Valentines tea menu

It all sounds good to me, L, I'd be happy with tea and one of those molasses cookies. That's me, though.....

How many people are you having, though? And what time of day? If it's after lunch, a lighter selection would be fine, but if it's in lieu of a meal, then another savory item would be appreciated, probably.

Spanakopita? I know those are available premade, or you could do a batch of Ann T's gougere with cheese or one of those rolled up things with puff pastry and filling of your choice. I like the cheese and crackers idea, that's a nice savory snack and easy to prepare. I probably wouldn't drizzle the fruit with chocolate, unless it is the kind that hardens, because that's going to be difficult to eat if you aren't sitting down.

Enjoy the time with your Mom's friends, although it will be a memorial service of sorts, and that could get emotional. Hugs to you.

Annie

Sounds great to me also. It seems fresh and savory. With a bit of sweet.

If you are feeling 'chef-ish' and a bit of time...and that comes with emotional nerves to fill some time...something puff pastry?. Like Annie mentioned. And i think i often mention those options. Puff pastry is frozen...thaw and open it up, give it a score with a pizza cutter or knife and add a few easy toppings.

I actually don't have a recipe because so many combinations work and bake easily. One of the few homemade treats for a gathering that have a seemingly complicated endeavor for the host but is actually quite simple.

A nice pitcher of iced seltzer water with lemon slices and a bit of muddled fresh fruit is easy and special and appreciated. I like to add a few green tea bags for the color and a soft tea flavor. (not a bit dark and bitter like a black tea).

If your mom was Dutch, for sure you need some cheese. Buy a nice round of Edam and cut small wedges.
There is a large Dutch population where I live and my father's side were Dutch. Lots of pickled vegetables and meats and fish....but don't think that lends itself to tea much. Mostly the pastries are fussy and time consuming...but I do have a recipe for a Dutch letter bar which uses almond paste and isv ery good....and very easy. Shout if you don't have that recipe.
have fun....tea parties are such fun!

Well, English tea would be :

small, delicious sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, then a cake. I think that's enough for tea. You could add crumpets, toasted tea-cakes..... it's all good but remember, it's tea, not a main meal of the day. It must be pretty. I love tea.

Well, my mom was Dutch on her mother's side, and Scot's Irish and English on her father's side, so all tea time foods are possible. I've been to a few high teas in my day and I know about the scones and I love them, but scones and cookies seemed too carby for modern tastes. Although most of the ladies will be in their 80's!

I've never made a puff pastry thing, can you make those ahead?

Instead of the fruit ka bobs i could make jam tarts, but they are a lot more work so that's why I figured to do those, although the tarts are more traditional and do say "tea" more than fruit ka bobs.

Another Dutch thing would be rusks, but I'm not too fond of them. Although perhaps I could sub some biscotti. Mom liked cakes a lot, but with cookies I don't really want cake too. The molasses cookies were a big family favorite, Grandma always served them with tea, and they keep forever.

The tea is going to be a buffet-ish thing because there's not quite enough room in my parents dining room for everyone to sit, but it opens onto a sitting room where I am going to set up a table. So it will probably be a combination high and low tea, in tea parlance. The time will be late afternoon, 3:30.

Aren't you a thoughtful daughter ! !

i have no suggestions.......but I would come to your tea.....

So thoughtful of you and a Valentines theme.

I did an afternoon tea a few years back with both sweet and savory items.

Savory - Little puffs filled with shrimp, but a crab filling would be wonderful.

Smoked salmon on homemade mini bagels,

A Rice Chicken and mandarin Orange salad

And for the sweet - Chocolate éclairs and tiny cream puffs.

Afternoon Tea

Maybe I'll take the low road and just get some strudel bites from the local bakery. They are pretty good. Then edam cheese and crackers.

AnnT are "profiteroles" a "make ahead" thing? I would like to make something like that with crab if i could assemble it ahead of time. I have often made tarts and mini quiches out of the phyllo cups I can buy, but they cannot sit for any length of time AT ALL. I'd like to have this all done up the day before, at least anything that needed "fussing" since that stresses me. I guess I could plop a crab salad into the phyllo cups as I set them out, that's not too much trouble. I am making the cookies this weekend, they keep. Maybe I'll do a "fruit slice" cake instead of the strudel if I do a puffed savory.

Profitedroles are cream puffs. You can make them ahead but you do need to fill them just before or they will get soggy.
Or you could do a sandwich loaf....sort of 1950-ish....but for this it might be good. It's a loaf of fairly firm unsliced bread, sliced length-wise into 5 slices and filled with 3 different savory sandwich fillings...like ham salad, pimento cheese and egg salad, or chicken salad or tuna salad or a cholpped spinach and cream cheese salad....then frosted with cream cheese softened with a little mayo and seasoned with a little grated lemon peel....it's best made ahead and refrigeraterd. Then sliced as you serve it.
or mini kiche....made with a pie crust crust in muffin cups...they warm well.

I've never seen Edam cheese in a round. Only in a whole solid round ball and a wedge.

