Planning an Afternoon Tea

If you've been around the Yankee-Belle for any length of time, you know that I love tea. But one thing I love more than tea is a tea party where I can gather with friends for lively conversation and some yummy finger foods. 

Not long ago, my friend Debbie (who loves tea as much as I do) and I decided to host an afternoon tea luncheon for the ladies in our Sunday school class. Like I said, tea is a nice respite. A break from our fast-paced lives where we actually take the time to sit down and talk and enjoy the company of others. What better way to get to know each other.

The table was set with plain white plates, crystal goblets and, of course, an array of beautiful tea cups I'd inherited from my grandmother, aunt and mother. But what about the food? 

A traditional afternoon tea consists of three courses, so to speak. Sandwiches and savories, scones and desserts. And with so many yummy things out there to choose from, nailing down that menu can be quite a challenge. We knew we wanted to keep things feeling rather fallish, so we opted for recipes that included things like apples, pumpkin, pecans and cranberries. This is what we ultimately came up with.

Typically, the food is served on three-tiered stands with each course on a different level. But since the only three-tier stand Debbie and I had between us held dessert-size plates and we had twelve ladies to feed, we had to improvise.

While my table was large enough to accommodate all of us, there wasn't a lot of room for the food, so desserts were relegated to the buffet behind the table.

These Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bites were amazing. You can find the recipe here.

And Pecan Tassies are always a hit.

Debbie's scones were a feast for the taste buds. The savory apple, cheddar and thyme is on the left, while the sweeter apple ginger scones are on the right.

I think my favorite thing of all, though, was these Cranberry Brie bites.

Brie, cranberry sauce and a sprinkle of chopped pecans all nestled in a Crescent roll cup. Oh, my word, they were amazing. And super easy to make.

Of course, I couldn't let our guest go home empty-handed, so each of them got to take home a little token to remind of them of our time together.

I found this cute little teapot cookie cutter, so I made up a batch of my favorite cut-out cookies (recipe here), then added some simple decorations before tucking each in a cellophane bag and tying it off with some frilly tulle. Easy peasy.

What a fun time we all had. The bond always grows stronger the better you know someone, and this was a delightful way to bring such a sweet group of ladies together and do just that. And when all was said and done, we decided we'd like to do it again. Perhaps in the spring. Oh, just think of all the wonderful food and colorful table settings.

Have you ever thought about hosting an afternoon tea? Perhaps for a bridal shower, baby shower or just friends getting together. What would be on your menu? 

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 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 a mindyobenhaus.com.