A rousing Mother’s Day tea complete with table service, traveling musicians and well-lit dining rooms aren’t a thing of the past in the virtual world. (Well, unless your partner or one of your kids is a budding violinist, maybe the traveling musicians might be.)
Pinkies can still extend and tea cakes can be consumed with a virtual tea party, one that even the kids can help prepare. Forward the link to this story to your kids and spouse, then don your party dress for a magical Mother’s Day treat.
The food
A traditional English tea comes complete with finger sandwiches, scones with jams and cakes and pastries.
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t make a perfect cucumber sandwich. A great finger sandwich can also be peanut butter and jelly, sans crust and cut into dainty strips. For a flair, consider pulling out the cookie cutters saved for Christmas for a teddy bear or flower motif.
A good scone is a sweetened biscuit and occasionally includes fruit in the batter. When it comes to homemade scones, this simple recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction helps you include whatever additions (dried cranberries, chocolate, cheese or all of the above) that your family will love.
Pastries are the star on the top of the tea tower. Sweet, single-bite and memorable, your pastries can include anything from expert-level chocolate croissants to anything you can make with puff pastry that can be served in small pieces.
The tea
If you can boil water, you can make tea.
Pick teas you think your Mother of Honor would like best. Does she prefer sweets? Go with a cranberry, blueberry or peach. Maybe something heavier and savory? Try an Earl Grey or English Traditional. If everyone can pick their own, grab a selection.
Kids younger than age 5 would love a swap of tea for hot chocolate (the key to the world’s best hot chocolate is milk; even in instant mix, milk adds decadence). Try this recipe if you want to avoid the powered packet.
The service
The key to turning lunch sandwiches into tea is the service.
Gather the best tea cups you can find; it’s OK if they don’t match each other. Or decorate for the occasion by decorating plain white ceramic cups, using Sharpies to color on them, then bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes (let the mug preheat and cool in the oven so that it isn’t shocked by the temp).
If you don’t have a plate tower to present the sandwiches and pastries, use a cake plate to add levels.
Dress in your finest or pick a theme to dress up (super heroes, princesses, zoo animals), and set the day to: memory making.
