Over the summer I fell in love...... with tea sets. I got a bit obsessed reading articles on the proper presentation for tea parties, the kinds of delicacies served, the proper way to serve tea, the ranges of tea sets etc. So during one fateful Laura Ashley sale, I bought the Josette Tea Set: 1 teapot, 1 cream jug, 1 sugar bowl, 5 cups and saucers and 1 3-tier cake stand.
So, this month, I put it all to use and threw a tea party for a few of my fellow Chemists. And along with some Earl Grey, Lady Grey and Jasmine tea, I served New York Cheesecake with Strawberry Coulis, Lemon Sponge Cake and home-made Chocolate Truffles.
So it seems like the key to this party being a success was the preparation. On Wednesday afternoon I made the coulis, as it can keep for a few days in the fridge and although it isn't hard it is one less thing to do; on Thursday I made the cheesecake, so it would have time to firm up and let the flavours blend in; on Friday I made the chocolate truffles on a last minute urge; and on Saturday, we ate and drank tea.
Cheesecake - I made this last July and the recipe is up here on my blog. Bear in mind that I added around 10ml of single cream to the recipe this time to cater to my guests tastes. Also, I added a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract and a bit of lemon zest. Delicious!
Strawberry Coulis - 160g washed, dried & chopped Strawberry, 60ml water, 60g granulated sugar, lemon juice & a half capful of vanilla extract.
I simply put the sugar and water in a pan, heated til it just started boiling then added the strawberries and left on a medium high heat for 10 minutes. Then I used a handblender to liquify everything and ran the liquid through a strainer twice. to remove the froth and seeds. Leave to cool for a while, and mine was left in the fridge for 3 days.
Frosted Lemon Sponge Cake - Another joyofbaking.com recipe. I halved everything as usual, mainly because I only just had to buy one block of butter for everything I was making that way. My only recommendation would be to add more lemon juice to the frosting as, otherwise, it becomes too thick and not as "drizzly." Also, I replaced some of the lemon juice with bottled lemon juice, as it stops the tang and sour being too overwhelming. The resulting cake is the perfect mix of tangy and sweet, moist and firm.
Chocolate Truffles - These are so easy to make it makes you wonder how some shops can have the nerve to sell these so expensively (though a Blegian chocolate truffle from Belgium is definitely worth the cost). To be honest with you, it is very similar to how I make hot chocolate, except using whipping cream instead of milk and with the addition of butter.
I basically melted 15g unsalted butter in 90ml whipping cream over a medium heat on the cooker, until the cream was boiling, then poured over roughly 115g chopped, plain dark chocolate. I left that to stand for 5 minutes then whisked the mixture thoroughly. For kicks, I added a couple tablespoons of the strawberry coulis I made for my cheesecake, then left the whole thing in my fridge overnight. The next morning I scooped out the now solid chocolate with a teaspoon, rolled it into a vaguely truffle-like shape and then rolled it into a bowl of cocoa powder. I did that until most of the chocolate was finished and put my truffles into the fridge to stop them melting before my guests arrived. The leftover chocolate, I poured boiling milk over, whisked and made possibly the most unhealthy hot chocolate in existence. Which also means that it was very delicious.
The Finished Product
All these separate components came together, along with some pretty china and table laying, to make a lovle tea party. The tea flowed and the cake was liberally served, the conversation was lively and varied, and I'm definitely doing it again. Here is the visual proof of the pudding.
