Menu for A Friendship Tea

A Friendship Tea

Welcome Everyone!
We are having a tea party.
My wonderful friend wanted to invite a few of her closest friends to a luncheon. She and I poured over many wonderful ideas for the menu.  She set the table with her finest and I prepared the food.
I hope you enjoy our choices.

Starters
Willow Brook Chicken Salad
(Printable recipe)
Makes 6 servings
4 medium skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blend
1 1/2 cups seedless red grape halves
1. In large saucepan, place chicken breasts in water to cover.
Bring to boil, reduce temperature, and cook over low heat
until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and cool.
2. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Add mayonnaise, onion,
and seasoning blend; mix gently.
3. Fold in grapes; refrigerate several hours to blend flavors

Savories
Putting on the Ritz Egg Salad Sandwiches
(Printable Recipe)
Yields 10 whole sandwiches or 20 halves or 40 fourths
8 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely-chopped fresh dill weed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
20 slices best-quality white bread **
** * Choose the best-quality white or wheat bread as possible. Never serve end slices.
Freezing the bread before cutting and then spreading makes for easier handling.
Preparation:
Peel eggs and place into a medium bowl. Slice eggs and then coarsely mash them with the back of a fork. Add mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and dill; stir until well blended. NOTE: This mixture can be refrigerated, covered up to two days.
Spread butter onto one side of each slice of bread. Spread the buttered side of 10 slices of bread with 2 tablespoons egg mixture. Top with remaining slices of bread, buttered side down.
Carefully cut the crusts from sandwich with a long, sharp knife. Cut in half diagonally, then cut in half again.  If desired, decorative shapes can be made with cookie cutters.


Open-Face Cucumber Sandwiches
(Printable Recipe)
Ready in 1-2 hours
Serves/Makes 24

INGREDIENTS
3 English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced thin
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 envelope dry ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 loaf cocktail rye bread
Fresh dill weed for garnish
(1 carrot slice and drizzle with ranch salad dressing)

PREPARATION
Place cream cheese, dressing mix, mayonnaise and sour cream in a medium bowl and mix together until well blended.
Chill at least 1 hour for flavors to blend. Can be made a day ahead.
Spread each bread slice with a teaspoon of the mixture and top with a cucumber slice.
Sprinkle with dill weed and arrange on a platter.

Giada De Laurentiis~Stuffed Mushrooms

(Printable Recipe)

Yield 28 mushrooms

Ingredients
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Stir the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, mint,
salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium
bowl to blend.
Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive
oil, to coat. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and
arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil
over the filling in each mushroom. Bake until the mushrooms are
tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about
25 minutes, Serve.

Scones

Sultana Scones

(Printable Recipe)

Makes about 14

Making good scones is easy as long as you don't over handle the dough.

Tender and moist, wrap them is a clean tea towel after baking to help keep them that way.

Serve warm with lots of butter and preserves, these are wonderfully delicious.

8 ounces self-raising flour - 1 cup

1 teaspoons baking powder

2 ounces softened butter

1 ounce caster sugar - 2 tablespoons (super fine sugar)

2 ounces sultanas - 1/4 cup

1 large egg

milk

Pre-heat the oven to 220*C/425*F. Line two baking trays with baking parchment paper and set aside.

Measure the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with the tips of your fingers, until the mixture closely resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar and the sultanas.

Beat the egg together with enough milk to make a total of 150ml of liquid (2/3 cups) stir this mixture into the flour mixture to make a soft, but not sticky dough. You don't want it to be too dry or too sticky. Take your time adding the milk...

Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead lightly a few times, then pat out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 inch cutter, then place them onto the prepared baking trays. Brush the tops with a little milk.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden brown and nicely risen. Lift onto a wire rack to cool and then wrap in a clean tea towel to serve. Delicious!

Lemon Curd

Whipped Cream
Strawberry Jam

Sweets

Strawberries

Harvest Honey Cupcakes ~Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
(Printable Recipe)

makes 18 to 20 cupcakes

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. imitation maple flavor
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 ts. each: ground cinnamon and cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup each: raisins and chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Place cupcake liners in 18 to 20 muffin tins
2. Cream brown sugar and butter in a large bowl; add eggs. Stir in pumpkin,
honey and maple flavor.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients; stir into batter. Add carrots,
raisins and walnuts. Spoon into prepared pans, filling cups about 3/4 full.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Frost when completely cool and store
in the refrigerator.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:
Beat together 1/2 of an (8-oz.) package
softened cream cheese, 1 cup powdered
sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar,
1/2 cup softened butter and 1/2 tsp.
imitation maple flavor.
Decorate as desired
Chocolate~Chocolate~Chocolate

I hope you will try some of my tea party delights and please

drop by My Cozy Corner on Tuesday to view the
beautiful table, sideboard and fabulous antique dishes.

Thank you so much for visiting
I'm joining

On The Menu Monday @ Stonegable
Show off Your Cottage Monday  @ The House in the Roses
and
Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

xo
Betty