared shells and trim any excess edges. Place a few dry kidney beans or pie beads in center of each dough round to keep from rising up during baking process. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly before removing tarts from shells.

Meanwhile combine raspberries, almond extract, lemon juice and zest in a medium bowl. Gently toss raspberries to coat with liquid. Fill each tart with about 5 raspberries and sift powdered sugar over top. Serve cold or at room temperature. Store for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes about 15 tarts.

Chocolate Liqueur-Dipped Strawberries

Adapted from Sophisticated Entertaining by Jeanne Benedict

8 oz. semi sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon Godiva Chocolate Liqueur*
2 dozen large, firm strawberries, rinsed

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Melt chocolate and oil in top of double boiler or in small saucepan over larger pot of simmering water, while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in liqueur until blended.

Thoroughly dry each strawberry or chocolate will not stay on strawberry. Holding strawberry stem, dip strawberry into chocolate until 3/4 coated. Place on wax paper lined baking sheet until chocolate sets.

Arrange on a doily lined silver tray and serve at room temperature or cold. Store uncovered for up to 6 hours in the refrigerator as they begin to turn soggy. Makes 24 strawberries.

Note: Chocolate can present a challenge when melted for fruit dipping. If heated too long it will turn into a hard mass. You have to add butter or oil, to melted chocolate to make a glaze. Melt in a double boiler not in a microwave. Always work at room temperature, with these ingredients, unless specified in the recipe. Some chocolates are better for melting and the label will tell you so. When working with white chocolate, always opt for good quality.

*Make some alcohol-free chocolate-dipped strawberries for the children to enjoy as well. Simply omit the liqueur from the recipe and prepare as instructed.

 

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