Ivy and Lace Tea Party: Timetable

Gustav Becker Vienna Regulator, 1895


Up to a Week Ahead:
Prepare Pineapple, Coconut and Macadamia Scones and freeze
Prepare Biscuits and freeze

Two Days Ahead:
Prepare Tomato Soup
Dip the Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
Prepare Lacy Florentines

One Day Ahead:
Fry Bacon for Salad
Prepare Salad Dressing
Prepare Grasshopper Cheesecake

Morning of the Tea:
Prepare Shrimp Shells

One Hour Ahead:
Prepare Prosciutto-Wrapped Fruit
Assemble Turkey Biscuits

30 Minutes Ahead:
Prepare Frico
Plate the Salad
Heat Soup

10 Minutes Ahead:

Prepare Tea

During the Salad Course:
Reheat Scones for 5 minutes at 350º

Ivy and Lace Tea: Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

This is the little treat that everyone eats after they tell you that they can’t eat another bite.

12 ounces chocolate chips or candy coating, melted
pretzels
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon (or more) milk
paste food color

Dip the pretzels into the warm chocolate and coat well. Remove using a fork. Shake off excess chocolate and lay the pretzel on wax paper to cool. In the meantime, add milk to confectioners’ sugar and combine. Add milk by the teaspoon until the mixture reaches a consistency that drizzles well. Stir in paste food color of your choice. Drizzle the icing on the cooled pretzels and allow the icing to harden.

Ivy and Lace Tea: Grasshopper Cheesecake

This pretty green dessert fits perfectly with the Ivy and Lace Tea theme.

11 chocolate mint cookies, crushed
3 tablespoons butter
24 ounces cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup green crème de menthe liqueur
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 chocolate mint cookies, coarsely chopped

In a bowl stir together the crushed cookies and melted butter till well combined. Press crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom of greased 4” springform pans or mini muffin tins.

With electric mixer combine cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in crème de menthe and vanilla extract. Stir in crushed cookies. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.

Bake at 225º for 35-45 minutes for springform pans or 25-30 minutes for mini muffin tins. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Loosen the ring and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Then remove ring completely and cool. Chill, uncovered, overnight. To remove the cheesecake from mini muffin tins, put in the freezer for 30 minutes. They will pop right out.

Ivy and Lace Tea: Lacy Florentines

I love lacy Florentines, a cross between a cookie and a candy.

Batter:
½ cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup butter
2 cups very finely chopped toasted blanched almonds
¼ cup flour
1 cup finely diced candied orange peel
½ teaspoon almond extract

Glaze:
1 ½ cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

To make the batter: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, sugar and butter, stirring until butter melts. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and add the almonds, flour, orange peel and almond extract.

Drop the batter by the tablespoonful on baking sheets. Using the back of a spoon dipped in water, flatter each cookie.

Bake for 11-12 minutes. Remove and cool on the pan for 1 minute. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze: Melt 1 cup of the chocolate. Remove from heat and add the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth.

Spread the bottom of each cookie with the glaze. Run the tines of a fork through the chocolate in a wavy pattern and place the cookies back on the rack to set.

Ivy and Lace Tea: Shrimp Shells

I’d like to say that everybody loves shrimp but my friend, Lisa, knocks that out of the water. What I can say with certainty though is that this is my number 1 guest favorite recipe.

To save time, buy your shrimp precooked and peeled. I realize you might not have Old Bay where you live; use any crab boil instead. And if you don’t have crab boil, just use paprika to give the shells a little hit of color.

12 jumbo shell macaroni
1 3-oz package cream cheese
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ cup finely shredded Swiss cheese.
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 oz chopped shrimp
¼ cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons onion
Old Bay Seasoning

Cook macaroni shells according to package directions, drain, rinse with cold water and chill. Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and pepper. Stir in shrimp, celery, onion and Swiss cheese. To assemble, spoon shrimp mixture into pasta shells. Sprinkle Old Bay over top. Cover and chill.

