"If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you." William Gladstone Porcelain or silver Teapot Porcelain Teacups and saucers Dessert Plates Linen and matching napkins Sugar tongs Serving spoons, Knives, Teaspoons Tea Strainer (or mesh or teaball) Tea Cozy Scones and/or crumpets Butter Strawberry jam and/or lemon curd Devonshire Clotted Cream Sugar, Milk, Lemon slices Assam and/or Earl Grey Tea Fresh flowers Music (Chopin or Liszt would be nice) Roaring fire in Winter, if possible Brew the tea by bringing fresh water to a rolling boil in a kettle. Bring a teapot, warmed by rinsing with hot water, to the kettle. Immediately take the kettle off the heat as soon as water boils and pour the hot water into the pot. Into the pot, place 1 tsp of leaves for each cup (6 oz) plus one "for the pot." Alternatively, put leaves into a mesh basket or teaball and infuse this way (there must be room enough inside the mesh or teaball for the tea leaves to double in size). Steep a black tea for 5 or so minutes. The person who "is mother" (the one who is to pour the tea) should pour into cups through a strainer if mesh or a teaball isn't used. Serve with milk (never cream), sugar cubes, and lemon slices. (Note: 4:00 is the standard time for a cream tea) For a Cream Tea, serve: Lemon Curd 1/3 c. + 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice finely grated zest of 2 lemons 1 large egg + 2 egg yolks 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar 2 TBSP cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces Whisk together everything but the butter in top of double boiler til light and fluffly. Then cook over simmering water, stirring frequently, for 12-15 minutes or til it thickens to pudding consistency and coats a spoon. Strain, if desired. Now gradually stir in butter til it's melted and mixture is smooth. It should have the consistency of a heavy pudding or sour cream and be spreadable, not soupy. Mock Devonshire Clotted Cream ...if you can't get the real thing... 1/2 c. heavy cream 2 TBSP powdered sugar 1/2 c. sour cream In chilled bowl, beat cream til medium-stiff peaks form, adding sugar during last few minutes of beating. Fold in sour cream. (you can add a little vanilla, if you want). Serve on scones and toasted crumpets with jam (eat quickly; it doesn't keep). Shaped Sugar "Cubes" 3 c. sugar 1/4 c. water Put everything in a jar with a tight lid and shake til water is evenly distributed. Put in bowl for easy access. Pack firmly into candy molds of various shapes, some in "1-lump" size, and some in "2-lump" size. Turn out immediately onto wax-paper lined cookie sheets. Put in a 300 degree oven with the door open for about an hour (or leave overnight to dry). If you want, just for looks, decorate a few using pastry bags of colored icings you would use for cake decorations. Scones (makes 10) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup chilled, unsalted butter 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (may use Half-and-Half or milk instead) Egg wash: 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon heavy cream Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet with butter and sprinkle with flour (or line with parchment). Mix flour, sugar, powder and salt. Cut in butter to form fine crumbs. Mix cream, egg, and vanilla, then add to crumb mixture (don't overmix! Use a light hand). Press into a 7" circle (about 1 1/2" thick) and cut into triangles (or cut into circles with floured round cookie cutters). Brush with the egg wash. Bake around 15 min. until golden brown. They will be split horizontally and topped first with a very thick layer of Devonshire Clotted Cream with a dollop of strawberry jam (or lemon curd) on the very top. (Note on pronunciation of "scone": the proper way is to rhyme the word with "John," but pronouncing it with a long "O," as in rhymes with "Joan," is gaining in popularity.) Crumpets (makes 24) 2 pkgs (1/2 oz) dry yeast 1 tsp sugar 3 1/2 c. warm water 2 TBSP baking powder 4 c. flour 1 1/2 tsp. salt Dissolve yeast and sugar in the water. Add everything else and whisk til frothy. Heat griddle to 450 degrees. Grease the insides of crumpet rings (if you don't have any, you can use an empty tuna can that has been opened on both sides) and place on griddle. Pour 3/4 c. batter in each ring. and cook til bubbles form (like pancakes). Remove ring and turn over to cook other side. Toast and serve with butter, and jam or lemon curd. For an Afternoon Tea, add: Cucumber Sandwiches Makes 32 pieces, equivalent to 8 regular-sized sandwiches 1 peeled, seedless cucumber 4 1/2 oz. unsalted butter, softened 1 tsp. orange zest 16 slices of firm, thin-sliced white bread, crusts removed Garnish: fresh mint leaves and thin orange slices Cut cucumber in in half lengthways, then slice crossways as thinly as possible. In a small bowl, mix the butter and orange zest and stir until creamy. Spread each slice of white bread with about 1½ teaspoons of the butter mixture. Arrange several slices of cucumber on half of the bread, then top with the remaining slices. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. To serve, arrange the sandwiches on a platter, alternating white and brown sides of the sandwiches and garnish with mint sprigs and orange slices. Back