Speaking traditionally, teatime was confined to leisurely luxurious households. It seemed to be a peek into one’s social standing. But as time passed by, teatime, also referred to as ‘afternoon tea’ or ‘high tea’, became the talk of the town, with every family and country indulging in the same. A light elegant snacking time between lunch and dinner, tea is usually taken between 3 and 5 o’clock. And it was not long before teatime was transformed into tea parties with several friends and family members gathering to enjoy a cuppa of tea. But drinking plain tea seems to be boring and bland. To add color and flavor, you can include various light snacks and munchies to hog on to, while enjoying the hot brew and the healthy conversation. And to help you plan out the perfect tea party, we present you some easy and delicious recipes to make. Take a look!
Easy Recipes For Tea Parties
Garden Pasta Salad
Ingredients
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1 package (8 oz) multi-colored spiral Pasta
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¼ cup Vegetable Oil
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3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
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1/8 tsp crushed Garlic
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1 tsp Basil
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Salt and Pepper (to taste)
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1 Red Pepper (sliced thinly)
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Parmesan/Romano Cheese (for garnishing)
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Parsley (for garnishing)
Instructions
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Cook pasta as per instructions stated on the package.
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Discard hot water and rinse pasta in cold water.
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Drain and transfer into a large bowl. Keep aside.
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Take a small bowl and combine together oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
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Pour the mixture over pasta.
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Add red pepper and toss the pasta to coat evenly.
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Sprinkle parmesan cheese and parsley.
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Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Russian Tea Cakes
Ingredients
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1 cup Butter (softened)
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½ cup Confectioners' Sugar
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¼ tsp Walnut Extract
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1 tsp Vanilla Extract
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2¼ cup Flour
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¼ tsp Salt
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½ cup Walnuts (toasted and chopped)
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Confectioners’ Sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
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Mix butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat until the mix gets fluffy and light.
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Add in vanilla and walnut extracts. Stir well.
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Sift flour and salt together in a separate bowl.
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Add it to the butter mixture and stir until just mixed.
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Stir in toasted walnuts.
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Divide the mixture into 1-inch balls.
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Roll the balls and place them on greased baking sheets.
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Bake the balls for 11-14 minutes till they are lightly browned.
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Remove from oven and roll them in confectioners’ sugar.
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Cool and serve.
Egg Salad Tea Sandwich
Ingredients
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6 Eggs
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3 tbsp Mayonnaise
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1 tbsp Mustard
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1/8 tsp Pepper
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A dash of Salt
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Bread Slices
Instructions
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Place eggs in a saucepan and pour in water to cover them.
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Bring the water to a boil and simmer on medium flame for 10 minutes.
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Remove the eggs and place them into ice water.
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Peel the egg shells and slice/chop the eggs.
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Take a medium mixing bowl and combine together eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
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Spoon out the mixture onto a bread slice and spread it neatly. Place another one on top. Cut the sandwich into triangles.
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Repeat with the remaining mixture and bread slices.
Dry Fruit Scones
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 °F.
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In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest together.
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Cut in butter and mix until your mixture forms small pea-sized clumps. Do not use a mixer; else you’ll get tough scones.
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Mix in currants.
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Combine honey, sour cream, and beaten egg in a separate bowl.
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Stir this mixture into the flour mix. Fold and stir till you get soft dough.
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Flour a board and knead the dough about 10 times.
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Roll out the dough, large enough to form an 8” square.
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Cut the dough into 4 squares and each square into 2 triangles.
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Brush your triangles with egg white using a pastry brush.
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Bake the scones for 10-20 minutes till they turn golden brown.
Now that you have a proper planned menu, add in a handful of spices and tea bags in the teapot to come up with the most aromatic and flavorsome tea party!