Rose Garden Tea Party Recipes

Setting the mood for a Rose Garden Tea Party doesn't stop with the decorations and the setting of the table...It is extended into the menu you prepare. These recipes will delight your guests long after the party is over, due to the delight of the imagination they envoke.

• Cucumber and Mint Tea Sandwiches
• Curried Chicken and Watercress Tea Sandwiches
• Lemon & Poppy Seed Tea Bread
• Honey Butter
• Apricot Scones
• Devonshire Cream &Assorted Preserves
• A White Coconut Cake with Raspberry Filling - Topped with Candied Rose Petals
• Tea Pot Sugar Cookies
• Fresh Seasonal Fruit Salad
• Rose Petal Tea
• Various Teas and Tisanes

• 1 to 2 Cucumbers
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Fresh Mint Leaves, cut into slivers
White wine vinegar
• Buttered Bread Slices

Peel cucumber(s) and cut into thin slices. Sprinkle slices with a little of white wine vinegar and salt.

Let drain in a sieve for about 1/2 hour. Drain away any excess water and pat dry with a paper towel. Cover a slice of lightly buttered bread with 2 layers of cucumber slices and a bit of black pepper. Sprinkle with a bit of mint leaves.

Top with another slice of buttered bread. Press firmly with the palm of your hand. Cut off the crusts. Cut into small rectangles or triangles. Cover with plastic wrap until served.

• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
• 1 medium unpeeled red apple, chopped
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 12 slices bread
• Watercress Leaves

In a bowl combine: chicken, apple, cranberries, celery, pecans and green onions.

In a separate bowl combine: mayonnaise, lime juice and curry powder.

Add to chicken mixture and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut each slice of bread with a 3-in. flower-shaped cookie cutter, if desired. Top with watercress and chicken salad.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/8 cups vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 8x4 inch bread pans.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds and 2 1/2 cups white sugar.

Add the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and lemon extract; mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean. Cool loaves in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Combine orange juice with remaining 3/4 cup sugar and desired flavor of extract; stir well. Pour mixture over the loaf while it is still hot. Allow loaf to cool completely before serving.

OR

Tip: For an easier, time saving version use a cake mix! See recipe below:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons poppy seeds

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake and pudding mixes, eggs, water and oil; beat until well mixed. Fold in poppy seeds. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.





Apricot Scones (makes 12)
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup oat bran
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup margarine or butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 can (17 oz.) apricot halves, drained and chopped

Combine flour, oat bran, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add eggs, milk and apricots; stir just until dough leaves side of bowl.

Divide dough in half, turn onto floured surface. Sprinkle surface of dough with additional flour. Roll or pat dough into 6 inch circle, 1 inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough. Cut each circle with floured knife into six wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.






Devonshire Cream
• 1 c. Heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp. Cream of tartar
• 1/4 c. Powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Beat all ingredients until stiff. Refrigerate and serve with scones and jam.

Assorted Preserves

Offer several flavors of preserves. Of course, Apricot will accent the Apricot Scones nicely. Also try Raspberry or Apple.







Honey Butter
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup honey
In small bowl, cream butter until soft. Slowly beat in honey; beat on high speed until light.

Lemon Curd

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar, about 2 minutes, in a mixer. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.

In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.)

Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly using a wisk, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes, 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil.

Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl.

Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools.

Covered tightly, refrigerate up to 1 week or 2 months frozen.






White Coconut Cake with Raspberry Filling -topped with Candied Rose Petals

Tip:I would suggest making a white cake from a box mix to make this an easy recipe. And for an especially lovely cake make it 3 layers! I always make this in my 10” pans.

Cake:

Prepare Ahead: Prepare cake according to directions on the box. Let cool.

Tip: Place each cake layers in a large plastic baggie. Place back into cake pans and place into freezer. This keeps the cake fresh until ready to use and makes the layers easier to handle when putting together.

Raspberry Filling: 1 jar Raspberry Jam, without seeds

Frosting:

Take cake layers out of freezer and out of baggies and let them thaw a bit.

Place the first layer on a cake plate and apply frosting on top. Next carefully place jam on top of the frosting. Starting in the center and working it out towards the edges, but not all the way to the edge.

Tip: The jam will ‘spread out’ when you place the next layer on top and you don’t want jam seeping out from between the layers. So stop jam about ¾” from edge.

Do the next layer in the same fashion. Place the top layer on. Frost entire cake. Give the frosting a light and fluffy touch making little peaks with the frosting. Next put coconut on the sides and top of the cake.

Candied Flowers:

You will need:

• Edible flowers: such as violets, rose petals or mint leaves
• egg whites or powdered version
• superfine sugar

Beat one egg white or prepare powder per instructions. "Paint" your flower or leaf with the frothy egg white using a small soft brush. Cover completely. Sprinkle the coated leaf or flower with superfine sugar, coating completely. Place on waxed paper in a warm, dry place to dry for 2 days. Store in a tightly sealed container with waxed paper between layers.

Tip: Many cooks use raw egg whites with success. I have also used them. You may choose to use the powdered version. If you are using the sugared flowers on cakes or cookies that will be eaten by children please use your judgment and be cautious. You can also decorate cakes with the flowers freshly picked right before you serve. Make sure your flowers and leaves are chemical free, rinsed and patted dry.







Tea Pot Sugar Cookies
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using a tea pot shaped cookie cutter. Sprinkle with white granulated sugar before baking, Or decorate with frosting or glaze after baked cookies have cooled.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.





Fresh Seasonal Fruit Saladwith Creamy Citrus Topping
• 3 large peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 cup vanilla nonfat or low-fat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

Combine fruit and lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix yogurt and concentrate. Put fruit in a large glass bowl or 6 small bowls or parfait glasses. Drizzle sauce over fruit and top with mint. Refrigerate until ready to use.





Various Teas and Tisanes

Offer various teas and tisanes along with the Rose Petal Tea, which may be served as an Iced Tea!

Rose Petal Tea

2 cups firmly packed fragrant rose petals ( about 15 lg roses: wash and pat dry) 1 cup tea leaves (green or black)

Preheat oven to 200 degrease F. Place rose petals on an ungreased baking sheet. Leaving oven door slightly open, dry petals in oven for 3-4 hours or until completely dry, stirring occasionally.

In a food processor, fitted with steel blades, process rose petals and tea leaves until finely chopped. Store in airtight container.

To brew: Use as any normal loose leaf tea. Using 1 teaspoon for each 8 oz. of water.

Rose Petal Ice Cubes

If serving this tea as an Iced Tea use these lovely Rose Petal Ice Cubes: These are so pretty when they are floating In a punch bowl or a pitcher of iced tea or lemonade.

Collect pesticide free rose petals. Rinse under warm water and blot dry. Fill ice cube tray half full with water and freeze. Lay a rose petal on each cube, cover with a teaspoon of water; freeze again. Fill cubes completely with water and freeze, remove from trays.









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