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How to recreate the perfect afternoon tea at home
Any joyful occasion or sunny spell should be celebrated with a pleasant afternoon cream tea. Perched in a comfortable chair surrounded by delicate, flavoursome food whilst enjoying your friends or family's company is a much-loved British tradition.
Afternoon cream tea can be a truly unforgettable dining experience at a restaurant, or a wholesome memory to share with your companions when hosting at home. There are so many benefits to hosting a tea party from home; you can dust off your beautiful crockery, save some money, choose your favourite food to serve, impress with your baking creations and stay in a homely atmosphere with no time limit. If you are planning to host an afternoon cream tea in the comfort of your own home, then read on to find out Dualit's checklist, décor tips and traditional recipes like; scones, homemade jam, and sweet/savoury pastries.
If you want to add a touch of class and sophistication to your
tea party, we recommend using the same patterns and colours
throughout your table decorations. You can match the colours of
your china; cake stand and glassware with your table linen and
floral centrepiece. If you are trying to decide which colours to
choose from, look online to see what interior design colours are
currently trending. This summer's colour trends are beautiful deep
blues, greens, tropical yellows, and oranges. We also recommend
adding a personal touch to your table - like creating name-place
cookies and icing the small cookie with your guests' names.
Photo credit to: @Littlestonecottageonthill
The ambience is often a second thought when hosting a gathering. Place your table near-natural, soft light. Have a beautiful bouquet of flowers to add a floral scent. Also, play the music that resonates with the setting you have created, perhaps your classical favourites. If you are eating outside, fill your bird feeders with seeds to coax the birds to come into your garden and provide their own bird song soundtrack!
Photo credit to: @@Inside_no_23_
The Menu
As with any menu - think about refreshments first. Are you going to serve a traditional or a champagne afternoon tea? We recommend offering a variety of teas like herbal, Earl Grey, Chai and English breakfast. Top tip - if it's a warm day and you need something more refreshing to serve, you can create iced tea by making the tea as normal, then adding flavoured syrups and ice.
For the bottom cake stand layer, create finely cut, symmetrical finger sandwiches with traditional fillings like Scottish smoked salmon with lemon butter, egg salad with crest, coronation chicken plus cheddar cheese and cucumber. We recommend allowing one finger of each type of sandwich per person. Each sandwich makes three fingers. The other two cake stand layers can feature a selection of Dualit's savoury pastries and cake (the stars of the show!)
AFTERNOON TEA recipes
Add to our sweet and savoury afternoon tea favourites with double cream whisked up by our Dualit Handmixer, using with bloom whisk attachments. Plus make up our gorgeous Blackberry and Nectarine Jam to serve on the side.
Classic Scones
This recipe from one of Dualit's expert in-store demonstrators, Paulene, uses the Dualit Hand...
Victoria Sponge Cake
A homemade, freshly baked, traditional Victoria Sponge cake is hard to beat.
Empire Biscuits
Bake these sweet, jammy biscuits as a perfect accompaniment for your cup of tea or to share with...
Raspberry Hearts
Taking just 10 minutes to prep and 15 minutes in the oven, try your hand at these raspberry...
Chive and Parmesan Scones
Savoury scones infused with chives and baked with a buttery parmesan crust.
Cheese & Tomato Muffins
Have a go at making our delicious cheesy muffins. These make great snacks for picnics or...
Spinach Roulade
This is a dish that looks impressive and is good for a lunch party, served with a home made...
Pesto, Tapenade & Tomato Bread Rolls
Brittany-born baker Richard Bertinet came up with this imaginative idea of topping bite-sized...
