Christmas Tea

Sunday I had to privilege of meeting a friend for Christmas tea at one of the bed and breakfasts in our little town. Tea time is always fun, but Christmas tea is an extra special treat. After a week of decorating and hosting a Christmas party, it's a fun way to kick back, relax and savor the season.

This little reindeer proudly announced our table.

And the menu had us full of anticipation as soon as we sat down.

Notice that one of the teas is called Apple Butter. It was an herbal tea blend and I don't know how they did it, but it truly tasted like apple butter. I mean, how one gets a buttery flavor into tea is beyond me.

We started with the scones, mostly because we were quite intrigued by the Pancetta & Romano savory scone.

And it did not disappoint. Tons of flavor and those bits of pancetta... Delicious.

We decided to wait on the Fresh Cranberry and White Chocolate scone until we'd finished our savories.

Besides, the little Goat Cheese and Pomegranate tarts were hard to resist. The goat cheese was smooth instead of overpowering, as it can sometimes be, and the pomegranate seeds were the perfect accompaniment. The flavors blended together in a festive harmony. This is one I may have to try at home.

Don't be fooled by those generic-looking finger sandwiches, though. The Pepper Nut one on white bread was amazing, with bits of yellow bell pepper, pecans and red onion blended with cream cheese. A simple delight.

Finally, we made our way to the sweets, including the Fresh Cranberry and White Chocolate scones I mentioned earlier. 

Be still my heart. The salted caramel on those mini cheesecakes was incredible. You could not even tell that you were eating cheesecake, the caramel was that good. And the aforementioned cranberry/white chocolate scone? Perhaps the star of the entire show. It was the tartness of the fresh cranberries paired with the sweetness of the white chocolate that won me over. So good that I managed to leave with the recipe for those and the salted caramel sauce. Woot, woot!

But the best part of the day was sitting back, enjoying sweet conversation with a friend and remembering the real reason for the season. A baby born in a humble stable, who would be the Savior of the world. Two thousand years later, we're still celebrating that blessed birth. And isn't it the best birthday party of the year?

Okay, so take a look a that menu and the pics. What would be the first thing you'd try? And which recipe would you be most likely to ask for?

Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com