What a sweet way to honor your mother's memory!

Sandwich ideas- whipped cream cheese and sun dried tomatoes, egg salad, curried chicken salad with grapes.

For the tea sandwiches i think I can get a mini loaf of rye, or if not I'll go old school and just cut up bread. Wish I wasn't so discombobulated because somewhere in some box I have mom and grandma's old cookie cutters with great shapes for the sandwiches.

Cocktail rye bread is lovely.

My favorite tea sandwich is party rye, spread thickly with cream cheese that has been mixed with a little mayo, seasoned with a little Beau Monde seasoning, topped with a slice of cucumber and sprinkled with dill.

Valentine's Day, Superbowl! primary caucuses! Chinese New Year! ------------

Fun time of the year to think about food themes.

dcarch.

And....seeing that thread about the Ukraine honey cake.....reminds me.
I have a recipe for a honey nut cake....it's a quick bread and because of all the honey, keeps well for a long time. It's quite dense and makes lovely little tea sandwiches. The recipe isn't on my computer, I will need to type it in....but if you would like it, let me know.

What a thoughtful thing to do!

I'm a nut for cranberry and walnuts or pecans, maybe with goat cheese/cream cheese as a sandwich filling, but with older folks, I always worry about nut pieces with dentures.

But it sounds like, for a tea, you already have more than enough. I mean it is an afternoon snack thing.... so cookies and sandwiches and some fancy fruit sounds perfect. If you are looking for cookie suggestions, try Emerils Russian tea cakes. Or there are other versions. They are melt in your mouth delish and perfect with tea.

I think the important thing with a tea is presentation...so fancy cups and saucers, fancy serving dishes, etc. A time to put on the dog as we used to say.

I'm off to the store to shop for the tea. I have no idea what I'll find, wish me luck! (rhetorical)

Edited to add that my local Meijers had NOTHING in the way of pre-prepared savory appetizers except for maybe those LaChoy "eggrolls" and crab rangoons, both of which would have to be baked the day of and set out right before and might get cold and not very appetizing as time wore on. I bought a wheel of edam cheese and some little puff pasty squares, which they did have. None of that square party rye bread. I'm kind of maybe rethinking the menu to exclude most of the savories, since the time is 3:30 - 4:30, kinda late for a lot of food. I have some date rolls, some chocolates, the cookies and maybe an apple bundt cake that was a favorite of my mom. Possibly a store bought cheesecake. Mom left behind three tins of cocoa powder, but I'm not sure what chocolate things go with tea. Not much, IMHO, maybe something chocolate cherry . . . I have pie crust and those PIllsbury crescent rolls in the freezer that need to be used up. Pie crust tarts are an easy thing, but the crescent rolls taste so much of BHT, I'm not found a good recipe using them that I like yet.

Six confirmed and probably a couple more will come. All of the "old girls club" from my home town, other than the ones who were in Florida or have moved away for retirement (or died). In their day, they were the movers and shakers, the ones who compiled all the community cookbooks and ran the bake sales and organized the fundraising dinners . . . I had better be on my toes! (said jokingly!) I wish I could do all home made goodies but time and family and work stress just isn't going to allow it. But mom wasn't above serving a box mix or store bought item so it's all good. It will be just like old times sake except for one thing, sigh. I'm finding myself getting choked up and I don't want to be, this is supposed to be a fun celebration of my mom's life and I don't want to be Debbie Downer for these old gals! The house is almost ready except for the food and a little tweaking of the serving pieces.

OK I'm having a rethink. I'd rather serve something that doesn't remind me of my mom, or at least not so strongly. And is less fussy and used ingredients I have on hand. I'm thinking now Dutch Apple pie/tart, (possibly drizzled with caramel sauce that I have leftover in the fridge) banana chocolate tea bread, Edam cheese and spinach dip with assorted crackers, a tray of dried apricots, sliced oranges and date candies, and if I have time, lemon phyllo tarts with my home made sherried strawberry preserves, maybe topped with a slivered almond. I can use canned lemon pudding for the tarts.

Food is the least important thing in this case. A nice loaf of bread (bought!) with butter and some jams, and a really good cake (bought!) - that's perfectly fine given the hour. Why? To do away with all this stress, to simplify this aspect of the occasion so you can concentrate on the really important thing.

The ladies are coming for each others' company, for your company and for a celebration of your mother. I'd take out some photo albums, some objects your mother was particularly fond of. Put on some music she liked. Have a drink, offer the ladies a drink (lace their tea with whiskey, or whatever if they're up to it). Have them talk about her, tell funny things they remember, sad things they remember. Anything they remember. Laugh, cry - just don't let the food get in the way and distract you with frenzied efforts to be the perfect hostess serving the perfect food.

Yes, that's definitely the takeaway. The things I suggested making are things I already have the ingredients for, but when the time comes, push comes to shove I will throw together whatever I can do most easily. I am never too shy to take the easy path!! Mom usually served store bought stuff, I'm the one who always tries to make home made!