Do you know who invented afternoon tea? Afternoon tea was invented in 1840 by Duchess of Bedford. The tea and desserts were served to accommodate her hunger between lunch and late dinner. Eventually she started inviting her friends for teatime to enjoy her tea and a company. Afternoon tea was served on low table therefore another name for afternoon tea is low tea. Check out our amazing homemade scone recipe and make yourself a nice cup of Earl Grey.

Ingredients:

·       3 cups plain flour
·       ½ cup white sugar
·       5 teaspoons baking powder
·       1/2 teaspoon salt
·       1 ½ sticks cold butter
·       1 egg, beaten
·       1 cup of milk or heavy cream

Prep: 10 mins   Cook: 9-11 mins   Ready in 25 mins

Directions:

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a baking tray.
Step 2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Rub in butter. Mix the egg and milk in a small bowl and stir into flour mixture until moistened. 
Step 3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Roll dough out into a 2cm thick round. Cut into 8 wedges or circles, and place on the prepared baking tray.
Step 4. Bake 9-11 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Step 5. Let the scones cool down.
Enjoy with clotted cream, a strawberry jam, and a delicious cup of tea!

Summer is the perfect time to have some friends over for a fun backyard tea party. Never had a tea party? No need to feel overwhelmed, it's actually a piece of cake! Tea is obviously the star of the party, so pick out a few different types to offer guests and perhaps try a variety of hot and iced teas. You can keep the tea party menu fairly simple, with a variety of savory bite-sized tea party sandwiches, some delicious tea party snacks and of course, some delightful desserts. We will walk you through creating the perfect menu and setting up your elegant tea party table.

CREATING THE TEA PARTY FOOD MENU. 

A tea party can easily be one of the most stress-free gatherings for a host because the tea party food can all be prepared in advance. You can set all your snacks on your tea party table and then all you have to is serve the tea. This leaves you plenty of time to relax and spend quality time with your guests. Let's go over the tea party menu first. 

You will want to have a variety of tea party snacks, both savory and sweet. For savory, we recommend tea party finger sandwiches, and to satisfy the sweet tooth, provide some yummy desserts.

Tea Party Sandwiches.

The savory part of your tea party menu should include traditional bite-sized tea party sandwiches – they are so simple to make and easy to eat. Make sure to get soft sliced bread, spread with a thin layer of butter and cut the crusts off. Some tea sandwich ideas include cucumber and cream cheese, egg salad, smoked salmon and chicken salad. 

Tea Party Desserts.

For the sweet tea party food include some delicious desserts. Definitely make some traditional fluffy English tea scones and serve them with clotted cream and jam. You definitely need to try our Scone Recipe. Other fun tea party desserts are fruit tarts, petit fours, madeleines and trifles. 

SETTING UP THE TEA PARTY TABLE.

Next, you will want to think about the tea party table to place all of your tea party food on, as well as serving pieces and maybe even a centerpiece. To keep with a traditional aesthetic, use delicate china in either classic blue and white or a floral pattern. If you don't have china, no need to worry, you can use any type of matching dishes. Remember, if your serving pieces have busy patterns, keep the table cloth and napkins very simple. If your serving pieces are basic, then you can choose patterned table linens or napkins.

For a centerpiece, a vibrant floral arrangement would be beautiful, or you can choose a large platter full of fresh fruit, such as strawberries with some delicate mint leaves on top. You can put your clotted cream in a bowl next to the berries, along with some sugar. 

Then, all that's left to do is set your tea party food on the table, brew some delightful teas and relax with your guests!