For this month’s Invite, I’m creating a darling spring celebration with a delicious tea for two. My take on high tea mostly forgoes the usual etiquette-first customs; it’s more like a low tea at home featuring mouthwatering selections of smoked salmon finger sammies and cucumber sandwiches. The kettle is on — it’s spring teatime.
Spring Cocktail Elderberry Martini Drop
(Makes 1 cocktail)
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1.5 ounces vodka
- ½ ounce elderflower liqueur
- ½ ounce strawberry puree (see recipe below)
- 1.5 ounces freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
- *Fresh edible bloom and mint leaf for garnish
Method
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the ingredients, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled Champagne coupe, and garnish with blooms and herbs.
Strawberry Puree
(Makes about 3/4 cup)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh strawberries, washed, stems removed, and cut into quarters
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Method
Place the strawberries in a small saucepan along with the sugar. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 8 or so minutes until the strawberries have softened, releasing their juices. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Uncover, and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes to thicken the sauce. Using a large fork, mash the strawberries and cook 5 more minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice. Cool. Strain out the seeds using a fine mesh sieve and the back of a spoon. Discard the strawberry mash.
Trio of Tea Sandwiches
❶ Persian Cucumber Sandwiches with Watercress and Lemon Cream
Ingredients
- 4 slices of quality white bread
- Flavored cream cheese (see below)
- Small handful of watercress
- Fresh mint
- 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthwise
- Microgreens
- Edible flower petals
Method
Spread a nice cream cheese layer on each bread slice, leaving enough cream cheese for a thin third layer on two slices. Cover 2 of the slices with the watercress and mint leaves. Next, top the bread with the remaining bread slices, cream cheese side down. Add a thin layer of cream cheese to the top of the sandwich. Layer 5 to 6 slices of cucumber onto each sandwich, overlapping them a bit. Trim the crusts, slice the sandwiches into thirds, and top each length with a sprinkling of microgreens and edible flower petals.
CREAM CHEESE
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- Zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon
- Himalayan pink sea salt
Method
Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Using a spatula, fold the mixture together until just combined. Add additional whipping cream as necessary to make the mixture easily spreadable.
❷ Smoked Salmon Finger Sandwich with Grated Ginger and Wasabi Cream Cheese
(Makes enough cream cheese for 2 whole sandwiches, cut into 6 rectangular lengths)
Ingredients
- 4 slices of good white bread
- Flavored cream cheese (see below)
- 3 to 4 thinly sliced radishes
- Thai basil
- 6 ounces European-style smoked salmon
- Microgreens
- Edible flower petals
Method
Line up the bread slices on a butcher block. Spread a nice cream cheese layer on each bread slice, leaving enough cream cheese for a thin third layer on two slices. Cover 2 of the slices with the radishes. Top the radishes with 4 Thai basil leaves per slice. Next, top the bread with the remaining bread slices, cream cheese side down. Add a thin layer of cream cheese to the top of the sandwich. Layer 3 or so slices of smoked salmon onto each sandwich. Trim the crusts, slice the sandwiches into thirds, and top each length with a sprinkling of microgreens and edible flower petals.
CREAM CHEESE
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 teaspoons grated (bottled) ginger
- 1 teaspoon wasabi powder
- Zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon
- Himalayan pink sea salt
Method
Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Using a spatula, fold the mixture together until just combined. Add additional whipping cream as necessary to make the mixture easily spreadable.
❸ Lobster Roll on Brioche Buns with Tomato and Horseradish Mayo
(Makes 5 to 6 mini sandwiches)
Thaw, then butterfly, the lobster tails, slather them with a bit of melted butter, and broil or grill them until pinky opaque and cooked through.
Ingredients
- 3 lobster tails, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Olive oil
- 1 cup good mayo
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons creamy horseradish sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fennel salt
- Zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 Brioche slider buns
- Watercress
- Garlic chives
- Himalayan sea salt
Method
Toss the lobster pieces with a scant splash of olive oil. Make the mayo mixture: In a bowl, combine the mayo, tomato paste, horseradish, Bay, salt, zest, and juice. Fold together until just combined. Spread a good layer on the bottom slider bun, and top it with the lobster. Place a dollop of mayo sauce on top of the lobster. Top with a few watercress leaves and snipped garlic chives and a sprinkle of lemon zest and Himalayan sea salt. Pop on the slider lid, and serve.
Blue Eyes Tea
I love this caffeine-free blend of fruit and flowers from the Perennial Tea Room on Post Alley in Seattle. It’s naturally sweet, thanks to dried apple pieces and vanilla, and the ruby red color is swoon-worthy.
Dessert Cakes and Loaves
The good news is that two out of three are from a box and just need to be zhuzhed. Boxed brownies and mini cupcakes come together in minutes. The buttery mini almond loaves from scratch are pretty easy, too. I love a double chocolate and chocolate chip brownie mix.
I spoon the batter into parchment lotus cups, tuck a few fresh raspberries into the batter, and bake them in a muffin tin per box instructions. Box mini cupcakes are amazing slathered with the strawberry buttercream frosting made from scratch using the strawberry puree made for the cocktail.
STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
(Frosts approximately 24 mini cupcakes)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1 tablespoon whipped cream
- 1 tablespoon strawberry puree
- Edible blooms for garnish
Method
In the bowl of a mixer, combine the sugar and butter. Mix until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined Taste test, adding more strawberry puree as desired and whipping cream for easy spreadability. Slather the frosting onto the mini cupcakes, and top them with an edible bloom garnish.
Mini Almond Loaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. The recipe makes 3 loaves.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Method
Sift the almond flour and sugar together in a medium bowl to help lighten the batter. Lightly whisk the egg whites, and fold them into the flour and sugar. Melt the butter in a stovetop pan on medium heat until it begins to brown slightly. Fold the hot butter into the bowl, and continue folding until the butter is incorporated into the batter. Spoon the batter into mini quarter-pound paper loaf pans. Bake for approximately 18 minutes until the loaves are golden brown. Transfer loaf pans to a cooling rack for about 5 minutes. Remove the paper pans, and cool.