· Birthday Tea Party ·

This isn't my normal, predictable sort of post, but I thought our tea party this month was worthy of a post. :-)  We had some friends visiting around our "birthday season" (3 of the 4 birthdays in our family fall within a 13 day period), so we took that as a sufficient excuse to have a tea party. ;-)  There's something addictively fun about making more-than-usually cute food and pulling out all the fun china and serving dishes!

Our place settings included the plates my parents picked out for their wedding registry.  They are a simple white octagonal design from Johnson Bros. and they've proven to be extremely versatile and classic throughout the years.

The tea cups are part of my fledgling collection of pink depression glass.  I have a post about the depression glass I've collected from estate sales in the works, so I'll keep it brief this time!  I'm only buying when I find great deals and I'm open to a mis-matched set- I currently have 3 different styles of cups and saucers and I think depression glass is actually rather charming when mixed up! :-)

The tablecloth and napkins were a fun, frivolous purchase from an antique mall.  We love decorating with this tablecloth- the embroidery is so stunning!

My sister enjoys folding napkins for special occasions and we all enjoy the fruits of her labors. :-)  A Crown fold highlights the embroidered corner of these napkins perfectly and starched napkins ensure crisp, neat folds!  Unfortunately... I forgot to get a detail shot of the napkins.  Oh well. ;-)

Our 3-tiered server displayed the savory treats: Cucumber Sandwiches and Fish-Paste Sandwiches.  We may or may not have been extremely interested in trying fish paste sandwiches after watching the adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Sad Cypress"... ;-)  I'm pleased to report that our ventures into fish-paste were a success and they've made it onto the "repeatable" list!

Fish-Paste Sandwiches

Adapted from a recipe from Yummly

6oz can salmon
1/2t black pepper
3T cream cheese
1T mustard
1T butter

Mix together using fork or food processor, spread on white bread to make sandwiches.

The last tier housed one of our favorite recipes: Rosemary Parmesan Scones.  These are a must-try!!

The chocolate-covered strawberries are always an easy addition to a party and this time we used a mixture of chocolate candy melts and chocolate chips- I think we achieved a good compromise between taste and firm-enough chocolate coating. ;-)

Rosemary Parmesan Scones

Recipe from Tea Time magazine

2 1/2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. chilled butter

1/2 c. parmesan cheese

1 T. dried rosemary (or 3 T. fresh)

3/4 c. (or more) milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Add cheese and rosemary and combine.  Add milk and stir, using more if needed until dough holds together.  Knead dough 8-10 times (this step makes the flaky layers).  Gently shape into a circle about 3/4" thick and cut into 12 wedges.  Bake at 375° for 16-20 minutes or until tops get lightly browned.

-Optional- 

Brush tops before baking with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.

Our official dessert for the day was also a new, successful recipe!

Lemon Curd Tartlets

Crust from Williams Sonoma

1 3/4 cups gingersnap crumbs
5 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
About 1 1 /2 cups lemon curd (see recipe below)
3 or 4 kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced
Mint leaves

Preheat an oven to 375ºF. Butter four 4 1/2-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms. 

To make the crust, in a food processor, combine the gingersnap crumbs and butter. Pulse until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture starts to clump together. Remove the crumb mixture from the food processor and press the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared tartlet pans.  Bake until the crusts are set and begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool. 

Remove the cooled tartlet shells from the pans and gently spoon the curd into the shells. Arrange the kiwi slices and mint leaves on top.

Lemon Curd

Juice of 4 lemons (1c)
Zest of 4 lemons
4 eggs, beaten
1/2c butter, cut in small pieces
2c sugar

In the top of a double boiler, combine all ingredients.  Place over simmering water and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and smooth.  Lemon curd will firm up slightly when cool, but for the tarts it is nice to have a slightly thicker consistency.

Yield- approx. 1 pint
Lemon curd can be stored in the fridge, however if you are making in bulk, it freezes excellently too!

Enjoy!