A Summer Gardening Tea Dessert Menu

Scones

~ Berry Black Scones ~

~ Lemon Curds and Devonshire Cream ~

Dainty Desserts

~ Chocolate Dipped Fruit ~

~Flower Cookies ~

Teas

Berry Good Green Tea Punch

Berry Black Scones

Makes 10 scones

2 cups unbleached flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons lemon zest

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4" pieces

2 eggs

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, plus additional for brushing on top

1/2 cup fresh blackberries, marionberries etc., wash and air dried

1/4 - 1/2 cup flour for coating berries

·     Preheat oven to 400°.  Lightly butter a baking sheet.

·     Combine first 4 dry ingredients and sift into a bowl.

·     Add cinnamon and lemon zest.

·     Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

·     Lightly toss berries in smallest amount of flour, adding more flour if needed. Carefully

      add berries to flour mixture.

·     In a small bowl, stir together heavy whipping cream and eggs.  Combine cream and

      flour mixtures by  stirring carefully, keeping berries intact as much as possible.

·     Knead gently until dough comes together into a ball.  Flatten the ball with the palm of

      your hand to 3/4 “ thick.

·     Cut into 10 wedges. Place scones onto baking sheet. Brush the tops with cream or

      brushed with a mixture of 1 egg blended with 1 teaspoon water.   

·     Bake scones for 15-18 minutes, checking at 10 minutes, until golden brown.

·     Makes 8-12 scones.

Scones

Desserts

Tea

When preparing foods for my tea table, I always consider the season and all it has to offer. Each season has its own color schemes and array of flavors, herbs and spices.  Holidays, fruits and vegetables change with the seasons.  Take a look around this summer...you will find a wealth of creative possibilities for your summer gardening tea!

   

A Special Note from Lady Grace…

Dipped Fruit

Fruits dipped in chocolates make attractive and luscious treats.  For a colorful presentation, choose a combination of fruits.  Whole strawberries and mango slices make up my favorite combination. Apricots, pears, oranges and pineapple are fruits that also mingle well with chocolate.  Freshly picked whole strawberries, preferably with the top left intact, are best paired with a dark chocolate.  Mango, on the other hand, pairs wonderfully with white chocolate.  Whenever serving a variety of fruits dipped in chocolate, offer both versions of chocolate. It makes an appealing presentation and delights the palate with variety.

Fruit preparation:

Strawberries – Wash whole berries, keeping tops intact.  Allow to air dry on paper towels.

Mangos – Peel mango and cut into wedges, keeping thick enough for easy handling.  Slices   

can also be halved, if desired.

Apricots – Wash fruit and halve.  Fruit can be quartered for daintier slices.

Pears – Choose pears that are firm. Wash fruit, core and slice into wedges.  Because pears brown easily, treat in an ascorbic acid solution or a combination of pineapple and lemon juices.

Oranges - Choose seedless varieties.  Tangerines and mandarin oranges work best.  Peel fruit and separate into sections.

Pineapple - Once pineapple has been prepared and cut into wedges, cut into

1 ½ “ chunks.

* Make sure fruit is thoroughly dried before dipping.  Water in melted chocolate can cause the mixture to become grainy.

Ingredients for Chocolate Dips:

1-12 oz. package of dark chocolate chips

1-12 oz. package of white chocolate chips

1 ½ cup half and half

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Line a baking sheet or cookie pan with waxed paper.

Chocolates can each be melted in two ways:

·     Place in the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water.  Once melted, to each 12 oz.

      bag of chocolates, add 3/4 cup of cream and 1 tablespoon vanilla; blend until smooth. 

      Allow chocolate to slightly cool, (not begin to set).

·     Place in a microwave safe bowl.  Using the defrost setting, melt chocolates for 1 minute.  

      Stir and microwave in additional 10-second increments, if needed, until completely  

      melted. Remove from microwave; add 3/4-cup cream, 1 Tbsp. vanilla and blend until

      smooth.

To dip fruits:

·     I suggest dipping only half the fruit.  Dip fruit piece into chocolate and swirl to coat in

      chocolate.  Remove and give another swirl to shake off excess chocolate.

·     For added flair, drizzle white chocolate in zigzags over dark chocolate dipped fruit.  For 

      white chocolate dipped fruit, drizzle with the dark chocolate.

·     Place on prepared cookie sheet.  Once dipped fruits have hardened, refrigerate until served.

Tea Cookies

While cookie recipes abound in numbers beyond the imagination, we all have our repertoire of favorites.  Tea cookies should have a prominent place on the dessert plate.  These dainty rounds must be light, delicate and flavorful with enough sweetness to enhance a sip of tea. Prepare your favorite tea cookie recipe or try the following...one of my favorites!  This recipe has potential in its simplicity.  1-2 tablespoons of spices and/or herbs can change the flavor dramatically.  Additions such as finely chopped fruit and nuts can be added in miniscule amounts, just enough to add texture and develop more flavor.  For our gardening tea gathering, simply refrigerate dough for 2 hours, then roll out to ¼” thickness, cut out shapes with cookie cutters and bake.  Be imaginative when serving tea cookies.  If you do not have a collection of cookie cutters, now is a great time to begin one!  Locate a variety of flower shaped cutters.  Smaller sizes work best for the tea table presentation. Why not offer your guests a lovely bouquet of flower cookies?  2-3 dainty “flower” cookies grouped together in a paper liner and topped with a freshly picked pansy make a satisfying treat to the eye as well as the palate.  For a finishing touch, tea cookies can be sprinkled lightly with powdered sugar.

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

·Preheat oven at 350°.

·In a mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda.

·In a separate mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until well blended with an electric 

       mixer.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix well.

·Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and thoroughly mix.

·Divide mixture in half.  Roll into 2 logs and wrap.  Refrigerate 2 hours.

·Cut into ¼” slices.  Option: Sprinkle with sugar.

·Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Berry Good Green Tea Punch

Ingredients:

1 quart water, heated up to a boil

¼ cup green tea leaves

½ cup sugar

1 cup orange juice

½ cup lemon juice

1 ½ cups strawberry puree

1-quart ginger ale

strawberries for garnish

crushed ice

·Place tea leaves in a ½ gallon canning jar.

·Pour hot water over tea leaves, cover and steep 5 minutes.  Strain tea into a large pot. 

·Add sugar and stir until dissolved.  Allow tea to cool.

·Add fruit juices and fruit puree.    Refrigerate mixture until ready for use.

·Dilute mixture with ginger ale to taste.

·Fill glasses with crushed ice before adding punch.

·Top each glass with a sliced strawberry.

Time-Saver Tip: Make these tasty scones with my Heavenly Tea Gatherings Organic Scone Mix.  Follow the directions on the package, adding the cinnamon and lemon zest to the dry ingredients.  The instructions for the berries will be the same.  Whether you make your scones from scratch or my mix, delight your guests with scones crowned with traditional lemon curds and Mock Devonshire Cream.  Recipes for these classics are easy to make. Or, save time and try my incredible Heavenly Tea Gatherings Lemon Curd, delicately tart and sweet, the perfect compliment to any scone!

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