Ivy and Lace Tea: Smoked Turkey on a Biscuit with Cranberry Chutney

This sandwich itself is simple to put together. Spread the cranberry chutney on a biscuit, add the smoked turkey and a lettuce leaf. The biscuits are just a bit sweet and a perfect match for the turkey and chutney. Here’s the recipe for them:

Flaky Biscuits

2 cups pastry flour
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons softened butter
½ cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 325º. Into the bowl of a food processor add the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Process until just blended. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs 15-20 seconds.

Add the milk and process for at least 3 minutes. The dough will be soft, like melted cheese.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Roll the dough into a rectangle about 12” x 7”, about 1/8” thick. Fold it in half crosswise and roll lightly to bind the two layers together.

Using a small, round biscuit cutter, between 1 ½” and 2”, cut out the biscuits. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet close together but not quite touching.

Lightly prick the biscuits with a fork. Bake them for about 20 minutes, until their tops are a very light golden brown. Turn the oven off, crack the door open and allow the biscuits to stand in the oven until they’re totally cooled. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature; they’ll last for two weeks.

Ivy and Lace Tea: Prosciutto-Wrapped Fruit

You don’t really need a recipe for this. Wrap strips of prosciutto around the fruit of your choice. Ta-Da, finished!

Melon has a special affinity for prosciutto and that is what we usually see. You don’t have to use melon balls, slices look pretty too. For the Ivy and Lace Tea, you might want to use only green-fleshed melon to fit into the theme.

Figs are another favorite. Figs stuffed with a soft cheese before wrapping with the prosciutto are extra special.

The only thing to consider when choosing fruit is to take care with fruit that turns brown in the air. Dunk the fruit pieces in some lemon juice before wrapping.

Even though this is a super simple dish, it isn’t short on taste. Your guests will love it.

Ivy and Lace Tea: Pineapple, Coconut and Macadamia Scones

I’m always eager to try any scone recipe. When I saw that this one was made with Bisquick, I wasn’t so sure how good it would be. Was I ever surprised! These scones have a great taste; all of the elements shine through individually and the background flavor is a perfect compliment.

I hate to admit this but I had a problem figuring out how to cut the scones to make 12. This is obvious from the photo. Geometry was never my strong suit. Cut the dough into thirds vertically and then in half horizontally. Then cut each of those sections into triangles. So simple after my husband showed me. You might want to draw it on a piece of paper before the scone dough is in front of you.

2 ½ cups Bisquick
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup cold butter
½ cup flaked coconut
½ cup macadamia nuts, chopped
¼ cup whipping cream
1 egg
1 can (8 oz) pineapple tidbits, drained

Heat oven to 425º. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In the bowl of a food processor, mix Bisquick, sugar and butter. Combine well. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until just combined. (You can do all this by hand if you don’t want to use the food processor.)

Pat dough out on the prepared pan into a 10” x 7” rectangle. Cut into 12 triangles but do not separate.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Separate scones and serve warm.

Ivy and Lace Tea: Spinach Salad with Warm Cider-Bacon Dressing

This is an old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. The apple cooked in cider gives it sweetness while the bacon adds the saltiness. I don't eat much bacon these days, even though I love it, so this salad is a special treat.

6 slices bacon, crumbled
2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
1 red apple, chopped, leaving skin on
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound fresh spinach

Fry bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons of fat. In that fat, cook the onion and apple for 2 minutes, add the vinegar and cider, and boil, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Whisk in the mustard, oil, and salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl toss the spinach with the warm dressing until it is just wilted and sprinkle the salad with the bacon.

Ivy and Lace Tea: Tomato Soup with Parmesan Frico

There are two camps when it comes to tomato soup: those who like it chunky and those who like it smooth. I vote for smooth so I purée mine in a blender. If you prefer chunky, by all means, leave the chunks in. This soup tastes great either way.

Tomato Soup

4 tablespoons butter
½ cup thinly sliced celery
½ cup thinly sliced shallots
3 cups coarsely chopped plum tomatoes, use canned if you don’t have fresh
3 whole fresh basil leaves
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, melt butter and sauté the celery and shallots until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir in the basil leaves. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Purée in a blender until smooth and strain if necessary.


Parmesan Frico

Lacy Frico are easy to make and look so pretty and delicate. They taste delicious, of course. I like them served on a salad plate too.

