How To: High Tea

Like most days, I found myself missing the city and all of its life and culture. One of my favorite things to do in New York was to have “high tea” or “afternoon tea.” So cheesy I know, but as someone who has never been anywhere, I loved that this allowed me to learn and participate in a culture I have always admired. I have always loved the social aspect of cocktails and tapas or wine and cheese, but as someone who has never been a huge fan of sodas or juices or anything outside of water and alcohol, the discovery of tea was very exciting lol! So today I am going to share with you how you can bring the tradition into your very own homes. But if you find yourself in New York, click here to find my recommendations for the best places to have high tea in the City!

First, in order to fully appreciate the act of high tea and understand the culture. Here is a great article that breaks down the meaning and history of afternoon tea. Enjoy!

Now, how to bring it home. First, the meal is traditionally served on a tiered platter however this was not included in my Mom’s china set, and isn’t absolutely essential, so we made it our own! However, the tiered platter is absolutely gorgeous, so in case you prefer it served that way, here are a few recommendations in platters if you would like to make the investment!

(P.s. I actually use this kind of platter as a way to display my perfume too;))

A) Leila Three Tiered Stand at Pottery Barn, $49.50 B) Marble and Brass 3 Tiered Stand at Williams Sonoma, $129.95 C) Gibson Elite Porcelain 3 Tiered Serving Set with Gold Metal Stand at Target, $30.99 D) Royal Albert Miranda Kerr Friendship 3 Tier Cake Stand at Wedgwood, $145 E) Monique Lhuillier Juliana Three Tiered Stand at Pottery Barn, $69.50 F) Gold Metal Tiered Cupcake Stand at Table Cloths Factory, $29.99 G) Cambridge Gold 3 Tier Stand at Crate and Barrel, $29.95

I also recommend checking out this blog for more descriptions

on the proper etiquette of Afternoon Tea

The first tier is the “First Course” and is made up of your savory items, like sandwiches. Everything in afternoon tea is “bite sized” and is eaten with your fingers (hence the term finger sandwiches), and should be cut to the size in which you are able to consume in 2-3 bites. Generally the sandwiches are crustless, but my Mom hates waste, and I have no issues with crust so we did not have them this way lol. There are several options for finger sandwiches, but we decided on the traditional “cucumber sandwich” using a recipe from one of my favorite New York Restaurants “Lillie’s Victorian.” This included a cream cheese spread, fresh dill, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and smoked salmon. And OMG do I love my smoked salmon, so these were absolutely delicious. However if you prefer other options, click here to find more recipes!

The second tier or “Second Course” would be your scones with clotted cream and jam. My mom and I skipped the cream and jam and had fresh blueberries and side salad instead! Again, you’re free to make it your own, and we decided we wanted a little less sweet, hence the fruit and salad.

The third and final tier, are your more decadent sweets. It could be really fun to a find a specialty grocery store with a pastries counter and explore a whole assortment of sweets! One of my favorite things about afternoon tea is the “tapas” aspect of it. Having little bites and getting a taste of everything! However, I am not as much of a sweets person, so I used a variety box of “dessert bars” and cut them into bite size pieces and added berries for a more aesthetic affect lol!

And finally, the TEA! It’s great to offer assortments in individual packets, and we put them in a matching gravy boat lol. But options are great if you’re hosting and having guests! Have milk and sugar available and serve in your cutest cups!

So after we fixed up our meal, we plated it all and brought it to our living room to enjoy while we watched one of my favorite movies, Breakfast at Tiffany’s :)

Make it your own, use your favorite ingredients, make due with whatever dish wear you have on hand. What makes Afternoon Tea so great isn’t the fancy dishes or the decadent sweets, its the social aspect and opportunity to enjoy time with your friends/family. I hope you enjoyed and go on to create your own!

Below I included all the ingredients I used for my own afternoon tea as a guide

First Course: Cucumber Sandwiches

• Sandwich bread (wheat or white), rolls, or croissants

• Cream Cheese

• Dill

• Cucumber

• Tomato

• Smoked Salmon

First Course Optional Salad: Orchard Salad (a recipe of my own:) )

• Spring mixed greens

• Red apple cut in bite size cubes

• Dried cranberries (craisins)

• Pumpkin seeds

• Sunflower seeds

• Walnuts

• Goat Cheese

• Balsamic Vinaigrette

Second Course: Scones

• Store bought blueberry (but homemade would be excellent!)

• (Recommended with clotted cream and jam)

• Fresh blueberries

• Shortbread cookies

Third Course: Dessert Bars

• Store Bought assortment of fudge brownie, lemon, and coconut