Tea Party Ideas Please

[mom2girls]

my dd is turning five. we are doing a 'big girl tea party" . she wants the tiered plates and tea cups ect. now what would you make for five kids, i don't want all sweet. i am thinking egg sandwiches, chocolate strawberries, a square, a cookie......
and a cake help please!!! mom2girls

 

[pdswife]

lemon squares?? Short bread cookies?? Will you cut the sandwiches in to fun little shapes?

 

[mom2girls]

pdswife, yes i was thinking, proper english sandwiches. no crusts and shapes to.

 

[pdswife]

I'm sure you'll have a great time!!

 

[urmaniac13]

What a fun idea... I hope you all have loads of fun!! Okay, what to serve...proper english tea sandwiches are very good idea... also popular and highly tasty for the tea "nibbles" are

-pikelets, very similar to pancakes, can be enjoyed with various toppings
http://www.cuisinedumonde.com/pikelets.html

-cheese scones, a savoury version of famous english treat
http://thefoody.com/baking/cheesescones.html

the classic scones are eaten with devonshire cream and good strawberry preserve, they are oh, so good!!

Devonshire Cream

120g/4oz mascarpone
250ml/9oz heavy whipping cream (not ultrapasteurized)
a drop of vanilla extract
1 tablespoons sugar
small pinch salt

Combine all the ingredients in a large stainless steel bowl. Beat the cream until it holds its shape. Chill the cream in the fridge until ready to use. This cream should be used within an hour of being made or else you will have to rewhip it.

Classic Cream Scones

250g/9oz self raising flour
80g/3oz granulated sugar
pinch of salt
80g/3oz unsalted butter chilled
120ml/4oz heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
some drops of vanilla extract
a handful of currants (optional)
1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water
for glaze (optional)
Additional Sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 200C/425F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, stir together the cream, egg, and vanilla. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the currants, if desired. With lightly floured hands pat the dough into a 1,5cm/half inch thickness on a lightly floured cutting board. Using a floured 6-7cm/2,5 inch diameter round biscuit cutter or a glass cut out rounds from the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the scraps together and repeat until all the dough is used. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with the egg mixture, if desired. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Serve when either just warm or cool.

Let us know how the party went!!

 

[mish]

Mom2, Happy Birthday to your dd .

My guess is that five-year-olds are not fond of tea, but like the idea of dressing up and tea cups, to be grown up like mom. IMO, clotted cream, scones, mascarpone, watercress sandwiches etc., appeals to adults - not kids. Guessing kids would be happy with cake, candy, chocolate, hot dogs and ice cream.

Some ideas that might be more kid friendly:

Maybe lemonade in place of tea in their teacups.
Chocolate chip cookies and ice cream
Pigs in a blanket (instead of scones)
Chocolate dipped strawberries (or leave out the chocolate) or a pretty fruit plate
Fruit skewers (i.e. melon, grapes, cheese, etc.) & a yogurt dipping sauce
A Tea Party theme Birthday cake
Music that appeals to kids (not classical)
Tea sandwiches like peanut butter/jelly, cream cheese. bananas - why not some s'mores
Dress up the plates with little doilies
Thumbprint cookies (jam, almonds etc.)
Maybe a fondue with fruits for dipping

I wouldn't go overboard with the sweets. Maybe have an Alice in Wonderland/Mad Hatter Tea Party theme. Rent a video of Alice in Wonderland.

Just a few ideas to get the ball rolling. Hope the party is a big success.

 

[mom2girls]

mish, that is exactly what i was going for! i love the ideas. thanks.

 

[Constance]

My grandmother had endless ladies luncheons, and I remember helping her make tea sandwiches. Two of the spreads were chicken salad and cream cheese with sliced olives. She also made ham salad sometimes, which I loved. When I was a young mother, I really had to pinch pennies, and I used to make "ham salad" with balogna, hard boiled eggs, mild cheddar (those put through a grinder), a little mustard, Miracle Whip, and sweet relish. My kids loved it, and so has everyone else who has tried it. The reason I mention this is that your little girls might enjoy that more than some of the more "traditional" tea sandwiches.
It's also very easy to make little choux paste puffs, which are wonderful filled with chicken salad, or vanilla pudding inside and warmed fudge topping mix drizzled over the tops.
Chocolate dipped strawberries would be delightful for the kids! Or maybe a chocolate fondue with assorted fruit and chunks of angelfood cake for dipping.
Don't forget the little bowls of mints and nuts...can't be a tea party without those. Of course you could always substitute kid stuff, ie malted milk balls and miniature oreos.
What about the tea? There are so many recipes for flavored teas on the web...such as peach tea, or tropical fruit tea. You might also include lemonade or spiced apple cidar as beverages.
Sandra Lee has done several parties for her niece. If you check out Food Network, you'll find some nice hints for children's parties on her site...things like little bows tied around the napkins.
Have fun with your little ladies...you'll cherish this memory for the rest of your life.

 

[Piccolina]

You've gotten some fantastic ideas already! Makes me want to have a grown up tea party A few more thoughts...

Fruit salad served in hollowed out melon halves (or oranges if they are big enough)

Apple slices and caramel sauce

A child friendly soup served in large tea cups or mugs

Meatballs or pizza bites

English muffins and jam (or go really Brit and use lemon curd)

Individual triffles instead of a birthday cake (or other small desserts in individual ramekins, like chocolate pudding or strawberry mousse)

 

[shannon in KS]

May I also suggest for the "big girls", providing them ingredients to create their own snacks also. Lots of suggestions for sandwiches, why not let them make them? Having a little girl myself, they LOVE creating new things!!!! Hope they have a grand time!

 

[Ishbel]

Mish started a thread a while back on high tea. There are lots of sandwich ideas and more on the thread..

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f23/high-tea-party-ideas-11272.html?highlight=afternoon

 

[cc2003btw]

Theres a lot of things that people refer to as English, feels very strange. What makes a sandwich English. I guess crumpets are our kinda thing. Pikelets are great, especially as mini pizzas, some chorizo sausage and melted cheese on top.

 

[urmaniac13]

Theres a lot of things that people refer to as English, feels very strange. What makes a sandwich English. I guess crumpets are our kinda thing. Pikelets are great, especially as mini pizzas, some chorizo sausage and melted cheese on top.

CC, I have meant those neatly trimmed quaint square sandwiches, with the crusts cut off (one of the most famous and delicious ones are cucumbers), not the chips butties... they are particularly associated with "English tea" from the eyes of foreigners, where they make and eat sandwiches in every possible shapes...

And yes... I forgot about Crumpets!! Unfortunately I don't find them in Italy, but one of these days I would like to try making them myself... what would you say, those round egg shaper will work as the substitute to crumpet rings?

 

[Ishbel]

'What makes a sandwich English?'


Well, perhaps because it was named after the Earl of Sandwich who when playing cards late one night requested a snack and was given some cold meat and pickles and a couple of hunks of bread at the gaming table. In order to make least mess, he placed the meat and pickles between two slices of bread and, VOILA, the sandwich was born


(Personally, I think that's a loada hooey.... but it IS named after him!)

 

[Ishbel]

Urmaniac - have a look on that thread that I posted above about high tea... my recipe for crumpets is on that thread.

I've got the proper rings for the crumpets, but I don't see why that implement you posted shouldn't work!

 

[urmaniac13]

Thanks so much Izzy!! Well the weather is getting chilly and we have plenty of earl grey stocked, I think we are good to go for trying this recipe, as soon as we get that egg ring which we saw in Ikea last time we were there!!