9 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon flour

Toss the cheese with the flour. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Sprinkle a bit of the cheese in a circle, about 2 tablespoons. Cook until the cheese is melted but not firm. Flip and cook until firm. Timing depends on how hot your heat is, how well the pan conducts heat and the temperature of the cheese. Make one to test. Remember not to crowd your skillet or you’ll have a mess. When the Frico are done, place them on a paper towel to cool or drape them over a bowl or rolling pin in you want shapes.

Ivy and Lace Tea Party Menu

Inspiration for an afternoon tea theme can come from anywhere. I saw this photo and it sparked the Ivy and Lace Tea. Here's the menu:

Fresh Tomato Soup with Cheese Frico

Field Greens with Apple and Bacon with Cider Dressing

Coconut Pineapple Macadamia Scones with Pineapple Preserves and Clotted Cream

Smoked Turkey on Mini Biscuits with Cranberry Chutney

Prosciutto-Wrapped Fruit

Shrimp-Filled Pasta Shells

Lacy Florentines

Chocolate Pretzels

Grasshopper Cheesecake

Bai Hao Oolong Tea

Ivy and Lace Tea Party

The Ivy and Lace Tea is a traditional afternoon tea. Guests should be seated at a table some place other than your kitchen. Invite only the amount of guests that you can seat. Since this tea is more structured (I don’t want to say formal) than some I’ve presented, feel free to invite people who appreciate that kind of atmosphere.

As for invitations, this is a good time to use the real ones instead of phoning or emailing. This tea’s theme lends itself to creating your own. Use good card stock, a lace paper punch and a touch of ribbon. If you aren’t feeling creative or don’t have the time, your local card shop will certainly have an invitation that works.

The ivy in my garden is still growing strong even though it is October. If you have ivy, use this to decorate your table. Use white flowers in vases and fill with beautiful trailing ivy. If you have potted ivy in pretty containers, bring that to the table too. Maybe you even have a couple ivy topiaries to anchor your table—that would be perfect.

I picture this tea table decorated in green and white but you could use a third color depending on your dishes. Lay a solid color tablecloth that coordinates with your dishes. Over that use a beautiful lace cloth. If you don’t have a lace cloth, buy a length of lace from any fabric store. Seam two pieces together in order to cover your table. If you don’t sew, simply place the pieces side by side. The objects on the table will hold them in place. Use fabric tape or pink the edges if you can’t hem.

White candles in clear glass holders look really pretty on this table. There is an etiquette rule that says not to light candles during the day. But you know how I feel about rules that serve no real purpose. I think candlelight looks festive and pretty no matter the time of day. Do whatever feels right to you. If you’ve invited your mother-in-law and you think she might sniff the air in distain when she sees your lit candles, you might want to forego them. Or you might decide to let her sniff. Your call.

Use pretty fabric napkins for this tea. I’m sure you can find an ivy pattern. Fold them into a pocket for the flatware and tie this bundle with a piece of lace. You might even add a sprig of ivy.

I’ve noticed that some tea party planner types like to tie huge bows of lace, flowers and tulle on to the back of each guest’s chair. I guess it is supposed to look super festive. To me, it looks as though some Victorian lady’s underwear drawer has exploded all over the room. As always though, do what pleases you. If you like this look, and it certainly would fit in with the Ivy and Lace theme, by all means, use it. You might want to not light your candles if you do, however.

If you want to give a tea party favor, you might consider little pots of ivy that you’ve started yourself. You could use these as place settings on your table. Just add a little name label on a stick in the pot. There isn’t much to transplanting a bit of ivy from your own pot or patch. Cut a piece, use rooting powder if you have it, stick it into moist soil. It will take off in just a few days.

For music playing in the background during this tea, you might want to consider the radio stations on your cable TV. They offer such a wide range of music and it is all without commercials. Mine has several "Sounds of the Seasons" stations. These always provide a nice mix of musical styles. There are also several "light" stations and even "light" classical.

Tomorrow I’ll give you the menu for the Ivy and Lace Afternoon Tea. While it would be goofy to have lots of lacy foods, I might have included one or two. Even at a traditional tea, a sense of humor isn’t out of place.