High Tea
By Grace Tan
You've probably seen the pictures: many-tiered platters of delicious-looking, albeit minuscule, snacks placed next to an ornate teapot pouring steaming amber liquid into dainty matching teacups. It's a sight to behold, and incredible to experience. Born out of mid-19th century England, afternoon tea is a must for finger food enthusiasts. A typical tea time meal consists of fragrant tea accompanied by a variety of morsels such as savory finger sandwiches, flaky pastries, and delectable bite-sized cakes. Originally eaten as a small meal when one became peckish, afternoon tea is now a high society indulgence usually taken on special occasions. This midday meal has also become a staple tourist attraction in many cities around the world that have developed their own variations of this quintessential British phenomenon.
Whenever I go to a different country with my mom, we always try to see what form afternoon tea takes on in a new place. While most serve the standard offerings of tea, starters, and dessert, there are endless possibilities to what makes up each category. The Tea Rooms at Edinburgh Castle offer a variety of unusually flavored teas like elderflower and lemon, lemongrass and ginger, and mango and strawberry. At Queen’s Cafe in Hong Kong, my mom and I had fried croquettes and sliced rolls rather than sandwiches. This is what I love about afternoon tea: no two places are really the same. Each place puts their own unique little spin on things; in my hometown of Portland, Oregon, I’ve even had afternoon tea at a steampunk store that changes its menu based on different literary themes.
While the food is admittedly a delicious (and aesthetic) way to abate our hunger between meals, my mom and I don’t just go for the food; over each of the small bites, we find time to talk about what’s new in our lives and what we have enjoyed on the trip so far. It’s a great way for us to come together and enjoy both the food and each other’s company without the heaviness of a full meal getting in the way.
If there’s no place near you to attend a tea, it’s easy to host your own! We’ve included a sample menu below, as well as a few recipes to get you started. Whether you buy the food or make it yourself, it’s a surefire way to spice up a normal day and get some drool-worthy pictures!
Chicken Salad on Wheat Bread
Ingredients
4 slices of wheat bread
¾ cup cooked chicken
½ cup cranberries
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Paprika, to taste
Garlic Powder, to taste
Preparation
Cut the crusts off of the slices of bread.
Mix the chicken, cranberries, celery, red onion, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise completely.
Spread mixture onto the slices of bread.
Slice sandwiches in half.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Orange Macarons
Equipment
2 Ziploc bags, with 1⁄4 inch cut off the corner
(or pastry bags with a 1⁄4 inch tip)
3 large bowls
Saucepan
Whisk or electric mix
Baking sheets
Parchment paper, if desired
Grater or knife, for zesting
Ingredients for…
Filling
3½ ounces chocolate, broken up into small pieces
¼ stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon orange zest, or 1 orange, to be zested (keep orange juice for flavoring in the cookie, if desired)
Cookies
2 cups of powdered sugar
1¼ cup almond flour
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
3 egg whites (large eggs)
¼ cup sugar
To Make the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter baking sheets or line with parchment paper in preparation.
Mix the powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder in a large bowl. The juice from the zested orange can be squeezed into this mixture.
Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl for approximately one minute until the color turns white. Continuing to beat the egg whites, gradually add the sugar tablespoon by tablespoon. This step can be done manually with a whisk or with an electric mixer on medium-high. Continue to beat until there are stiff peaks.
Slowly and gently fold the meringue into the large bowl from step two.
Transfer the meringue into the Ziploc or pastry bag.
Pipe coin-sized dollops about one inch apart from each other onto the baking sheets. Leave them alone for about fifteen minutes, until the tops of the cookies seem dry.
Bake for fifteen minutes. Allow the cookies to cool.
To Make the Filling
Zest the orange, if needed.
Pour the heavy cream into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. When the heavy cream is finished, mix in orange zest.
Meanwhile, put the chocolate and butter together in the third bowl.
Pour the heavy cream into the bowl with the chocolate and butter. Whisk until the consistency is smooth.
Refrigerate for approximately 20-25 minutes, until the filling is firm.
Transfer the filling into another Ziploc or pastry bag.
On the flat side of a cookie, pipe a small amount of filling. Be sure to leave some room around it for the filling to spread out. Sandwich the cookie and filling with a second cookie.
Repeat until finished!